Friesland Eleven Cities Tour Holland: Self-Guided Cycling
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Friesland Eleven Cities Tour Holland: Self-Guided Cycling Imagine skillful, puffing skaters in the wintry landscapes for the Elfstedentocht, a 125-mile long ice skating race looping through 11 towns in Friesland - a route you'll follow by bike. Holland’s most Northern Province, Friesland is a region of lush green farms, boat filled waterways, and scenic lakes. The Eleven Cities Tour owes its name to two men who decided in the winter of 1808 to skate past eleven towns in one day, a total of 230 kilometers. To prove they'd done it, they obtained the signatures of the owners of cafés or hotels in every town. You’ll see on this tour the Frisian sailing ships called “Skutsjes,” hamlets built on earthen mounds to protect them from flooding, and beautiful fortified towns all along the way. Friesland has many handsome 17th century houses and picturesque farms. Occasionally entire town centers have been designated as historically protected areas. There are also numerous little museums. The Frisians even speak a language of their own! Your cycle route winds its way around the province, mainly on quiet lanes and country roads. Included • Accommodations in family-owned 3- and 4-star hotels, all rooms with private facilities* • Daily breakfast • 7-speed bikes with cycle bags, pump, lock, and a repair kit • Daily luggage transportation (limited to one suitcase or bag per person not heavier than 20 kilos. A second bag is possible but we need to know this ahead of time.) • Detailed route descriptions and maps • Emergency phone number 7 days a week *Please Note: A local tourist tax of €2 per person per night will have to be paid in each individual hotel on departure! Daily Itinerary Day 1: Arrival in Leeuwarden You’ll arrive today in Leeuwarden, Friesland’s capital. It's a pleasant town with many interesting museums. It was also the birth town of Mata Hari, the renowned dancer, temptress, and purported World War I spy. You can visit her childhood home here. If that's not your interest you might take in the Frisian Museum which provides a comprehensive history of the area, or the World War II Resistance Museum. You’ll have plenty of time for sightseeing and there are many nice shops close to the boat mooring. Make sure to visit the famous Oldehove – according to the Friesians, it leans further than the tower of Pisa. Day 2: Leeuwarden – Sneek - 28 miles (45 km) The first cycling day will bring you to beautiful Sneek (or “Snits” as it's said in Frisian), the water sports capital of Friesland. Sneek itself, once a fortified town, is well worth closer inspection. It boasts the unusually ornate and interesting Watergate (from 1613) and the well preserved town hall, which was built on a “terp” (an artificial hill higher than the surrounding land) to protect it from flooding. Don’t miss the beautiful Martini Church in the center of the attractive streets. Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] Day 3: Sneek – Harich- 31 miles (50 km) Today you cycle to Harich or Rijs situated near the IJssel Lake. You’ll pass Sloten, the smallest of the 11 towns of the Elfstedentocht, but the best preserved. This fortified town got its town rights in the 13th century and was favorably located on the trade route from Stavoren to Germany. The town has remained the same throughout the centuries mostly because the population of 700 has fluctuated little over the years. In the center you can admire the beautifully preserved historic merchant homes along the tree-lined central canal and have a tasty lunch in one of the many charming small cafes. In the afternoon you'll enjoy the lovely village of Balk, the main village of the Gaasterland area, then bike on through typical Frisian landscapes to your final destination for the day: Harich or Balk, both small villages in the wooded part of Friesland. Day 4: Harich – Bolsward - 32 or 36 miles (51 or 58 km) Bolsward is a very nice town with picturesque streets, though it's certainly not the only one on today’s cycling itinerary. Stavoren, nowadays famous for water sports, and charming Workum are also worth a visit! Stavoren, a tiny harbor village and the oldest city in Friesland received its city rights in 1118. Arriving in the harbor you’ll find some cute streets where you can wander around and feel like you’re back in the 17th century. You can continue cycling through peaceful meadows to Workum, a town that flourished around 1300 when other towns lost their connection to the open sea. These towns were all trade cities, with handsome houses from the era of the Hanseatic League and nice churches bearing witness to their glorious past. Finally, you'll arrive in Bolsward, a charming small town and former trading city with a port in the Middle Ages. There's a beautiful town hall to admire and another 15th century Martini Church. Day 5: Bolsward – Harlingen - 19 miles (30 km) On the route to Harlingen, you will cycle past Makkum, a quiet, lovely fishing village on the IJssel Lake. Makkum is well known for its pottery with a distinctive green and red pattern called “Boerenfries” (Frisian farmer). Leaving Makkum you’ll glide through the heart of Friesland over old dikes and winding roads to Harlingen. Enjoy your stay in this quiet seaside town, located on the Waddenzee. Day 6: Harlingen – Dokkum - 39 or 47 miles (63 or 75 km) You will want to get an early start today so that on your longest day you'll have time to visit Franeker, an influential university and market center in the Middle Ages. Here you can admire the elaborately decorated Renaissance town hall and the well-known Planetarium from 1781. This is a truly unique museum, built in the sitting room of the family house of amateur scientist Eise Eisinga. It was constructed between 1774 and 1781 in an attempt to quell local fears that a collision among the planets would lead to the Earth’s destruction. To help convince the local burghers that devastation was not imminent, Eisinga made sure that Franeker was represented at the center of the planetarium’s universe. In addition to the planetarium the whole house is now a fascinating museum. After taking the time to visit Franeker, you will continue on to Dokkum. Every Dutch student learns about Dokkum because it is the historic location where Bonifatius (St. Boniface) was murdered in 754. Bonifatius was a Benedictine monk, born in England, who came to Friesland to convert the heathens and he and his followers paid for their efforts with their lives. Dokkum has a chapel, small park and a fountain to commemorate Bonifatius. It is is a pristine, architecturally rich Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] small town with a lively center, boasting a number interesting art galleries and a friendly population. It's a quite remarkable town as the streets haven’t changed much since 1650. In the Eleven City Skating Tour, Dokkum is known as the “turning point” as it's the place where the speed-skaters have to take the same route as they came by to head back to Leeuwarden. Day 7: Dokkum - Leeuwarden - 22 miles (35 km) On your last cycling day, you'll return to your starting point of Leeuwarden. Along the cycling route, you can visit the enchanting Frisian villages Rinsumageest and Burdaard. Day 8: Tour Ends Your tour ends today with departure after breakfast Starting Point You will arrive at your leisure at your Leeuwarden hotel. Leeuwarden is a comfortable and direct two hour train ride from Amsterdam or Schiphol Airport. Trains run every half-hour. From the station it’s a 5-minute taxi ride to the hotel (or a 1 km walk). Level of Difficulty This tour is rated "easy." Daily cycling is on flat terrain and on mostly separate bike paths. The Bicycles Included in the tour price are sturdy Dutch hybrid 7-speed bikes in excellent condition and sufficient for the terrain. These are heavy bikes that are built to last. They include cycle bags, pump, lock, and repair kit. These need to be picked up from the bike shop, directly next to the Leeuwarden train station. WiFi WiFi is available on a limited basis in hotels. Don't expect to have a perfect internet connection for the entire trip. Usually during the busiest hours when many people are online, the speed gets slower, and some people will have trouble connecting. Not included • Airfare • Alcoholic and bar beverages • Lunches, dinners Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] .