Must-see attractions in Friesland

  • LEEUWARDEN, NETHERLANDS - FEBRUARY 16, 2016: Palace Prinsessehof in the historical center of Leeuwarden, Netherlands; Shutterstock ID 381931474

    Keramiek Museum Princessehof

    Leeuwarden

    Pottery lovers will adore the Netherlands ceramics museum. Here you'll find the largest collection of tiles on the planet, an unparalleled selection of…

  • Blokhuispoort

    Leeuwarden

    No single sight evokes the undercurrent of explosive creativity pulsating through the Frisian capital quite like this 19th-century prison-turned-cultural…

  • Fries Museum

    Leeuwarden

    The provincial museum occupies an imposing glass-fronted building sporting a striking wood-and-steel roof that projects out over Wilhelminaplein. The…

  • The lighthouse of ameland ; Shutterstock ID 742333417

    Lighthouse

    Frisian Islands

    Ameland's iconic red-and-white banded lighthouse stands 55m tall on the island's west end. The only lighthouse in the island chain that is open to the…

  • Lauwersmeer National Park

    Friesland

    Nature lovers are in paradise in this tiny national park protecting the man-made watery shallows of Lauwersmeer, split between Friesland and the…

  • Eise Eisinga Planetarium

    Friesland

    The Eise Eisinga Planetarium is named after its builder, an 18th-century wool comber with a serious sideline in cosmic mathematics and astrology. Between…

  • De Oldehove, tower of Leeuwarden,the capital of Friesland, the Netherlands; Shutterstock ID 409086418

    Oldehove

    Leeuwarden

    At the northwest corner of the historic core stands the notoriously off-kilter Oldehove – Friesland's rival to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Things went…

  • Huge luna-fish (mola-mola or ocean sunfish) in dark underwater environment.; Shutterstock ID 10937248

    Natuurcentrum Ameland

    Frisian Islands

    Just north of Nes village, this centre features an excellent seaquarium in which a number of North Sea species swim around, including manta rays,…

  • Museum Hannemahuis Harlingen

    Friesland

    Housed in the 18th-century mansion of a prominent Harlingen family, this museum deals primarily with the town's maritime heritage, in particular its role…

  • Bunker Museum

    Frisian Islands

    Hidden in woods east of West-Terschelling is an extraordinary subterranean network of 85 bunkers used as a military radar station during WWII…

  • Museum Tromp's Huys

    Frisian Islands

    Journey back in time to island life in the early 20th century at this tiny house-museum, inside the oldest building on Vlieland, dating to 1575. The…

  • De Tobbedanser

    Friesland

    Across from the ferry port, this bronze statue encircled by a wooden bench is a lovely spot to sit and contemplate the pretty waterside views. Sculpted by…

  • Natuurmuseum Fryslân

    Leeuwarden

    Let your angels run rampant in this natural history museum, covering Friesland's flora and fauna. Highlights include a virtual bird-flight simulation …

  • Obe Paviljoen

    Leeuwarden

    Named after the local Frisian poet Obe Postma (1868–1963), this contemporary wood-and-glass pavilion is razor-sharp in both architectural design and the…

  • Het Eerste Friese Schaatsmuseum

    Friesland

    In extraordinarily cold winters Hindeloopen is one of the key towns on the route of the Elfstedentocht race. This icy spectacle and ice skating in general…

  • Historisch Centrum

    Leeuwarden

    Read up on the town's history at the city archives, home to a permanent exhibition on the history of Leeuwarden. It also organises guided tours led by…

  • Museum Hindeloopen

    Friesland

    Displays in this small museum, inside the former town hall (1683) next to the church, focus on the town's seafaring history and traditional crafts, in…

  • Terschelling Museum 't Behouden Huys

    Frisian Islands

    Good for a rainy day, this small museum covers traditional Terschelling life and maritime history. It's named after the cabin on the Novaya Zemlya…

  • Fries Scheepvaart Museum

    Friesland

    Sneek has been a nexus of Frisian waterways for centuries, and this museum elegantly illustrates many aspects of shipping and seafaring in the province…

  • De Waag

    Leeuwarden

    The petite weighing house dominates Waagplein; butter and other goods were weighed here from 1598 to 1884.

  • Modelspoor Museum

    Friesland

    Next to the train station, in part of the train station building, this indispensable attraction for train buffs includes some incredibly detailed model…

  • De Boschplaat

    Frisian Islands

    An extensive natural reserve at the eastern end of the island, De Boschplaat was a separate island until 1880, when the channel between the two silted up…

  • Town Hall

    Friesland

    Sneek's original town hall acquired its striking rococo decoration in the 1760s. Play 'Spot Wisdom, Justice and Stability' with the beautifully sculpted,…