MAP / TOUR - A Guide to Leeuwarden

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For a fair and mindful breakfast or lunch head to Broodje Bewust (1). Visit
Fruitbar Sis (2) for delicious fresh Smoothies. In the Blokhuispoort, you can
get lunch at Café de Bak (3). In Bagels & Beans(4) you can find a relaxed
atmosphere and a good terrace. Barrevoets (5) offers delicious, fresh and
home made pies, lunch and smoothies. Post-Plaza (6) serves lunch in the
Grand Café, established in the former post office of Leeuwarden.
De Walrus (7) has the best and sunniest terrace. Enjoy your lunch at
Brasserie Spiegelaar (8) with a view on the Weigh house. At Neushoorn Café
(9), you’ll be surrounded by creative students, vintage furniture and many
plants. Douwe Egberts Café (10) is the coziest living room of the city with
good coffee and good company.
Explore Leeuwarden with a view from the water and you’ll get a whole new
perspective of the city. Rent a SUP (citysup.nl) from the City beach or rent an
electric open boat at Greenjoy (greenjoyleeuwarden.nl), located at the
Willemskade 1. You can also join an open boat tour through the canals of
Leeuwarden. Stichting Praamvaren Leeuwarden offers multiple boat tours from
April to October. Praamvaren Friesland’s tours in July & August, every Saturday
at 14:00 (canalcruises.frl) with a guide (NL/ENG) from A Guide to Leeuwarden!
The Blokhuispoort (32) is a former prison that’s turned into the cultural heart of
Leeuwarden and the home base of Cultural Capital 2018. On Thurdays, you head
to Café de Bak (3) for a Three Cell Menu. On Fridays, people head here to have a
drink and bite at the Café and enjoy live music at Podium Asteriks (58) (Sept-Jun).
On Saturdays, you can get a guided tour (in Dutch €10, 14:00 & 16:00) by a former
prison guard. But there are also shops, offices and exposition rooms! Definitely a
must-visit in Leeuwarden!
Neushoorn (57) is the music temple of Leeuwarden. If you want to go clubbing,
head to Club Hemingway (59), the homebase of local DJ collective Nokturné
(House). If you’re more into techno, find out where Influenza* organises it’s next
rave. If you love the movies, go to one of the two cinema’s along the Nieuwestad,
For arthouse films, head to Slieker Film (60). De Harmonie is the local theatre.
Tourist information/VVV (i) can be found in the huge black Achmea Tower on
Sophialaan 4 (Mon 12:00-17:00 Tue-Fri 9:30-17:00 Sat: 10:00-15:00) and in
the 2018 info point in the Blokhuispoort (32) (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00). At Priuw
(22) there is a Tourist Info Leeuwarden (Tue-Sat 12:00-18:00). Stadskiosk de
Bierkaai (B) serves as an information centre during events in the city.
Leeuwarden has 96.000 inhabitants. It is big enough to call itself a city, but it
mostly feels like a village. And that’s not a bad thing in our opinion. People
speak Dutch, Frisian or the local dialect Liwwadders. Most people are able to
help you out in English or German. Most museums are not that well prepared
for foreign tourists, so always check beforehand if exhibitions are translated in
English or German and ask for a discount if they aren’t.
Buy some Fryske Dúmkes or Oranjekoek at Banketbakkerij Salverda (21). Say
hello in the local dialect Liwwadders, just say ‘a goeie’ (a-gu-ye) and try all the
Frisian products you’d like to taste at Priuw (22). Practice the line bûter, brea &
griene tsiis while ordering the best cheese at De Zuivelhoeve (23). Enjoy the
best ice cream in town at La Venezia (24). And if you liked it, just say: ‘It koe
minder’, meaning as much as ‘it could have been worse’. That’s the local way of
being positive. Do your groceries at the Friday’s Market (25).
In the smaller streets like Nieuwe Oosterstraat, St. Jacobsstraat, Kleine Kerkstraat,
Vijzelstraat and Kelders, you’ll find most of the nice shops. De Pluymgraaff (27)
is one of the most colourful shops of Leeuwarden. Kabinett (28) sells Paper &
Home gifts with a Scandinavian touch and a vintage twist. At the Lektuurhal
(29) you can get your foreign newspapers and magazines from a real Liwwadder.
And discover another world at Panta Rei (30). If you are looking for more nice
shops to visit, try to score a pink Funshop Guide or check our website.
The people of Leeuwarden are pretty serious about beer. We even had a Beer
uproar in 1487! Don’t miss out on some local beer like Grutte Pier at craft beer Café
de Markies (53), they have more than 100 beers on their menu! At Café De Stee
(54). you can get the exclusive Leeuwarden Oldehove beer (ask for a Skeve). Try a
Rosemary Porter at Paddy O’Ryan (55). If you want to bring some home, head
to Mitra Slijterij Spijkstra (26) or Priuw (22). Join or book our Beer Tour if you
want to learn more about the beer history of Leeuwarden.
The Fries Museum (11) is about Friesland and everything that can be called
Frisian. €12,- open: Tue-Sun 11:00 -17:00. Princessehof (12) is a museum
about ceramics. From Ming to modern design. €12,- open: Tue–Sun 11:0017:00. Frisian Nature Museum (13) €7,- open: Tue-Sun 11:00 -17:00.
The leaning tower Oldehove (14) is the symbol of the city. €3,50 open:
Mon-Sun 13:00-17:00. Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden (15), discover the
history of Leeuwarden. Free of charge, open: Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat-Sun
13:00-17:00. Boomsma Museum (16) is an old Beerenburger Distillery. Free of
charge, open: Tue-Sat: 10:00-17:00. Museum de Grutterswinkel (17) is an old
fashioned groceries store. Free of charge, open: Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00.
‘t Andere Museum (18) is a warehouse stuffed with old cars, radio’s, trains,
textile and lace attributes. €5,- open: Wed-Sun 14:00-17:00. From Nov-March
open only on Sun. Museum Harbour (19) is a harbour with ships that are at
least 50 yrs old. Free of charge. Pier Pander Museum (20) is about the
sculptor Pier Pander. €2,- open: Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00 (only June-Sept).
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MAP / TOUR
Walking Tours - Stadswandelingen
With more than 600 official monuments, this city breathes history! Learn more
about the history of Leeuwarden and visit the Historisch Centrum LWD (15) or the
Frisian archive Tresoar next door. Or walk to the second roundabout along the
Spanjaardslaan to visit the Oude Stadsbegraafplaats (40) to see an old Romantic
19th century graveyard in decay. Admire the paintings from Alma-Tadema in the
biggest exposition the Fries Museum (11) has ever had (Oct-Feb). In the evening,
you can have a drink at his former house at De Ossekop (56).
The Dutch royal family descends from the Frisian Nassau family who lived in
Leeuwarden for many years. Traces still remain: The Stadhouderlijk Hof (43) was
their palace, the Prinsentuin was their leisure garden and they went to church in
the High or Jacobean Church (33) (open: Every Saturday 13:00-16:00,
Jul-11 Sept Tue-Sat 11:00-16:00).
Maria Louise von Hessen Kassel (1688-1765) was the last Nassau princess who
lived in Leeuwarden. The Princessehof (12), which is now a really good ceramics
museum, was her house. Around the corner you can spot her portrait and
family tree (37) and you might spot some other familiar faces.
For a cheap daily special head to Grand Café de Friesche Club (47), do ask if you
can take a peek in the back! Go back to basic with Beer & Burgers in the historic
building of Double B (48). Try something different and go for Afghani Tapas at
the Leeuwarden Lounge (49). Spinoza (50) is the most cosy restaurant which
also has an excellent vegan menu. And if you really like to try good Frisian
biologic food, try Eindeloos (51). Just a short walk from the city centre, you can
find Wannee (52), where you can experience Dutch Cuisine (Rengerslaan 8).
More tips on what to do in Leeuwarden: www.aguidetoleeuwarden.nl
Every Friday 15:00, Oldehoofsterkerkhof
The Friesland Free Tour is a walking tour in Leeuwarden about Friesland,
a fascinating and unique region with it’s own language and culture.
We will teach you a bit of Frisian, take a look inside the State Hall of the
Provinsjehûs and show you how Oranjekoeken are made. You’ll learn to
become a real Frisian!
Pay what you think it’s worth.
Every Saturday 12:00, Oldehoofsterkerkhof
The original Leeuwarden Free Tour is the best introduction to the city.
Our enthusiastic guides know the hidden spots of the city and love
to tell about it’s history, but they also know where you can find all
the nice shops and most beautiful graffiti. Of course, they also know
where you can eat or drink something after the tour.
Pay what you think it’s worth.
A view from above. You can climb the leaning Oldehove (14) tower (40m) from
April to October (Mon-Sun 13:00-17:00). Entrance €3,50. From July to
September (Wed & Sat 14:00-16:00) you can also climb the tower of the Saint
Boniface Church (42) for €1,50. With 85m, it’s the highest church tower of
Friesland. Every second Saturday of the month, you can climb the Achmea
Tower (i), at 114m the highest tower of Friesland, entrance is €3,00 and tickets
are available at the VVV.
Friesland Free Tour:
Leeuwarden Free Tour:
A walking tour in Leeuwarden
about Friesland.
Every Friday 15:00
The best introduction
on Leeuwarden.
Every Saturday 12:00
we
start
here
Most shops are open from 10:00 to 18:00. Mondays shops open at 13:00.
Every Thursday, shops close at 21:00 and every Saturday at 17:00.
Supermarkets are open from 8:00/9:00 till 20:00/21:00 Mon-Sat.
Sundays, some shops choose to be open from 12:00 till 17:00.
Start: Our tours start on the Oldehoofsterkerkhof (A), the big square
in front of the Oldehove (the leaning tower). In case of events on the
square, we will start on the opposite side of the square in front of the
mural of Maria Louise (37) at De Brasserie.
Leeuwarden is not that big, but it might be nice to stay a bit longer and explore the
surroundings of the city. You might want to:
** Visit the Eise Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker. Eisinga built an accurate moving model
of the solar system in his living room between 1774 -1781 and it’s still working!
** Explore the surroundings by bike! ‘De 8 van Grou’ bike trip involves 8 ferries!
** Head to Earnewoude and rent a kayak or boat to explore National Park De Alde
Feanen from the water. This lowlying peatland is magnificent.
** Visit one of the manors (stinzen) near Leeuwarden, such as the Poptaslot in Marssum
(Jul-Aug) or the Dekema State in Jelsum (Apr-Oct).
A few times a year (check our website for dates).
The Leeuwarden Beer Tour is
a walking tour about beer and
Leeuwarden. We will also taste a
few local beers during this
walking tour of course.
The Street Art Tour will let you
experience Leeuwarden in a whole
new way, looking beyond the main
attractions to discover art on street
corners, signposts and alleyways.
Book a private tour with us if you’d rather do a walking tour (or boat
tour) on another day or time. It is also a great thing to do with your
family, friends or colleagues!
Just send us an email at [email protected] or call us at
+31 6-15314728. We offer tours in English, Dutch and German.
Es ist auch möglich auf Anfrage eine deutsche Tour zu buchen.
Free Tour: Pay what you think the tour was worth!
Language: Our tours are in English if there are participants who don’t
speak Dutch. Between May and October we always try to have two
guides on Saturday, so we can have a Dutch and English tour.
www.aguidetoleeuwarden.nl
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