Harlingen

Although it is one of the eleven Frisian cities, Harlingen is perhaps the least Frisian of them all, and few people speak the Frisian language as their mother tongue. It's a quaint little port town, which gained its fortune through fishing and trade. Still today, several commercial boating routes leave from here, on their way to Scandinavia or further. Some of the original fortifications have survived the test of time, as have the canals and a good number of historic warehouses and mansions.

This is pretty much as north as it gets on the Dutch mainland. Harlingen started to grow in the 12th century, when the monks of a nearby monastery dug canals to improve the trade activities in the area. Benefiting from the increased trade, Harlingen was awarded a city charter in 1234. For a few centuries however, the town remained of minor importance compared to nearby university city Franeker . As the harbour grew, however, so did Harlingen's wealth and fame.

Today, most of the shipping is related to transport of salt from the local salt factory.

See

Countless monuments have survived over the centuries and make Harlingen a nice, historic harbour town today. Wander through town and you'll find the old canals, lovely merchants houses and warehouses and a network of charming little alleys in between. Note the gable stones that remain from former times, when they were used to find houses in a world without house numbers. Many have a link with the history or purpose of the building it's on. Good examples are the golden angel (Lanen 28) on the oldest stone house in the city, once used as a masonic loge, and the image of a carpenter with his tools (Voorstraat 5).

The Blauwe Hand (Grote Bredeplaats 35) is one of the best preserved warehouses. It's also among the oldest in town, built in 1647 according to the gable stone. The centre is packed with other fine warehouse examples, including the 17th century Brittania (Noorderhaven 39) and the lovely 1657 building at Noorderhaven 106. The Harlingen Lighthouse is now in use as a hotel, after it lost its function in 1998. It originates in the early 1920s and is a true landmark for the town. Another major monument that can't be missed in the city centre is the 18th century City hall (Noorderhaven 86).

• Museum Hannemahuis, Voorstraat 56. This is the place to see the history and arts history of Harlingen through a wide variety of painting, pictures, silver works and maritime artefacts. €5. 
• Harlinger Aardewerk Museum, Zoutsloot 43, ☎ +31 517 413341. The Pottery Museum displays, as the name suggests, all kinds of pottery from the region. There was a blooming pottery production in the Frisian cities in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. If you want to make sure to get in, call ahead for an appointment. This tiny place is usually open but has no set opening hours. Free, but a voluntary contribution is much appreciated.