Cycle Route National Ferry Route cycling route

Leeuwarden is the capital of the Dutch province Friesland in the north of the country. Leeuwarden and Friesland as a whole are often overlooked by visitors.

For those willing to make the trip, the city has lots of history to offer and gives an insight in the proud local culture of the Frisians. There are several worthwhile museums, including large Fries Museum.

The origins of Leeuwarden go back to Roman times. At that time, people were already living where Oldehove now stands. Leeuwarden was built on terpen (housing mounds) that were raised on a bay of the Middelzee that later became silted up and then poldered. Three settlements were built on the terpen: Oldehove, Nijehove and Hoek. The oldest church in the city, St. Vitus (12th century), was in Oldehove.

Between 1200 and 1300, the Middelzee silted up and trade declined due to a lack of sea access. Trade now shifted to products from the region. In 1435, when Oldehove, Nijehove and Hoek were merged into one city (Leeuwarden), the city was granted city rights. Regional conflicts in the 15th century led to the development of Leeuwarden as a fortress city.

These conflicts ended with the submission of Friesland to Albert of Saxony. Leeuwarden became the seat of the Court of Friesland, which regulated administration and justice in the area. In 1571, this college received its own building, the Kanselarij. At the same time, ecclesiastical rule was also established in Leeuwarden. St. Vitus Church became the seat of a dean and the most important church in Friesland. All sovereigns and governors were inaugurated in this church. In 1559, Leeuwarden was elevated to the seat of a bishop. However, the new diocese of Leeuwarden only had one bishop: Cunerus Petri. In 1579, his term of office ended with the escape from Friesland. St. Vitus Church was demolished in 1595/1596 because it was in a state of disrepair.

The 16th and 17th centuries were a golden age for Leeuwarden. The city gained prestige because it became the residence of the Nassauers, the governors of the northern provinces of the Republic, until the end of the 18th century. They and their court resided in the Stadhouderlijk Hof (now a hotel). The number of inhabitants doubled from 5,000 (around 1500) to 10,000 (1650). One of the main reasons for this was that Leeuwarden was relatively easy to reach for the time. There were ferry services to Groningen and Amsterdam (via Harlingen across the Zuiderzee). The most important streets at that time were Eewal, Grote Kerkstraat, Nieuwestad, Tweebaksmarkt and Weaze: the richest noble families lived here. Leeuwarden was one of the ten most prestigious cities in the Netherlands at that time.

The city's prosperity, however, had to be protected with ramparts. Later, when they became needless, many of them were converted into parks. In the 19th century, many of the canals in the city center were filled in and the first residential areas outside the city center were built.

See

Just north of the railway station lies Leeuwarden's compact medieval centre, surrounded by defensive canals. With 617 buildings listed as national monuments, the city has no lack of heritage to see. The old town is small enough to easily explore on foot, with plenty of time to take in the many historic buildings. Among the most notable ones are:

• ⊙Grote of Jacobijnerkerk, 95 Jacobijnerkerkhof.
  The largest of the medieval churches, dating back to around 1300. It's a Gothic style building that was built as a monastery. It houses a famous 1727 Christian Müller-organ.  
• ⊙Waag, 148 Nieuwestad.
  Leeuwarden's nicely decorated former weigh house was built in 1590, probably to replace an earlier one. It was a major centre for trade in the city, with butter and other dairy products being the most weighed and traded goods. It kept its function until 1880 or so, and now houses a lunch room. 
• ⊙Oldehove, 1 Oldehoofsterkerkhof.
  When the city of Groningen got its massive Martini-tower in the 15th century, the Frisians were determined to get a tower of their own, at least as high. Money was raised throughout the province and building began in 1529. The master builder was however unaccustomed to the clay grounds under the city, and the measures he took to ensure the towers stability (including a 1.1-5 m foundation and a broad base) soon turned out to be insufficient. The tower was only 10 m high when it started to lean. Attempts to correct for the sag resulted in the tower not only leaning, but also being bent in itself. After about 4 years, the construction was stopped and the tower remained as it was ever since: 40 m high and leaning. Only in 2005 experts found that one side of the tower was built on the remains of an artificial dwelling hill, which is believed to explain many of the problems. In any case, although nothing like the Martinitower in grandeur, the Oldehove has proven an interesting landmark for the city and it has been restored. Due to the state of the structure and in order to limit noise for the people living around the tower, its bells are only used for special occasions.  
• ⊙Kanselarij, 13 Turfmarkt. 
• ⊙City hall, 36 Raadhuisplein.
  Building of the Classicist city hall started in 1715. It has been extensively restored. The inscription above the mainentrance reads "Pace et Justitia", or "Peace and Justice".  

Other attractions include:

• ⊙Fries Museum, Wilhelminaplein 92. Tu-Su 11:00–17:00.
  The Fries Museum houses an excellent historic collection about Friesland and its 11 cities. It includes many works of art but also a wide range of historic artefacts.
  €10 for adults. 
• ⊙Princessehof National Ceramics Museum, 11 Grote Kerkstraat, ☎ +31 582 948958, . 
• ⊙Nature Museum Fryslân, 2 Schoenmakersperk, ☎ +31 582 332244. 
• ⊙Mata Hari birth place & statue, Kelders 33.
  The birth place of Mata Hari, the famous exotic dancer, courtisan and hapless spy, was restored after a 2013 fire, and since 2016 the building has contained a presentation centre (belevingscentrum) with exhibits about the town's most famous citizen. In front of the building stands a statue of Mata Hari dressed as an exotic dancer. Elsewhere the Fries Museum has a Mata Hari Room. (updated Aug 2017)

Mo - Sa 10:00 - 16:00