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Sneekermeer Cycling Route

(66.0 km)

Make it easy to navigate. Download the route from Routic!

This cycling route is a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Frisian Lakes (Sneekermeer lake, Tjeukemeer lake and Langweerderwielen lake). You also visit the town of Joure, where the world-famous Dutch coffee brand Douwe Egberts was born, and the village of Terherne, which served as the setting for the popular Dutch children’s book series, De Kameleon. 

Sneek
The route starts at the VVV Waterland tourist office at the Frisian Maritime Museum in Sneek. During your visit to the museum, you will learn more about the city of Sneek and the history of shipping in Friesland. And you can’t leave without seeing the famous Waterpoort water gate and the Fountain of Fortuna created by Stephan Balkenhol. You cycle past these iconic sights towards the end of the route.

S…

Make it easy to navigate. Download the route from Routic!

This cycling route is a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Frisian Lakes (Sneekermeer lake, Tjeukemeer lake and Langweerderwielen lake). You also visit the town of Joure, where the world-famous Dutch coffee brand Douwe Egberts was born, and the village of Terherne, which served as the setting for the popular Dutch children’s book series, De Kameleon. 

Sneek
The route starts at the VVV Waterland tourist office at the Frisian Maritime Museum in Sneek. During your visit to the museum, you will learn more about the city of Sneek and the history of shipping in Friesland. And you can’t leave without seeing the famous Waterpoort water gate and the Fountain of Fortuna created by Stephan Balkenhol. You cycle past these iconic sights towards the end of the route.

Sneekermeer (Snitser Mar) lake
Sneekermeer is best known as a haven for water sports enthusiasts. The interconnected bodies of water in the area include Sneekermeer lake itself, Goïngarijpsterpoelen (Goaiingarypster Puollen) lake, Zoutepoel (Sâltpoel) lake and Gauwsterhoppen (Gauster Hoppen) lake. It is interesting to note that the city of Sneek is not situated next to the lake.

Terherne
The village of Terherne is situated on the banks of Sneekermeer (Snitser Mar) lake and is surrounded by water on all sides. In other words, it is really an island! So water sports and tourism are its main sources of income. The village is now known as ‘the chameleon’ village’ because the popular Dutch children’s book series, De Kameleon, written by Hotze de Roos is set in and around the village.

Joure
Many monuments and sights in Joure testify to the craftsmanship that flourished here in the past. The town was known for its clock makers, furniture makers and shipbuilders. It was also the birthplace of the Douwe Egberts coffee company founded by Egbert Douwes. Joure was granted the right to hold a market as far back as 1466. The Jouster Merke, the town’s famous annual market, continues to attract thousands of visitors. A beautiful place with a shopping street that is more than a kilometre long! Tip: Be sure to visit Museum Joure. This fascinating manufacturing museum can be found on the site where the world-famous Dutch coffee brand Douwe Egberts set up its first factory.

Haulsterbossen forest
This forest was planted by the Douwe Egberts company in the late 1940s. At the time, the Douwe Egberts factory in Joure produced tobacco. And people who smoked tobacco needed matches. A few years after it was planted, wood cut from the forest could be used to make matches. The Dutch word for ‘match’ is ‘lucifer’. So the forest is also known as Lucifer forest. In the forest there is a war memorial with the inscription ‘Droppingsveld 1944/1945’. Towards the end of the Second World War, the Allies regularly dropped weapons here for resistance fighters.

Tjeukemeer (Tsjûkemar) lake
If you carry straight on at junction 90 rather than turning right, you will come to Tjeukemeer (Tsjûkemar) lake and the beach. You may be surprised to learn that this is the largest inland lake in Friesland. The Frisian Lakes are the heart of the water sports scene in Friesland. But these lakes appeared relatively recently. There are several explanations of how the lakes were formed. They are generally thought to be the result of human activity. The extraction of peat and salt created depressions that filled with water. The major storm surges that hit Friesland in the late Middle Ages were also a contributing factor. As the lakes increased in size, some villages had to be moved to avoid being swallowed up by the water!

Scharsterrijn (Scharster Rijn) canal
From Tjeukemeer (Tsjûkemar) lake, you cycle north again along a beautiful route next to the Scharsterrijn (Scharster Rijn) canal. At one point the canal ran dry, but it was dug out again in the 18th century to transport peat.

Langweerderwielen (Langwarder Wielen) lake
As you cycle past Langweerderwielen lake, which transitions into Alde Wei lake, be sure to enjoy the view of the many water sports enthusiasts. The lake is close to the village of Langweer, which is popular with water sports enthusiasts.

Refreshments
Want to stop for a drink and a bite to eat along the way? There are plenty of restaurants and terraces in Sneek, Terherne and Joure and along the route, where you can also charge your e-bike.

Here are some we highly recommend:

Just before you arrive in Terherne, you cycle past IJsboerderij Boereiis. In the summer, you can enjoy the wonderful dairy ice cream made on the farm.
Just after Terherne, you pass two restaurants: Pavilion Salt and Picknickers. Both are situated in a beautiful location where you can relax on a terrace with a spectacular view of Sneekermeer (Snitsermar) lake.
After Joure (after junction 82), you pass the De Palingfabriek eel farm in the village of Rohel, which has been sustainably farming eels for more than 30 years.

Sights on this route

Tourist Information Sneek

In Sneek, you will find the Tourist Information at the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum. Here, a team of enthusiastic volunteers is ready to provide you with all the information you need!

Tourist Information Sneek

Sneek (Snits)

Sneek, or Snits as we say in Friesland, is the water sports city of the Netherlands. But Sneek is more than water sports and the Sneekweek. The city is bustling with events, culture, unique hotspots, and nice shops.

Bezoek Sneek

Sneek (Snits) Waterpoort Sneek
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Potschar Nature Reserve and Groene Dijk Cycle Track and Footpath

The Groene Dijk cycle track and footpath along the bank of Sneekermeer Lake and through the Potschar nature reserve leads past bird observation points, a roost used by bats and sand martins and a canoeing route.

Potschar Nature Reserve and Groene Dijk Cycle Track and Footpath

Sneekermeer - Potskar - Kijkheuvel met scherm

's Winters is dit een goede plek om nonnetje te zien. Soms komt de ijsvogel voorbij, welke hier in het verleden gebroed heeft. Sijzen, kepen en de kerkuil zijn met wat geluk ook te zien. U kijkt uit over het water dat via het gemaal naar het Sneeker...

Sneekermeer - Potskar - Kijkheuvel met scherm

Sneekermeer

The Sneekermeer (Frisian and official: Snitser Mar) is, of course, known for the Sneekweek, the annual sailing races held on this lake.

Beleef het Sneekermeer

Sneekermeer
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Terherne

Terherne is known as the Kameleon village and is an island in the Sneekermeer. On one side, you'll find the lake, and on the other side, the Terhernster ponds.

Ontdek Terherne

Terherne
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Kameleondorp Terherne

Discover the village Lenten. Look at the village where Hielke and Sietse lived.

Kameleondorp Terherne
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Goaiingarypster Puollen

The Goingarijpster Puollen is connected to the Sneekermeer at multiple locations.

Goaiingarypster Puollen

Church and bell tower Goïngarijp

The church with the detached bell tower in Goingarijp is once again a gem in the Frisian landscape. The stained glass windows from 1770 are a beautiful attraction for tourists.

Church and bell tower Goïngarijp kerk in Goïngarijp
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Broek Bell Tower

In the slightly raised waterside graveyard in Broek there is a white wooden bell tower with a four-sided dome roof. The swinging bell was cast by Hendrik Wegewaert in 1600.

Broek Bell Tower
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Joure (De Jouwer)

Joure is the village without city antics.

Verken Joure

Joure (De Jouwer)

Hobbe van Baerdt Church in Joure

This church is named after Hobbe van Baerdt, who, as ‘grietman’ (a kind of mayor), presided over the former municipality of Haskerland from 1615 to 1650. The lettering on the decorative pediment over the door says ‘Mr Gritman Hobbe van Baerdt 1644'.

Hobbe van Baerdt Church in Joure

Museum Joure

Museum Joure is an amazing museum in the centre of Joure. Famous centrepiece is the first factory of Douwe Egberts, where you will experience the story behind this world famous brand.

Museum Joure
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Haulsterbos

Southeast of Joure the Haulsterbossen can be found, in which you can enjoy a lovely stroll.

Haulsterbos Een bospad in het Haulsterbos
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Tjeukemeer (Tsjûkemar)

The Tjeukemeer is the largest inland lake in Friesland.

Beleef het Tjeukemeer

Tjeukemeer (Tsjûkemar)

Strand aan het Tjeukemeer

Strand aan het Tjeukemeer

The bell seat Oldeouwer

The bell seat was originally built between 1650-1700 Bell chair A bell chair is a scaffold in which one or more bells hang. The bell chair as a separate building is probably due to the fact that certain areas in Friesland were too poor, or the commu...

The bell seat Oldeouwer
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Dairy Scharsterbrug

In Scharsterbrug, a large dairy factory called the Maatschappij Hollandia was built at the end of the 19th century.

Dairy Scharsterbrug
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Langweerder Wielen (Langwarder Wielen)

The Langweerder Wielen is located to the west of Joure.

Langweerder Wielen (Langwarder Wielen)

Strandje Put van Nederhorst

Strandje Put van Nederhorst
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11Fountains Sneek

Out of use

A man with a Horn of Plenty stands on a golden ball in the middle of the water.

11Fountains Sneek

Water Gate Sneek

The Waterpoort in Sneek is a water gate, a gate in a defensive wall that connects a city to a waterway. In the 15th and 16th century, a defensive wall had been built around Sneek.

Water Gate Sneek

IJssalon MIN12 Sneek

Stay cool met een heerlijk ijsje van MIN12.

Eindstop: tijd voor ijs bij MIN12 Sneek

IJssalon MIN12 Sneek

Frisian Maritime Museum

The Frisian Maritime Museum focuses on the history of Frisian shipping.

Frisian Maritime Museum

Tourist Information Sneek

In Sneek, you will find the Tourist Information at the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum. Here, a team of enthusiastic volunteers is ready to provide you with all the information you need!

Tourist Information Sneek

Directions

Tourist Information Sneek

In Sneek, you will find the Tourist Information at the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum. Here, a team of enthusiastic volunteers is ready to provide you with all the information you need!

Tourist Information Sneek

Deze fietsroute is via de aanwijzingen ook makkelijk in te korten.

Inkorten route:

59 km: Na 38 km. bij knooppunt 5 naar knooppunt 81 en daar de route langs de knooppunten zoals omschreven verder volgen.

46 km: Na 30,5 km bij knooppunt 80 naar 79 en dan naar 62. Daar de route langs de knooppunten, zoals boven beschreven, verder volgen.

44 km: Deze optie is alleen mogelijk tijdens de vaarperiode van het pontje bij ‘Rufus’. Je gaat bij knooppunt 65 naar 61. Daar volg je de route weer zoals omschreven.

Vaartijden pontjes: Kijk voor actuele vaartijden op www.waterlandvanfriesland.nl/pontjes

Inkorten van alle routes met 8,5 km
Hiervoor laat je je overzetten bij knooppunt 42 met het pontje ‘Fietsa Versa’ naar Terherne en daarna fiets je verder naar knooppunt 43. Daar de route langs de knooppunten, zoals boven beschreven, verder volgen. Dit is alleen mogelijk tijdens de vaarperiode van het pontje.

Tourist Information Sneek

In Sneek, you will find the Tourist Information at the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum. Here, a team of enthusiastic volunteers is ready to provide you with all the information you need!

Tourist Information Sneek
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