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Leeuwarden, capital of culture

  • pisa

    De scheve toren Oldehove bij het vallen van de avond

Our historic capital is the city of onehundred names: Leeuwarden, Liwwadden, Ljouwert, Lintwarde. It is the perfect startingpoint for an unforgettable journey through Friesland. With a city centre that is still one of the best kept secrets of the Netherlands, a tower that is leaning more than the tower of Pisa and extraordinary people that are always in for a conversation and a beer.

ten tips in Leeuwarden

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Leaning tower of Leeuwarden

The perfect spot for a photoshoot. When you see the tower from different perspectives, it may look that the tower is leaning more than it actually is. For a failed construction project, de Oldehove isn't doing so badly. It has become an icon for the city, a unique spot to look over the old city centre and a meetingspot for cityhoppers. De Oldehove has been the center of lightshows, casts it shade over musicfestivals in the summer and patiently waits for the next cultural event.

BB 5339

Street art

Small people, wallpaintings and streetpoems. That is what you can find on facades and roofs of old and new buildings and in the park. Even bridges and mirrors are inviting for artists. This makes Leeuwarden into one big artgallery where poets, street artists and artists of miniature objects share their craft with the visitors who have an eye for detail. Look up, but also under your feet and with a magnifying glass at hidden spots. Wait until a bridge is raised and you will see the whole picture. No soulless boring city, even not when it is raining. Leeuwarden is a true city of colors.

Cultural capital of Europe

In 2018, not only Leeuwarden but the entire province of Friesland was the Cultural Capital of Europe. And the beat goes on. The arts and projects echo through the landscape and form the beating heart of the province. Every three years, our heartbeat is raised when we celebrate a new year of culture. The giants from Nantes have left their footprints, the 11Fountains usher in the spring and we remain a place of space with Sense of Place. Discover the culture that knows no boundaries.

Events in Leeuwarden

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Meet the other eleven cities of Friesland

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