Cycling Holiday in Friesland

No plans for the weekend and craving a unique experience? Grab your bike and take an LF Weekend Tour in Friesland! LF stands for Langeafstand Fietsroute — long-distance cycle routes that often cross half of the Netherlands. The LF Weekend Tours are designed so you can experience the charm of a full long-distance route, but in shorter loops following the cycle junction network. After two or three days of riding, you simply return to your starting point, ready to catch a train or drive home — a little tired, but full of memories. Book your accommodation in advance, as Friesland can be quite busy on weekends.

You may have heard of the Dutch Waterline — but Friesland has one too! During the Eighty Years’ War, an ingenious defensive line using water was constructed here as well. It stretched from the former Zuiderzee to the Groningen border, continuing all the way to Delfzijl, built to protect the northern capitals Leeuwarden and Groningen from the Spanish and other invaders.

If you’re interested in history, love scenic landscapes, and have a vivid imagination, then the Frisian Waterline is perfect for you. Many of the old schansen (forts) may no longer be clearly visible, but when you stop and explore, the stories come alive — like that of the dead oak tree at Bekhofschans, where, according to legend, soldiers were hanged.

Don’t be surprised if strangers greet you with a cheerful “Goeie!” along the way. It’s a friendly Frisian custom — in the countryside, people still greet one another when they meet.