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Tour Friese Meren | Sailing route

(40 km)

With this boating route from the watersports village of Heeg, you'll embark on a diverse day trip across the beloved Frisian lakes and waterways. Thanks to the numerous bridges and aqueducts, water sports enthusiasts never have to wait for long.

Along the way, you'll pass vibrant places such as Woudsend, Sloten, and Langweer. Each of them is worth stopping by. Explore the Elfstegentocht in Woudsend, admire the old bastions of Sloten, and enjoy a drink at a terrace under the lime trees in Langweer.

You'll get to know the following waters: Heegemermar, Sleattemer Mar, Brandemar, Grutte Brekken, Tsjûkemar, Skarster Rien, Langweerder Wielen, Kufurd, and through the Jeltesloot, you'll sail back to Heeg.

Renting a boat in Friesland
If you don't have a motor yacht, sailboat, or sloop, no problem – you can easily rent a boat in Friesland.

Dura…

Renting a boat in Friesland
If you don't have a motor yacht, sailboat, or sloop, no problem – you can easily rent a boat in Friesland.

Duration of the boating route
With this 40-kilometer route, you'll have a full day of enjoyment. If you average 6 km/hour, it's approximately 6.5 hours of sailing. Even more enjoyable is to frequently hop off along the way and stay overnight on your boat or in a charming B&B ashore!

Bridges in Friesland
On this route, you'll encounter several high bridges and some that are operated. Consult the Watersport App of the provinsje Fryslân to check the opening times and heights of the bridges. Do you have a large boat? Then, in Sloten, you'll need to take the 'rondweg' (bypass) since the fixed bridges in the center are quite low.

Sustainable boating
Refueling? Choose blue diesel. Or go on an electric boat. Something tasty for the journey? Fine, but be careful that empty packages don't blow overboard. If you come across litter on the way, take it on board. Read more about sustainable water sports in Friesland.

Mooring a boat in Friesland
At various points along this route, you can moor your boat. There are free Marrekrite mooring spots in nature along the way, where you can even stay for free for a maximum of 3 nights. For example, moor at a Marboei in the Brandemar or on an island in the Tsjûkemar. In the cozy watersports towns, there are, of course, plenty of opportunities to moor and potentially spend the night in a guest harbor.

Waterway information
The waterway classification is at least CZM on this route. This means that this boating route is accessible for motor yachts and sailboats with a maximum draft of 1.7 m. However, the route is also great to cover with a sloop.

Sights on this route

Starting point:

8621 BV Heeg

Heeg (Heech)

Heeg is a delightful destination for water sports enthusiasts.

Visit Heeg

Stichting De Palingaak

The transient harbor Heegerwâl

The transient harbor Heegerwâl is beautifully situated directly on Lake Heegermeer. The stunning, child-friendly day recreation beach is right next to the harbor. The center of Heeg is just a few minutes' walk from the harbor. Water sports, holiday homes...

Woudsend (Wâldsein)

Woudsend is a village nestled between Lake Heegermeer and Lake Slotermeer.

Visit Woudsend

Hellingbrêge Woudsend

If you sail or drive through the beautiful center of Woudsend, you will undoubtedly come across the high Hellingbrêge.

Houtzaagmolen De Jager

Houtzaagmolen De Jager is the over 300-year-old sawmill in Woudsend that is still in operation. The mill is open to visitors every Saturday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Ie Akwadukt

South of Woudsend, since 2007, you can find the Ie Aqueduct: an aqueduct at the intersection of the river De Ie and the N928.

Strand bij Slotermeer: De Baaier

Sloten (Sleat)

Sloten (or Sleat as we say in Friesland) is the smallest Elfsteden town in Friesland. This walled mini-city is also called sipelstêd (Frisian for onion city) thanks to the unique shape of an onion.

Visit Sloten

Museum Sloten

In the middle of Sloten – a truly enchanting museum: experience the rich history of the city and the magical world of magic lanterns.

The Lemster Gate of Sloten

If you sail into Sloten from Lemmer, the wonderful scene that greets you is the windmill together with the Lemster Gate, a vista often captured in photographs. There’s a pillory at the foot of the Lemster Gate.

De Kaai corn mill

Near the Lemster Gate you will also find De Kaai corn mill. The windmill stands on a bastion of the city walls, where it still grinds wheat into flour in the traditional and authentic manner. On Saturdays, the mill is open for viewing and flour sales.

Marboei MB66

MB66 is een Marboei die in de Brandemar - tussen Sloten en Lemmer - ligt.

Groote Brekken

The Groote Brekken (Frisian: de Grutte Brekken) is also referred to as Lemster Brekken.

Marchjepolle Island beach on Lake Tjeukemeer

One way to really enjoy the Waterland van Friesland area is to visit a little beach that you can only get to by boat. Marchjepolle is a small man-made island on Lake Tjeukemeer and the beach here is unique. Moor your boat, spread out your towel and enjoy!

Scharsterrijnbrug

The Scharsterrijnbrug is located on the A6 motorway, just before the Joure interchange. Due to the busy nature of this highway, the bridge is only open for 1 minute every half hour.

Langweer

Langweer is a true watersports destination. From this centrally located village in the Frisian lake area, you can sail in all directions.

Visit Langweer

Osinga State

The Osinga State is a stately house opposite the church in Langweer, consisting of multiple residential floors, tall windows, and an imposing entrance staircase.

Langweerder Wielen (Langwarder Wielen)

The Langweerder Wielen is located to the west of Joure.

Jeltesleat Akwadukt

When sailing through the Jeltesloot near Hommerts, you will eventually cross the N354, using the aqueduct through the Jeltesloot.

End point:

8621 BV Heeg