Section 3: Harlingen - Dokkum | Eleven Cities Bicycle Route
On this third stage, you leave the west coast and head north, where the skaters faced the “Hell of the North” — here, you can truly experience the vastness of the Frisian landscape, with its long dikes and quiet polders.
During this stage, you’ll cycle through the Wadden Sea area and Northern Friesland. From Harlingen, you’ll follow quiet roads past fields, villages and dikes towards Franeker. Through the fertile Bildt region, with its characteristic farmhouses, you’ll reach Dokkum, the northernmost city of the Eleven Cities Tour.
This is the third stage of the 260 km-long Eleven Cities Cycling Route. The other stages are:
- Stage 4: Dokkum – Sneek (53 km)
- Stage 1: Sneek – Stavoren (75 km)
- Stage 2: Stavoren – Harlingen (51 km)
Find tips and tricks for planning your trip here: Cycling the Eleven Cities Tour | Friesland.nl
Three of the Eleven
On thi…
On this third stage, you leave the west coast and head north, where the skaters faced the “Hell of the North” — here, you can truly experience the vastness of the Frisian landscape, with its long dikes and quiet polders.
During this stage, you’ll cycle through the Wadden Sea area and Northern Friesland. From Harlingen, you’ll follow quiet roads past fields, villages and dikes towards Franeker. Through the fertile Bildt region, with its characteristic farmhouses, you’ll reach Dokkum, the northernmost city of the Eleven Cities Tour.
This is the third stage of the 260 km-long Eleven Cities Cycling Route. The other stages are:
- Stage 4: Dokkum – Sneek (53 km)
- Stage 1: Sneek – Stavoren (75 km)
- Stage 2: Stavoren – Harlingen (51 km)
Find tips and tricks for planning your trip here: Cycling the Eleven Cities Tour | Friesland.nl
Three of the Eleven
On this stage, you’ll discover three beautiful Eleven Cities: Harlingen, Franeker and Dokkum. Harlingen welcomes you with its nautical atmosphere and characteristic warehouses. Franeker, once a university town, boasts a rich heritage, including the famous planetarium. Finally, you’ll reach Dokkum, the northernmost city of the Eleven Cities Tour and an iconic point on the skaters’ route. Discover our tips for visiting these cities here.
Eleven Cities icons
Even outside the city, in the small village of Alde Leie, the Eleven Cities Tour lives on. Discover the monument here commemorating the female winners of the tour. In Dokkum, at the end of the stage, you will find the famous turning point. This is where the skaters head towards the finish in Leeuwarden.
Locations on this route
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51
Start point:
Waypoint bike 51
Harlingen
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Harlingen
Harlingen
Harlingen is the Eleven Cities town on the Wadden Sea. A beautiful town with a rich maritime past and present, built on what was once the seabed...
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11Fountains Harlingen
11Fountains Harlingen
Harlingen used to be all about whaling. Nowadays we no longer kill these big and grandiose animals, but prefer to conserve them.
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Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Harlingen
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Harlingen
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Harlingen by Evert van Hemert. Aukje is part of a series of eleven sculptures donated by the artist to the Eleven Cities, as a tribute to the women who took part in the “Tour of Tours.”
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Tourist Info Harlingen - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
Tourist Info Harlingen - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
This is where you can get your stamp for the Tour of Tours! Whether you’re travelling by bike, on foot, by boat, by car or by motorbike, come on in and collect proof of your visit to this beautiful Eleven Cities town.
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Franeker (Frjentsjer)
Franeker (Frjentsjer)
The Elfsteden city Franeker is a captivating town with its rich university history. For many years, this city was home to numerous students, including well-known names such as Descartes.
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VVV Franeker - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
VVV Franeker - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
This is where you can get your stamp for the Tour of Tours! Whether you’re travelling by bike, on foot, by boat, by car or by motorbike, come on in and collect proof of your visit to this beautiful Eleven Cities town.
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11Fountains Franeker
11Fountains Franeker
The fountain is an ode to the world-famous astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort, who was born in Franeker. His assumption that a ‘cloud’ of billions of comet-like objects is moving around our solar system was a breakthrough in astronomy
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Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Franeker
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Franeker
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Franeker by Evert van Hemert. Aukje is part of a series of eleven sculptures donated by the artist to the Eleven Cities, as a tribute to the women who took part in the “Tour of Tours.”
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The Eleven Cities skater
The Eleven Cities skater
In Alde Leie, you’ll find De Elfstedenschaatsster, a tribute to the female winners of the Eleven Cities Tour.
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TIP Dokkum - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
TIP Dokkum - Eleven Cities Stamp Point
This is where you can get your stamp for the Tour of Tours! Whether you’re travelling by bike, on foot, by boat, by car or by motorbike, come on in and collect proof of your visit to this beautiful Eleven Cities town.
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11Fountains Dokkum
11Fountains Dokkum
The Ice Fountain is a toy for the elements and no two days are the same. The ice draws patterns on the copper surface layer of the sculpture.
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Elfstedentocht Turning Point - Dokkum
Elfstedentocht Turning Point - Dokkum
Sit on a bench shaped like a traditional Frisian ice skate next to the famous turning point on the Elfstedentocht route. This is one of Dokkum’s most popular Instagram hotspots!
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Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje near Dokkum
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje near Dokkum
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje near Dokkum by Evert van Hemert. Aukje is part of a series of eleven sculptures donated by the artist to the Eleven Cities, as a tribute to the women who took part in the “Tour of Tours.”
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End point:
Waypoint bike 01
Dokkum
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