Elfsteden boating route
Take a trip around the Eleven Cities and discover Friesland’s many attractions. It’s a case of wait and see every year of whether the Elfstedentocht can be skated. What is certain is that it can now be travelled by boat. From beginning to end. Thanks to the work on the Northern Elfsteden Sailing Route, water sports enthusiasts can start in Leeuwarden and finish at the Bonkefeart since the summer of 2013. An attractive route full of sights. Discover the Frisian cities!
Locations on this route
Leeuwarden (Ljouwert)
Leeuwarden, or Ljouwert as we say in Friesland, is buzzing. From tourists and students to locals. From unforgettable adventures to wandering through cozy little streets.
11Fountains Leeuwarden
Love’ consists of two 7 meter high, white sculptures of a boy and a girl. They seem to be looking at each other, but their eyes are closed.
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.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Sneek
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Sneek 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.
11Fountains Sneek
A man with a Horn of Plenty stands on a golden ball in the middle of the water.
The Waterpoort and the Eleven Cities Tour
The Waterpoort is the icon of Sneek and perhaps, in the future, the setting for another Eleven Cities Tour.
IJlst (Drylts)
IJlst (or Drylts in Frisian) is not only one of the famous 11 cities, but also a 'wood city'. For many years, tree trunks were processed here by the legendary wood trading companies Oppedijk and S.O. de Vries.
11Fountains Ijlst
Culture, like nature, consists of layer upon layer. New generations continue to build on a foundation which does not disappear.
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.
11Fountains Sloten
The ‘Peewit’ shows a girl standing on the shoulders of a man. She holds a bird in her hand. Under the man’s feet a disheveled pile of buckets, jerry cans and barrels form the base of the fountain.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Sloten
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Sloten 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.”
Stavoren (Starum)
Stavoren (or Starum as we say in Friesland) is very much the main city of the IJsselmeer, being enclosed by the lake on three sides. It is also the oldest city of Friesland, founded around 300 BC at a waterway, and gaining city rights in the 11th century.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Stavoren
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Stavoren 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.”
11Fountains Stavoren
The sea gives, the sea takes. Stavoren, once a rich Hanseatic city, has much to say on this subject. Floods, maritime trade wars, a port that silted up: the city fell into poverty several times.
Hindeloopen (Hylpen)
Hindeloopen, or Hylpen as we say in Friesland, is known for its painting and stylish costumes from the past.
Friesian Ice Skating Museum
This museum is a must for all ice skating fans. You will find the world’s largest collection of ice skates here, and a complete history of the Elfstedentocht in a specially designed Elfsteden-room.
11Fountains Hindeloopen
The city coat of arms, with its tree of life, with the deer and the doe surrounding it, is the source of inspiration for the fountain in Hindeloopen.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Hindeloopen
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Hindeloopen 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.”
Workum (Warkum)
Workum (or Warkum as we say in Friesland), is one of the famous Frisian cities that has enjoyed city rights since 1399. Located on the shores of the former Zuiderzee and bordering the Frisian lakes.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Workum
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Workum 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.”
11Fountains Workum
For centuries Workum’s city arms on ‘De Waag’ have been supported by two lions. They are naive and their theatrical pose prompts laughter.
Fyftjin en Fierder
Fyftjin en Fierder is an artwork by Pieter Jan Stallen. The work is about both the history and the future of the Eleven Cities Tour – very deliberately, it is about both!
Bolsward (Boalsert)
Bolsward, or Boalsert as we say in Friesland, is the city where history and architecture play a leading role. Let yourself be carried away by the rich history of this eleven cities city.
11Fountains Bolsward
Bats are intriguing, useful animals, crucial to the ecological system for their insect hunting. In Asian culture, the bat symbolises wealth, happiness and the blessings of old age.
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Bolsward
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Bolsward 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.”
Pioneer of the Eleven Cities Tour, Pim Mulier
Pim Mulier: founder of Dutch sports and pioneer of the Eleven Cities Tour.
11Fountains Harlingen
Harlingen used to be all about whaling. Nowadays we no longer kill these big and grandiose animals, but prefer to conserve them.
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.”
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.
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
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.”
Eleven Cities Tour monument in Vrouwenparochie
The monument at the Vrouwbuurstermolen honours participants in the Eleven Cities Tour with tiles bearing their names and the years in which they took part. The idea came from Piet Bron and the monument was unveiled by Klasina Seinstra, the first woman to finish the tour.
The Eleven Cities skater
In Alde Leie, you’ll find De Elfstedenschaatsster, a tribute to the female winners of the Eleven Cities Tour.
Bartlehiem Bridge - Elfstedentocht
Bartlehiem has no city rights, it is not even a village, but this hamlet is a world-famous place on the Elfstedenroute ("Eleven Cities Route").
Artwork Maarten van der Weijden
Artwork Maarten van der Weijden who had to stop his Elfstedenzwemtocht in Burdaard in 2018.
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.”
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.
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!
Eleven Cities Monument Tegeltjesbrug Gytsjerk
Across the river De Murk near Gytsjerk you will find the famous Tegeltjesbrug, the Eleven Cities Monument of Friesland.
Bonkevaart - Elfstedentocht Finish Line
Whether you experience it standing on the ice, on the bank, or from the water, this historic stretch of water is a must-visit!
Eleven Cities Tour sculpture Aukje in Leeuwarden
The Eleven Cities skater Aukje in Leeuwarden 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.”
