Must-see attractions in Friesland

Pottery lovers will adore the Netherlands ceramics museum. Here you'll find the largest collection of tiles on the planet, an unparalleled selection of…

No single sight evokes the undercurrent of explosive creativity pulsating through the Frisian capital quite like this 19th-century prison-turned-cultural…

The provincial museum occupies an imposing glass-fronted building sporting a striking wood-and-steel roof that projects out over Wilhelminaplein. The…

Ameland's iconic red-and-white banded lighthouse stands 55m tall on the island's west end. The only lighthouse in the island chain that is open to the…

Nature lovers are in paradise in this tiny national park protecting the man-made watery shallows of Lauwersmeer, split between Friesland and the…

The entire island, except for its single town and surrounding polder, was designated the Netherlands' first national park in 1989. It's easy to lose…

The Eise Eisinga Planetarium is named after its builder, an 18th-century wool comber with a serious sideline in cosmic mathematics and astrology. Between…

At the northwest corner of the historic core stands the notoriously off-kilter Oldehove – Friesland's rival to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Things went…

Just north of Nes village, this centre features an excellent seaquarium in which a number of North Sea species swim around, including manta rays,…

Housed in the 18th-century mansion of a prominent Harlingen family, this museum deals primarily with the town's maritime heritage, in particular its role…

Hidden in woods east of West-Terschelling is an extraordinary subterranean network of 85 bunkers used as a military radar station during WWII…

Journey back in time to island life in the early 20th century at this tiny house-museum, inside the oldest building on Vlieland, dating to 1575. The…

Across from the ferry port, this bronze statue encircled by a wooden bench is a lovely spot to sit and contemplate the pretty waterside views. Sculpted by…

Let your angels run rampant in this natural history museum, covering Friesland's flora and fauna. Highlights include a virtual bird-flight simulation …

Named after the local Frisian poet Obe Postma (1868–1963), this contemporary wood-and-glass pavilion is razor-sharp in both architectural design and the…

In extraordinarily cold winters Hindeloopen is one of the key towns on the route of the Elfstedentocht race. This icy spectacle and ice skating in general…

Read up on the town's history at the city archives, home to a permanent exhibition on the history of Leeuwarden. It also organises guided tours led by…

Displays in this small museum, inside the former town hall (1683) next to the church, focus on the town's seafaring history and traditional crafts, in…

Good for a rainy day, this small museum covers traditional Terschelling life and maritime history. It's named after the cabin on the Novaya Zemlya…

Sneek has been a nexus of Frisian waterways for centuries, and this museum elegantly illustrates many aspects of shipping and seafaring in the province…