Lits Lauwersmeer route
The Lits Lauwersmeer Route is an excellent way to explore the northern part of Friesland in one week. During the route, you can enjoy the beautiful national parks Alde Feanen and Lauwersmeer, which are interspersed with the picturesque Friese Wouden with its old villages. The area where the Lits-Lauwersmeer route meanders towards the Lauwersmeer offers many opportunities for water sports enthusiasts.
You start your journey in Sneek and sail across the Sneekermeer, then along Jirnsum via the Prinses Margriet canal to Grou. Grou is one of the most popular water sports villages in Friesland and offers plenty of entertainment for visitors. Especially in summer, numerous water sports events are organized. The village, located on the Pikmeer, is known as the starting point for the annual Skûtsjesilen. In addition, Grou has a cozy village center with various shops, restaurants, and sights. After Grou, you continue to sail to Earnewâld.
At Earnewâld, you will encounter the beautiful nature reserve De Oude Venen. This area offers a combination of lakes, petgaten, stripes, reed beds, peat bogs, rough vegetation, shrubs, swamp forests, and extensive hay meadows, resulting in a beautiful piece of nature. The area can be explored on foot, by bike, or by boat. Earnewâld also has a marina and a beautiful swimming beach with a large recreation area. In the village, you will find various restaurants, cafes, and a supermarket.
There is plenty to do in the capital of Friesland. Leeuwarden offers numerous good restaurants, shops, museums, and entertainment venues. Moreover, there are many activities to undertake in this always bustling city, where you can experience a real city feeling. Canals can be found everywhere in the city, most of which are also navigable. Although you sail around the center of Leeuwarden on this route, it is certainly recommended to explore Leeuwarden for a day. After Leeuwarden, you continue the route in a northerly direction to Burdaard.
The bustling village of Burdaard is located between Leeuwarden and Dokkum. In summer, it is busy with water tourism: tens of thousands of boats and ships pass through the village annually. It is, therefore, an ideal place to take a break and enjoy a spot on a terrace. Burdaard is a beloved water sports village and also offers opportunities for hiking and cycling tours. From Burdaard, the route continues over the Dokkumer Ee towards Dokkum. Dokkum is a bustling city where there is always a lot to experience. You can canoe through the canals, take a city walk through the historic center, visit museums and churches, play tennis, or take a ride on the "Dokkumer Lokaeltsje." In addition, Dokkum also offers plenty of nice shops and restaurants and there are entertainment options.
The route continues through Zwaagwesteinde, across the Burgermeer and the Leien towards Drachten. In Drachten, there are several marinas with excellent facilities. Here you can also rent bicycles to explore Drachten and the surrounding area by bike. The city has a lively shopping street where you can shop to your heart's content. Moreover, you can enjoy the various restaurants, and there is a swimming pool.
After Drachten, you continue to sail over the long and narrow lakes towards Akkrum. Akkrum is a charming village that has various shops and facilities, such as a supermarket, butcher, and bakery.
It's nice to spend the last night on the Start Island, which is located just off Sneek, across the Sneekermeer. There's a beautiful marina and lots of conviviality to be found there.
