Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland, which has its own language - Frisian is the second official language of the Netherlands and is spoken by a majority in the province - and the city functions as its administrative and cultural centre. Its landmark is a failure: the Oldehove, begun in 1529 as a church tower meant to outdo Utrecht's, started subsiding almost immediately on the soft ground, was corrected mid-build so it bends as well as leans, and was abandoned at about forty metres with the church never built. It leans further off vertical than Pisa and is climbable. Margaretha Zelle, who danced as Mata Hari and was shot as a spy by the French in 1917, was born here in 1876 and her statue stands on a bridge. The Fries Museum and the Princessehof ceramics museum are both here, and the city held the European Capital of Culture in 2018.

History

The area has been lived in continuously since the 10th century, and Leeuwarden was granted city privileges in 1435. It is a former royal residence, the start and finish of the Elfstedentocht, and was European Capital of Culture in 2018, becoming a UNESCO City of Literature in 2019 (Wikipedia, Leeuwarden).

The main sights

• A leaning half-built tower - the Oldehove, abandoned in the 1530s and bent as well as leaning.
• A second official language - Frisian, spoken across the province and used here.
• Mata Hari's birthplace - the dancer and executed spy, born in the city in 1876.
• Two national museums - the Fries Museum and the Princessehof ceramics collection.

When to go

April to October. Two days.

Good to know

The tower climb is seasonal and the stair is steep and awkward given the lean. Museums close on Mondays. The city is compact - two days covers it including the museums.

Nearby

Sneek and the Frisian lakes are south; the Wadden ferries are north.

Key facts