You can sail the Eleven Cities Tour with a classic boat at Varen met Sil. Our motorboats, with the masts lowered, are all about 2.40 meters high. With our Eleven Cities route, you will discover the Frisian Eleven Cities from the water. In 10 to 15 days, you will sail approximately 200 kilometers along the Frisian Eleven Cities and the most beautiful natural areas. Which motorboat will you choose to sail the Eleven Cities Tour through Friesland this summer?
The Sailing Route to Dokkum
Day 1 – Dokkum – 12 km – 2.5 hours of sailing
Our Eleven Cities route starts from Jachthaven Lunegat. From there, you will sail through the Dokkumer Diep and through the lock onto the Dokkumer Ee towards Dokkum. Dokkum is the first city on the Eleven Cities tour that you will encounter. You can moor along the ramparts or right in the city center. Take a city walk along the ramparts or view the statue of Saint Boniface.
Nice Restaurants:
- Hotel Café Restaurant de Posthoorn
- Pizzeria d’Angelo
- De Waegh
From Dokkum to the Capital of Friesland
Day 2 – Leeuwarden – 23 km – 3 hours
From Dokkum, follow the Dokkumer Ee towards Leeuwarden. You will pass through the villages of Burdaard, Bartlehiem, Wyns, and Lekkum. In Leeuwarden, keep to the right. You will pass the Prinsentuin, the park of Leeuwarden. Here you can moor and easily access the city. Leeuwarden is the capital of Friesland and the end point of the Frisian skating Eleven Cities Tour. You can climb the Oldehove, visit the Fries Museum, or shop in the center of Leeuwarden.
Nice Stops and Restaurants:
- It Posthûs in Burdaard
- Grutte Pier Brouwerij in Bartlehiem
- Humphrey’s Leeuwarden
- Tao Leeuwarden
- Stek Leeuwarden
From Leeuwarden to Franeker
Day 3 – Franeker – 19 km – 2.5 hours
On day three, continue the Eleven Cities sailing route to Franeker. From Leeuwarden, follow the Harlingervaart and the Verbindingskanaal to the Van Harinxmakanaal.
Note! Large ships also sail here, these ships always have priority.
Stay on the Van Harinxmakanaal until you reach Franeker, where you can head towards the town and moor along the ramparts. Franeker was once a university town and is home to a planetarium.
Nice Stops and Restaurants:
- The planetarium in Franeker
- Van der Kloet Brood & Banket
From Franeker to Harlingen
Day 4 – Harlingen – 17 km – 2 hours
From Franeker, continue along the canal until you reach Harlingen. Before the lock, turn left into Harlingen. You can moor at the Engelsetuin. From Harlingen, you can take a ferry to Vlieland or Terschelling. Explore the Fishery Harbor or take a pleasant city walk.
Nice Stops and Restaurants:
- Watch the sunset at the Wadden Sea
- Levels in Harlingen
- Take a day trip to Vlieland or Terschelling with the ferry
From Harlingen to Bolsward
Day 5 – Bolsward – 19 km – 3 hours
From Harlingen, sail into the Harlinger/Bolswardervaart. You’ll pass through Kimswerd, the birthplace of Grutte Pier. Continue along the canal and pass through Arum. After Arum, at the intersection, turn right towards Witmarsum.
Note! The waterway here is very narrow, so you can’t encounter oncoming traffic!
From there, follow the Witmarsumervaart to Bolsward.
In Bolsward, visit the Sonnema Berenburg factory and try to get a bottle of this famous Frisian drink.
From Bolsward to Workum
Day 6 – Workum – 12 km – 1.5 hours
On day six, sail from Bolsward to Workum via the Workumervaart. From here, it’s very enjoyable to rent a bicycle and cycle to Hindeloopen (7 km) or Stavoren (17 km).
You can also choose to continue sailing to Hindeloopen or Stavoren (you will then sail a bit on the IJsselmeer).
Nice Stops:
- Jopie Huisman Museum, Workum
- Fries Schaatsmuseum (Frisian Skating Museum), Hindeloopen
- Blauwe reddingshuisje (Blue Rescue House), Hindeloopen
- 11 fonteinen
From Workum to Sloten
Day 7 – Sloten – 22 km – 3.5 hours
From Workum, Hindeloopen, or Stavoren, head towards Sloten.
If coming from Hindeloopen or Stavoren, sail back via the Fluessen. If starting from Workum, sail via the Lange and Korte Vaart to Gaastmeer. From Gaastmeer, follow the Yntemasleat to the Fluessen.
From the Fluessen, continue to the Heegermeer and then the Woudsenderrakken. You will pass through Woudsend, sail on the Ie, and cross the Slotermeer to reach Sloten.
Sloten is the smallest of the Eleven Cities and was historically strategically located on the waterway from Sneek to the Zuiderzee.
Nice Stops:
- Omke Jan in Woudsend
- Windmills in Woudsend
- Fortified town of Sloten
- De Mallemok
From Sloten to the cities of Sneek or IJlst
Day 8 – Sneek or IJlst – 18 km – 2.5 hours
Today, sail from Sloten via IJlst to Sneek. From Sloten, return across the Slotermeer through Woudsend, passing through the Nauwe Wijmerts and the Wijde Wijmerts towards IJlst.
You can choose to stay overnight in IJlst or continue sailing to Sneek. From IJlst, there are several ways to reach Sneek. Consult your nautical chart for the easiest route, typically via the Geau.
IJlst boasts three churches, two windmills, a museum, a protected village view, and a train station. The town was historically known for its timber industry, where logs were sawn into planks. Visit the Bezoek IJlst website for more tips.
Sneek briefly served as the capital of Friesland in the 15th century. Today, it remains a central hub for Frisian water traffic, highlighted annually by the Sneekweek festivities.
Nice Stops:
- Museum and Workshop of the Timber Town IJlst – Het Wapen van IJlst
- The Waterpoort in Sneek
- Fries Scheepvaart Museum (Frisian Maritime Museum) in Sneek
- Texas Steak in Sneek
- De Walrus in Sneek
From Sneek to Earnewoude and the Alde Feanen
Day 9 – Earnewoude – 26 km – 3.5 hours
Having visited all Eleven Cities, our route now takes us through several charming villages and nature reserves back towards the home port.
From Sneek, sail towards the Sneekermeer.
Note! Large ships also sail here, these ships always have priority.
Navigate across the lake towards Terherne. This village is famous from the Kameleon films and offers various activities. From Terherne, proceed inland towards Akkrum, another watersports village. From Akkrum, sail via the Zijlroede and the Burstummerrak towards the Wide Ie. Then, enter the Alde Feanen National Park. Here, you can find a pleasant spot to overnight or continue sailing to the village of Earnewoude.
From the Alde Feanen to Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen
Day 10 – Home Port – 35 km – 4.5 hours
From Earnewoude, sail via the Prinses Margrietkanaal towards Burgum. On the Burgumer Mar, enter the Kuikhornstervaart. This canal eventually leads to Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen.
Moanne in Barthlehiem
Tips for Sailing the Eleven Cities Route through Friesland
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Carry Extra Small Change: For bridges, water, and showers, bring some extra small coins. Usually, 50-cent coins are needed for the machines.
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Facilities at Marinas: Most marinas have toilets and showers. If you want to use these facilities, we recommend staying overnight in a marina.
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Mooring Fees: This route does not account for mooring fees in the harbors. These costs are the responsibility of the renter.
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Watersport App: Use the Watersport App to plan your trip. It includes all bridge and lock information.
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Additional Resources: Read the Waterland van Friesland blog for more tips on sailing the Eleven Cities route. You can also find information on sailing the Eleven Cities route on Friesland.nl.
Which motorboat will you choose to sail the Eleven Cities route?
At Varen met Sil, you can rent the Elfstedentocht sailing boat! Book your boating vacation today and visit all the cities of Friesland. You can visit the cities almost year-round
