Harlingen, Bolsward, Makkum

Harlingen is a true (sea) port city from where ferries depart to Vlieland and Terschelling. But did you know that nowhere in Europe will you find as many monuments per square metre as in Harlingen? The warehouses, patrician houses, inner harbours, canals and bridges take you back to the illustrious past of seafaring and trade.

Makkum is a real tourist place in western Friesland. The village has a cosy centre, with historic buildings and plenty of terraces and restaurants. Being on the IJsselmeer, close to the Afsluitdijk, you can also find a boulevard with shops and eateries in this village.

Makkum was called ‘the gateway to the Zuiderzee’ in the Middle Ages. Thanks to the locks, the town managed to develop into an important trading centre, with timber, oil and paper mills, brickworks, shell lime kilns and tile factories.

Both Harlingen and Makkum became world-famous for their pottery. Makkum is home to the oldest ceramic factory in the Netherlands: Koninklijke Tichelaar from 1572. The factory is located on the Kalkovens industrial estate in Makkum. You can cycle past it by deviating from the route at node 70, but you can't visit the factory from the inside. In Harlingen, the tiles are still painted by hand using traditional methods to this day. The Harlinger Pottery & Tile Factory can be visited from Monday to Friday.

Discover history, crafts and the beautiful towns of Harlingen and Makkum by bike!