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Leeuwarden
City and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands

Leeuwarden

Leeuwarden is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 127,073 (2023).

Plan a trip to Leeuwarden→From Groningen

It is the provincial capital and seat of the Provincial Council of Friesland.

Get in

Getting to Leeuwarden

From Amsterdam, Leeuwarden can be reached by two different routes: the western route via the A7 and the A31 and the eastern one via the A1, A6 and A32. From Groningen and northern Germany, Leeuwarden can be reached via the A7 and N31. An intercity train service connects Leeuwarden to Amsterdam and to Schiphol Airport.

See

Worth seeing

Just north of the railway station lies Leeuwarden's compact medieval centre, surrounded by defensive canals. With 617 buildings listed as national monuments, the city has no lack of heritage to see. The old town is small enough to easily explore on foot, with plenty of time to take in the many historic buildings. Among the most notable ones are:

  1. 01
    Grote of Jacobijnerkerk

    The largest of the medieval churches, dating back to around 1300.

  2. 02
    Waag

    Leeuwarden's nicely decorated former weigh house was built in 1590, probably to replace an earlier one.

  3. 03
    Oldehove

    When the city of Groningen got its massive Martini-tower in the 15th century, the Frisians were determined to get a tower of their own, at least as high.

  4. 04
    Kanselarij

    13 Turfmarkt.

  5. 05
    City

    Building of the Classicist city hall started in 1715.

  6. 06
    Fries Museum

    The Fries Museum houses an excellent historic collection about Friesland and its 11 cities.

Do

Things to do

Football: SC Cambuur were promoted in 2026 and now play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Since 2024 their home ground has been Kooi Stadion (capacity 15,000) 1 km east of city centre; their old Cambuur Stadion has been demolished. Boat trip. Rent a small electric sloop and discover the city on your own via its picturesque canals.

Eat

Where to eat

  1. 01
    Eindeloos

    Most is made by using prominent local and regional suppliers which produce their products in a sustainable way.

  2. 02
    Trattoria Italiana

    Widely considered the best Italian food in town, available in the restaurant but also for take-away.

  3. 03
    Leeuwarden Lounge

    The tapas it serves are a mixture of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisine, and well-prepared.

  4. 04
    Rhodos Palace

    Ruiterskwartier 47,.

How locals move

Getting around Leeuwarden the local way

  • Get inThere is a ferry running from Enkhuizen in Noord Holland to Stavoren.
  • Get inIn the summer the ferry runs up to three times daily, but in April and October not as frequent.

From Wikivoyage: Friesland, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-04.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.