Route Overview
About this Tour
Not everyone has a week to spare. No problem – this mini-tour packs the best of Friesland into a long weekend. Start in Woudsend, a picture-book village on the Heegermeer. From there, head to Balk (mills!), then to Sloten (the tiny fortress, 550 inhabitants, 3 cannons still in use during festivals), and back via idyllic vaarten. Every stretch is short – leaving plenty of time for stops. Sloten is the highlight. The fortress town is so small that you can walk around it in 15 minutes. But that is exactly the charm: the old town hall, cannons on the ramparts, and a café overlooking the harbor. Hard Facts: No license required • Few bridges • Perfect for a weekend • Best time: April-October • Sloten = smallest fortress town in the Netherlands
At a Glance
Duration
2-3 days
Distance
40 km
Locks
2
Difficulty
Easy
Highlights
- Sloten – Smallest Fortress in the World: 550 inhabitants, cannons on the ramparts, town hall from 1759, and a pancake boat in the harbor.
- Balk – Dutch Mills: Several historic windmills around the town, with Molen de Eendracht open for visits.