Holiday apartment in Franeker: Planetarium, Kaatsen and Frisian culture

Franeker combines astronomy, urban history, sporting tradition and routes through Friesland. The historic centre is home to the Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium, the oldest continuously operating planetarium in the world.

Culture and history in Franeker

The Eise Eisinga Planetarium Museum also includes Eise Eisinga’s former wool combing mill.

Museum Martena is located in a historic city castle in the heart of Franeker. It explores special stories about the city, the famous University of Franeker and the residents of Martenahuis.

The Martinikerk is the only medieval church in Friesland with an ambulatory. Concerts are held in the church, including an annual organ concert series.

Kaatsen is the focus of the Keatsmuseum. It is the oldest museum in the Netherlands dedicated to a single sport; the permanent exhibition presents the historical development of Kaatsen.

The 11Fountains fountain in Franeker offers another connection between art and astronomy. It is a tribute to the world-famous astronomer Jan Hendrik Oort, who was born in Franeker. Outside the planetarium, it therefore also points to astronomy.

Kaatsen, pilgrimage routes and the Frisian landscape

Kaats culture can be discovered not only in the museum. The PC Kaatsen competition takes place every year on the “sacred turf” of the Sjûkelân in Franeker. The Keatskuier is a walking route in Franeker leading to important and noteworthy places and objects from the history of Kaatsen.

Franeker is part of the western Frisian pilgrimage route Jabikspaad. In the surrounding area, the Jabikspaad also passes the Waadhoeke idyll: a peaceful 2.5-hectare oasis where nature, culture and biodiversity come together. The Keatskuier remains focused on the history of Kaatsen; the Jabikspaad represents the pilgrimage route, while Waadhoeke combines nature, culture and biodiversity.

From Franeker, beautiful routes lead to six of Friesland’s eleven cities. This makes it possible to combine cultural discoveries in Franeker with other destinations in Friesland without losing sight of the town as a starting point. In addition to Franeker, the routes open up further Frisian city destinations for concrete travel planning within the Friesland region.

Franeker as a location for your holiday apartment

When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home in Franeker, you can weigh up different priorities: those who mainly want to include urban history, the planetarium and the Martinikerk will have different priorities from someone combining Kaatsen, the Jabikspaad and the Waadhoeke idyll. Trains depart from Franeker station twice an hour; buses also run in various directions. These include route 35 between Sneek and Franeker, route 75 between Bolsward and Harlingen, and route 97 between Harlingen Haven and Leeuwarden.

Other places for planning your trip

Achlum, Tzummarum, Sexbierum, Firdgum, Dongjum, Hitzum and Peins

To the higher-level travel overview: Franekeradeel.