Holiday apartment in Heerenveen: museums, country estates and peatland paths

A prominent landmark in the vicinity of Heerenveen is the Belvédère in Oranjewoud. The reinforced-concrete observation tower is 20 metres high and was built in 1924. Its cultural and architectural-historical significance is connected with the development of recreation in Oranjewoud and its function as a viewing point.

Culture

The architectural history includes Crackstate, which Johannes Sytzes Crack had built as a residence in 1648. Crackstate is one of the most important monuments in Friesland. At the Museum Heerenveen, a biographical museum presents the life of Ferdinand Domela Nieuwenhuis, a pioneer of Dutch socialism. The museum also hosts changing exhibitions featuring stories, art and history.

The Belvédère Museum is dedicated to 20th-century and contemporary Frisian visual art. The presentation places these works in dialogue with works by related artists from the Netherlands and abroad. The historic country estates also shape the cultural character: De Overtuin is a park belonging to the Landgoed Oranjewoud estate and was laid out in the 17th century on behalf of Albertine Agnes van Nassau. Landgoed Oranjestein is a 19th-century Frisian country estate in the forested Oranjewoud area and was established in 1820.

Since 2012, the Oranjewoud Festival has been held in Oranjewoud at cultural and cultural-historical sites in and around Oranjewoud. It is a music festival in the park landscape near Heerenveen. The festival is also authorised to organise an annual event at De Overtuin.

Mildam and Katlijk also preserve special heritage. In the 1970s, Louis Le Roy began constructing the Ecokathedraal Mildam; construction has continued to this day. The Sint Thomaskerk in Katlijk dates from 1525. Instead of a tower, it has a free-standing double bell frame. The Sint Thomas bell ringing takes place every year around the turn of the year to drive away evil spirits. The statue De Raaptepper commemorates an important part of the village’s history and the hard manual work of several generations of farmers.

Landscape

The paths pass through a variety of landscapes. The red walking route in De Deelen leads over wooden walkways and a floating bridge through the peatland, as well as across fields and nutrient-poor meadows. Between Luinjeberd and De Deelen, a self-service chain ferry is available for cyclists and pedestrians.

In Oranjewoud, the Landgoedwandeling leads across the old country estate, to the Belvédère observation tower and along grand avenues through the surrounding forests and other country estates. The “Boom tot bos Oranjewoud” walking route runs through the Reigersbos, along grand avenues and small winding paths. QR codes provide information about monumental trees, notable inhabitants and the functions of the forest.

Peat extraction has shaped the landscape around Katlijk. The “De verhalen van Katlijk” walking loop uses QR codes to provide access to stories from the village and its surroundings. In the Ketliker Skar, the Rolstoelroute Ketliker Skar starts at the It Beekpronkje visitor centre: the paved, wheelchair-accessible route is 2.5 kilometres long.

Paths and activities

The municipality of Heerenveen has a walking and cycling junction network created by Marrekrite. The Doortraproute Heerenveen–Bontebok starts at the Belvédère Museum and leads from the eastern side of Heerenveen into Oranjewoud. The route is suitable for tricycle users. The Belvédère Museum can be reached from Heerenveen railway station by OV-Fiets.

Sport

Thialf offers recreational skaters several ice rinks: these include a 400-metre track, a 333-metre track and a 30 × 30 metre rink for the youngest children. The Abe stadium tour offers behind-the-scenes insights into the Abe Lenstra Stadium, including the press table and a view of the pitch from a business box.

You can then visit the pages for Oranjewoud, Heerenveen and Oudeschoot.

To the higher-level travel overview: Friesland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

De Friese Meren, Leeuwarden, Ferwerderadiel, Wymbritseradiel, Weststellingwerf.