For our 12 months, 12 provinces, 12 parks series in collaboration with Landal GreenParks, we are settling down in a different province in the Netherlands each month. You already saw great stories about Overijssel (Salland Ridge), North Brabant (Klein Oisterwijk) and South Limburg (Castle domain in the Cauberg). This time 'Fryslân Boppe'. Waterpark Sneekermeer in Kameleondorp Terherne is your perfect basecamp to explore this northern province by bike. Explorer Ella Went that way with five girlfriends and what a great story!
Text and photos: Ella van der Veer
Friesland = Elfstedentocht, right?
When you say Friesland, most cyclists think of only one thing: the Elfstedentocht. Anyone who has ever cycled this tour knows that Friesland lends itself extremely well as a cycling province. In April, we visited Landal Waterpark Sneekermeer for a long weekend to explore this area.
Chameleon village Terherne
This park is located in Terherne, an island in the Sneekermeer lake between Sneek and Akkrum. Perhaps known to some as the Chameleon village where Hielke and Sietse had all their adventures. On Friday, the six of us gathered for our first round of cycling. We ride a lap around Sneek, where of course we cannot skip the centuries-old watergate. Furthermore, we meander along canals and through meadows, giving us a taste of the Frisian landscape. After 65km, we arrive back in Terherne satisfied and it's time to check in!
Friendly reception
We receive a friendly welcome at reception, where we are given the key to cottage No 238. When we step inside, we immediately notice the abundance of space, more than enough to accommodate 6 people and their carbon steed. You enter on the first floor where the kitchen and living room are located. Here there is even a package on the table with local delicacies, we could really use that extra energy! On the ground floor are 3 spacious bedrooms and a bathroom with shower and bathtub. There is also a washing machine, handy for washing cycling clothes right away. It is also spacious outside, with a large balcony with table and chairs, and downstairs a large lounge set where you can enjoy a drink and/or the sunset. Because of its location on the lake, you will find many water sports here, and our cottage even has a swimming ladder and jetty so you can sail onto the Frisian lakes.
Beautiful weather with Dutch Mountains
The weather forecast for the weekend is kind to us. Saturday it will even be warm enough for short-shorts, something that has not happened very often this year. However, there will be wind force 4-5 all weekend, so fan alert! We leave around 9 o'clock for a northern loop towards the Wadden Sea. On the way, we are surprised by the colourful blossoms in the trees, the cuckoo flowers in the meadows and the picturesque North Frisian mound villages.
Wad a sea!
After 60 km or so, we arrive at the sea dyke, and enjoy the view of the mud flats and Terschelling for a while. How beautiful it is here! The ride continues along the dyke, where we sometimes have to swerve for cute lambs grazing the dyke and we even encounter a flowering bulb field. After a good lunch on Dokkum's terrace, we get ready for the return journey against the wind. During the ferry crossing, we can take a rest and enjoy the view. A breakdown-free weekend it is unfortunately not. The gravel strip from the ferry to the paved road unfortunately results in two out of five punctures this ride, but that should not spoil the fun.
More lakes
The third day of cycling is scheduled for a ride along the Frisian lakes and the IJsselmeer. Again, wide views over the many grasslands, but very different from Saturday. We choose a narrow cycle path along the lake near Aldega, fortunately quiet but in summer it will be crowded here. Just before Workum, we meet another group of fanatical cyclists, which we gratefully take advantage of and cycle towards Stavoren on the towpath. Here redemption awaits, as by now we have already conquered a mountain of the so-called Dutch Mountains.
Wind at last
Once we ride up the dike, we have tailwind and are blown in the direction of Mirns. Here is our lunch spot at Paviljoen 't Mar. Highly recommended on the beach, where you can also enjoy another sport on windy days like this: this is 'e'en of the Frisian kitesurf spots! After this, we calmly cycle on towards the second attraction on the UNESCO World Heritage list this weekend, namely the Woudagemaal. Unfortunately, it is not under steam this weekend but it is still special that this pumping station from the 1920s still plays an important role in protecting Friesland from flooding at high tide.
Once back in Terherne, the Frisian adventure is already over, time to go home! Of course, we are far from having seen all of Friesland were able to explore but we had a great time relaxing at this beautiful park and in these beautiful surroundings!
Bicycle routes Landal Sneekermeer
Would you like to take another look at all the routes and plan a nice route in Friesland yourself? Then take a look at our KOMOOT page with the collection of Landal GreenParks via the link below.
