Category:Friesland

Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands.

People here speak both Dutch and Frisian! The biggest city is its capital Leeuwarden. Even though Frisian people have the image of being a bit 'stubborn', they are in reality very friendly and hitchhiking here is very easy, especially on the countryside.

The province consists mostly of agricultural land and lakes (in the southwest) and is one of the less densely populated areas of the Netherlands.

Motorways
Friesland has four motorways. The A32 enters the province in the south and continues to Leeuwarden. The A7 starts in Amsterdam and enters Friesland via the Afsluitdijk to continue via Heerenveen to Groningen. The A6 starts in Joure and runs through Flevoland towards Amsterdam. Part of this road runs on a small landstrip across the Tjeukemeer, one of the biggest lakes. Finally the A31 runs from the Afsluitdijk to Leeuwarden.

Another major road is the N31 from Leeuwarden to Drachten. Officially it's not a highway, though it is completely built as one.

In general traffic on the roads can be quite sparse, so it's advised to just hop from on-ramp to on-ramp and not waste time waiting for cars at petrol stations along the motorway.

The Islands
Friesland has four islands, with regular ferries going to every one of them. These ferries are unfortunately very pricy, and paying is per passenger. There seems to be only one way to avoid this; wait until low tide when the sea falls completely dry and walk across! Be aware though that these are pretty tough undertakings, don't take it too light.

The nature on the islands is in general very different from the mainland, with dunes, beaches and wetlands dominating. Wild camping is possible, though be extra careful not to be spotted.

isin: Netherlands