Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
Canoe Guide - Elfenstedentocht
Canoe Tour Netherlands - Elfstedentocht
I have not canoed this route.
The Elfenstedentocht is an 220 km 11 cities tour in Friesland, using the canals, rivers and drainage channels of
this flat area of the Netherlands. It is famous as a skating tour on the rare occasions when that the channels are
completely frozen, but also makes a good canoe tour. It is a circular tour so you can start anywhere, but the
traditional starting point for the skating circuit is Leeuwarden.
Start and Finish: Woudmansdiep , a park at SE corner of Leeuwarden.
Distance: 220 km
Difficulty: Easy unless there is strong wind.
Portages: There are portages on the variation of the route I suggest, between Dokkum and Leeuwarden. These
can be avoided by backtracking from Dokkum to Bartleheim.
There are a few locks to pass through or portage.
The route:
a) Leeuwarden - Sneek
Head west along the southern outskirts of Leeuwarden until a canal heads south at the SW end of the town.
Follow this canal south past Weidum and then SW to just north of Scharnegoutum where it heads south again into
the centre of the city of Sneek.
b) Sneek - Sloten
Canals lead through the city centre and you exit the city to the SW into the small lake Geeuw. You quickly
reach Ijlst and head through to Nijizjl where you head south. This canal takes you past Heeg and through
Woudsend to lake Slotermeer to Sloten.
c) Sloten - Stavoren
From Sloten return to Slotermeer and exit at its western end. Pass through Balk and follow the small channel
beside highway N359. When this road starts turning north the channel continues SSW before entering a small
lake. Exit this lake at its SW corner and quickly turn NW to rejoin highway N359. The channel turns NE from the
road and then NW before entering lake Oud-Karre and then leaving it to the west to reach lake Morra. Cross this
and enter lake De Geeuw. A wide canal then takes you west to Stavoren on the Ijsselmeer.
d) Stavoren - Hinderloopen
Unless there is no wind you will want to follow the canal east of the sea wall rather than enter the Ijsselmeer.
Head north through Stavoren and then east, north under the railway and back west again before following the
canal to the east of the sea-wall. This takes you past Molkwerum and onto Hindeloopen.
e) Hinderloopen - Bolsward
Leave Hinderloopen by the Oosterdijk and pass under highway N359 before turning north along Aldedijk. After
going under the railway leave the Aldedijk and continue along the canal which heads NE to Workum. Follow the
canal along the south-eastern edge of Workum. The canal follows the Trekweg and leads NNE to Bolsward.
f) Bolsward - Harlingen
After going under the E22 motorway head NW through Bolsward and under highway N 359. The canal continues
NW through Schettens and north to Witmarsum. The canal continues predominantly north to Arum where you
must head NW again and turn west before heading north through Kimsword. The canal then turns NW to enter
Harlingen. Follow small canals through to the enter the ship canal.
g) Harlingen - Franeker
Follow the ship canal east for a bit, passing under highway N31 before picking up the small canal heading south
then SE to Achlum.Leave Achlum to the east before taking the canal NE to rejoin the ship canal at Franeker. Head
along the canal before heading north through Franeker.
h) Franeker - Dokkum
Head north out of Franeker and swing ENE past Ried to reach the NW corner of Berlikum.Head NW and then
north along a narrowing channel. The canal turns east and eventually reaches the highway Sudhoekstermiddelweg.
After a while you follow the main channel north and then NE to pass under highway N 393. Take a main turn right
through Oude Leije and then turn south before swinging east again. Pass under highway N357 and on to
Bartleheim. Turn NE here and then swing ENE past Birdaard and into Dokkum.
i) Dokkum - Leeuwarden
When you reach the city centre turn south down a narrow canal and then west out of town towards Woudvaart.
This small canal veers WSW before passing under highway N361 and heading south into Rinsumagest. You will
need to portage here as the canals through the town are discontinuous. Head SW out of town along a very narrow
channel to eventually pass under the highway N361 at Oudkerk and the channel swing to the south to arrive at the
NE corner of Leeuwarden. Folow the canal south and then west to get back to your starting point.
If you want to avoid the portages on this section, from Dokkum head back to Bartleheim and then south to
Leeuwarden.
If you want to shorten the route you could miss out Dokkum, again heading south from Bartleheim.
Distances:
Leeuwarden - Sneek 22km
Sneek - Ijlst 4 km
Ijlst - Sloten 14 km
Sloten - Stavoren 26 km
Stavoren - Hindeloopen 26 km
Hindeloopen - Workum 9 km
Workum - Bolsward 13 km
Bolsward - Harlingen 17 km
Harlingen - Franeker 13 km
Franker - Dokkum 45 km
Dokkum - Leeuwarden 24 km
Information:
http://www.bamjam.net/Nederland/11steden.html gives an outline of the route.
.
I traced the detail of the route from the Google map website:
http://www.google.com/maps
There is an organised tour of this route in early August every year:
http://www.visitfryslan.com
I have not canoed this route.
The Elfenstedentocht is an 220 km 11 cities tour in Friesland, using the canals, rivers and drainage channels of
this flat area of the Netherlands. It is famous as a skating tour on the rare occasions when that the channels are
completely frozen, but also makes a good canoe tour. It is a circular tour so you can start anywhere, but the
traditional starting point for the skating circuit is Leeuwarden.
Start and Finish: Woudmansdiep , a park at SE corner of Leeuwarden.
Distance: 220 km
Difficulty: Easy unless there is strong wind.
Portages: There are portages on the variation of the route I suggest, between Dokkum and Leeuwarden. These
can be avoided by backtracking from Dokkum to Bartleheim.
There are a few locks to pass through or portage.
The route:
a) Leeuwarden - Sneek
Head west along the southern outskirts of Leeuwarden until a canal heads south at the SW end of the town.
Follow this canal south past Weidum and then SW to just north of Scharnegoutum where it heads south again into
the centre of the city of Sneek.
b) Sneek - Sloten
Canals lead through the city centre and you exit the city to the SW into the small lake Geeuw. You quickly
reach Ijlst and head through to Nijizjl where you head south. This canal takes you past Heeg and through
Woudsend to lake Slotermeer to Sloten.
c) Sloten - Stavoren
From Sloten return to Slotermeer and exit at its western end. Pass through Balk and follow the small channel
beside highway N359. When this road starts turning north the channel continues SSW before entering a small
lake. Exit this lake at its SW corner and quickly turn NW to rejoin highway N359. The channel turns NE from the
road and then NW before entering lake Oud-Karre and then leaving it to the west to reach lake Morra. Cross this
and enter lake De Geeuw. A wide canal then takes you west to Stavoren on the Ijsselmeer.
d) Stavoren - Hinderloopen
Unless there is no wind you will want to follow the canal east of the sea wall rather than enter the Ijsselmeer.
Head north through Stavoren and then east, north under the railway and back west again before following the
canal to the east of the sea-wall. This takes you past Molkwerum and onto Hindeloopen.
e) Hinderloopen - Bolsward
Leave Hinderloopen by the Oosterdijk and pass under highway N359 before turning north along Aldedijk. After
going under the railway leave the Aldedijk and continue along the canal which heads NE to Workum. Follow the
canal along the south-eastern edge of Workum. The canal follows the Trekweg and leads NNE to Bolsward.
f) Bolsward - Harlingen
After going under the E22 motorway head NW through Bolsward and under highway N 359. The canal continues
NW through Schettens and north to Witmarsum. The canal continues predominantly north to Arum where you
must head NW again and turn west before heading north through Kimsword. The canal then turns NW to enter
Harlingen. Follow small canals through to the enter the ship canal.
g) Harlingen - Franeker
Follow the ship canal east for a bit, passing under highway N31 before picking up the small canal heading south
then SE to Achlum.Leave Achlum to the east before taking the canal NE to rejoin the ship canal at Franeker. Head
along the canal before heading north through Franeker.
h) Franeker - Dokkum
Head north out of Franeker and swing ENE past Ried to reach the NW corner of Berlikum.Head NW and then
north along a narrowing channel. The canal turns east and eventually reaches the highway Sudhoekstermiddelweg.
After a while you follow the main channel north and then NE to pass under highway N 393. Take a main turn right
through Oude Leije and then turn south before swinging east again. Pass under highway N357 and on to
Bartleheim. Turn NE here and then swing ENE past Birdaard and into Dokkum.
i) Dokkum - Leeuwarden
When you reach the city centre turn south down a narrow canal and then west out of town towards Woudvaart.
This small canal veers WSW before passing under highway N361 and heading south into Rinsumagest. You will
need to portage here as the canals through the town are discontinuous. Head SW out of town along a very narrow
channel to eventually pass under the highway N361 at Oudkerk and the channel swing to the south to arrive at the
NE corner of Leeuwarden. Folow the canal south and then west to get back to your starting point.
If you want to avoid the portages on this section, from Dokkum head back to Bartleheim and then south to
Leeuwarden.
If you want to shorten the route you could miss out Dokkum, again heading south from Bartleheim.
Distances:
Leeuwarden - Sneek 22km
Sneek - Ijlst 4 km
Ijlst - Sloten 14 km
Sloten - Stavoren 26 km
Stavoren - Hindeloopen 26 km
Hindeloopen - Workum 9 km
Workum - Bolsward 13 km
Bolsward - Harlingen 17 km
Harlingen - Franeker 13 km
Franker - Dokkum 45 km
Dokkum - Leeuwarden 24 km
Information:
http://www.bamjam.net/Nederland/11steden.html gives an outline of the route.
.
I traced the detail of the route from the Google map website:
http://www.google.com/maps
There is an organised tour of this route in early August every year:
http://www.visitfryslan.com
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