Short Cycle and Ferry Tour around Workum

(22.5 km)

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This wonderful tour takes you from the picturesque little village of Gaastmeer to the historic city of Workum and back. The 20-kilometre route leads past Frisian meadows and lakes and includes two ferry crossings. In March and November the ferries sail between 11:00 and 16:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Feyta Schaer Brêge
This is the official name of the steeply curved white bridge in the centre of Gaastmeer. To travel over the bridge, you have to be in first gear. On the other side, you enter the Yntema polder, which is really an island between Fluessen (Fluezen) lake and Groote Gaastmeer (Grutte Gastmar) lake. The It Oerset passenger and bike ferry transports you from the Yntema polder to It Heidenskip.

De Hel
You cycle …

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De Hel
You cycle through this open and sparsely populated area to the historic city of Workum. Fun fact: The traditional Frisian sport of ‘fierljeppen’, which involves pole vaulting over a canal, continues to thrive in It Heidenskip. There is also a fort in the area. At a certain point you cycle past the hamlet of De Hel. There are many theories as to how it came to be named 'hell'...

Welcome to Workum
Workum is one of Friesland’s historical eleven cities. You cycle into the centre via the railway bridge and arrive at the locks. With a bit of luck, a boat will pass through the lock. If not, you can catch a glimpse of the old shipyard from the locks. If you turn around, the long It Soal canal that stretches out ahead of you leads to Lake IJsselmeer. At the very end, you can see Workum's little white lighthouse.

On the market square
Stop on the market square (Merk) to admire the beautiful Waaggebouw weigh house and the Great or St Gertrude Church. Behind it is the Workum fountain with two lions spraying water at each other. Here in Workum, you can stop for a cup of coffee and something yummy before getting back on your bike. Versmarkt De 3 Ambachten, a fresh food market with an artisan butcher, bakery and cheese shop, is also worth a visit. It is open from Monday to Saturday. To visit the fresh food market, turn onto Begine road at junction 17.

On to Nijhuizum
In the little village of Nijhuizum you can stop to admire the smallest church in Friesland. From here, follow the cycle path that leads to the second ferry on this route: Droech oer de Feart.

End of the world
The Renema family who operate the ferry will transport you across to Kaepwei road, which leads to an area thought of as the end of the world. This region used to be called ‘East Ynje’, the East Indies. On the left and right of the road, you will see meadows, geese and maybe a few cows. Before long, you are back in Gaastmeer and have completed the tour.

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Sights on this route

Gaastmeer

Gaastmeer is the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the day and enjoy peace and space.

Pieltsjerke Church in Gaastmeer

The Pieltsjerke church in Gaastmeer stands on the bank of It Piel, an inlet of Lake Fluessen. The church tower serves as a striking landmark from the lake and from the village.

Veerpont It Oerset (Gaastmeer)

Protestantse Kerk It Heidenskip

It Heidenskip is een uitgestrekt agrarisch dorpsgebied met een kleine schilderachtige kern aan de kade van een opvaart. Tussen de woonhuizen aan deze smalle kade, waar je niet met de auto kunt komen, staat sinds 1886 een kerkje.

Tjasker It Heidenskip

Oudste paaltjasker van Nederland uit 1915.

De Oerpolder

Het Heidenschap, een moerassig gebied nabij Workum. 's Winters stond het gebied veelal onder water, 's zomers was het grasland. Friese schrijver Hylke Speerstra schreef er een boek over: hoe de boeren hier vroeger leefden en de harde werkelijkheid.

Blazerhaven

Alongside the sea lock in Workum, is on the one side the De Hoop shipyard and on the other, the Blazerhaven. The latter was dug in 2008, and forms a historic maritime complex together with De Hoop, around the old Zuiderzee locks in Workum.

Scheepstimmerwerf De Hoop

Scheepstimmerwerf ‘De Hoop’ is een begrip in Workum en ver daarbuiten. Al meer dan driehonderd jaar gevestigd naast de sluis.

Sint Gertrudis church

On ‘De Merk’, you'll find ’Workum Cathedral’, Sint Gertrudis church. This is the largest late-Gothic cruciform church of Friesland, with the largest windows in all the province.

Museum Warkums Erfskip

Enjoy Workum from the weigh house!

Workum (Warkum)

Workum (or Warkum as we say in Friesland), is one of the famous Frisian cities that has enjoyed city rights since 1399. Located on the shores of the former Zuiderzee and bordering the Frisian lakes.

Visit Workum

Jopie Huisman Museum

The Jopie Huisman Museum is dedicated to the life and work of the Frisian self-taught master painter Jopie Huisman. His love of nature and his compassion are a recurrent theme.

Nijhúzumer Tsjerke

De kerk van Nijhuizum is de kleinste van Friesland, in 1721 opgetrokken uit de restanten van een ouder gebouw. Het is een bescheiden kerkje met een kerktoren en een eenvoudig interieur.