Harlingen
Harlingen/Harns received city rights in 1234. At first, the city was always somewhat in the shadow of Franeker because it was once a university town. Nevertheless, Harlingen grew because of its location by the sea. Also nice to know: the city used to lie a lot further west. This is because the sea regularly knocked away land.
Also, in 1644, the admiralty established in Harlingen after the estuary near Dokkum silted up. The admiralty was similar to the Navy of today. Yet they did not have to concern themselves so much with warfare; merchant shipping was many times more important. Many skippers made sailings to the Wadden Islands, various places in the province and to ports on the Zuiderzee, especially Amsterdam. It brought Harlingen much prosperity. In the city you will find shipyards, beer breweries and brick and potteries, among other things. Unfortunately, things went the same way with Harlingen as with the other cities around the Zuiderzee; Amsterdam and Rotterdam became many times larger. However, Harlingen remains important to Friesland because of its large fishing port and because of the new van Harinxmakanaal.
Nowadays you will find the ferries to Vlieland and Terschelling in Harlingen, therefore it is a coming and going of people. But Harlingen has much more to offer than that: its location on the mud flats, various maritime events the beautiful warehouses in the city’s protected center and more than 600 monuments.
Get a stamp?
You can also pick up the stamp for Harlingen at Camping de Zeehoeve. So you don’t have to worry about getting your stamp in Harlingen anymore!
Harlingen motorhome site
As a camper place in Harlingen you can choose Camping de Zeehoeve. From here you have beautiful views over the Wadden Sea. The campsite has spacious camper places and is equipped with many conveniences. The campsite is close to the center. So you can just leave your camper and explore Harlingen on foot.
From the campground you can engage in a variety of activities during the summer. Among other things, you can rent sup-boards, which you can use to surf the canals of Harlingen. You can also take a tour with a guide who will tell you all about the history of Harlingen. Do you prefer the road? Then rent an electric scooter with which you can discover the surroundings of Harlingen.
Camping De Zeehoeve is open all year round. 17.50 euros excluding electricity and excluding tourist tax.
To check in, you can use the check-in column located at the reception desk. The stamp will be ready at the reception desk and this is also where you can purchase the Camperelfstedentocht crosses and sweaters.
What can you do in Harlingen?
Of course, you can just go to Vlieland or Terschelling for a day, but that’s a waste. After all, there is plenty to do in Harlingen. These are our tips!
1. Fountain
In Harlingen you will find the fountain not in the center of the city itself, but in the sea. In fact, there in the water lies a sperm whale. It looks as if it is lost and no longer alive, yet every now and then a powerful jet of water rises to the surface. The sperm whale represents the influence man has on the sea. Because of this influence, more and more whale species end up in low water, including in the wadden region, where with some regularity a whale must be rescued. The fountain was created by Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla. After your visit to the fountain, take a walking tour of all the highlights in Harlingen.
2. Hannemahuis
The Hannemahuis is among the earliest houses in downtown Harlingen, regularly remodeled, but interior is still fairly intact. The mirror above the mantelpiece in the back room has hung in that spot since 1790. The last occupant, Leendert Jacobus Hannema, turned it into a museum and after death donated it to the municipality so the museum would continue. Now it is a museum and municipal archive. The museum has exhibitions on Harlingen history and art and temporary exhibitions with historical themes, as well as contemporary visual art.
3. 't Havenmantsje
‘T Havenmantsje
Restaurant ‘t Havenmantsje is located in the harbor of Harlingen. You eat and drink there at top level for an attractive price. They offer excellent service and the delicious dishes and drinks and tasteful interior together form the ingredients for a perfect afternoon or evening. You can choose ordinary individual dishes from the menu, together with a nice beer or a cocktail, but ‘t Havenmantsje also serves surprise menus from three to even eight courses with matching wines.
Would you like to cook yourself? ‘t Havenmantsje also has a cooking studio where cooking lessons are given. In the tasting room they organize tastings.
Grand Café Levels
Grand Café Levels is the hotspot in Harlingen where you can enjoy casual dining. Levels gets its name from the different Levels in the interior, these Levels are not only reflected in the interior but also in the structure of the menu card. For every moment of the day, for every taste, weather or no weather, there is always something tasty. Enjoy a good cup of coffee or a nice cocktail and compose your own burger or enjoy a delicious piece of homemade cheesecake.
4. Expedition ship of Willem Barentsz
5. Events
6. Sea Dikes Route by bicycle
If you like cycling, you’ve come to the right place. In fact, the ANWB has set out a beautiful bicycle route from Harlingen to Makkum that takes you along various sea dikes and picturesque Frisian villages. The bicycle route is 47 km long and takes about 3.5 hours. Along the way there are also charging points for electric bicycles.
7. Harlinger Pottery and Tile Factory.
The Harlinger Pottery and Tile Factory is still the only company in the Netherlands that authentically makes pottery and tiles. The pottery and the way it is made is also known worldwide as Delft Blue, but Harlinger Blue would have been a better name ;). You can take a tour of the factory or look around the store yourself.
8. Homminga's fine store
Homminga has been a household name in Harlingen for 90 years. You can go there for advice on cheese and other specialties. The assortment of Dutch and foreign cheese is very extensive. The cheeses come from different European countries. Among others, you will find cheeses from Belgium, England, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and France. The same goes for the selection of deli meats. They also offer a wide range of salads, pates, tapas and 15 kinds of nuts. So stock up for a good drink before the RV, or put together a sandwich for lunch.