Great Runs Trip Report: North Holland & Friesland, Netherlands

As part of an extended European swing, Great Runs spent a week cycling in the North Holland and Friesland provinces of the Netherlands, which allowed us to scope out a bunch of wonderful new running routes! We were on a boat/bike trip that sailed to numerous port cities and islands, bikes on board! 

This area is beautiful and fascinating geographically. Coastal cities in eastern North Holland province and Friesland border on IJsselmeer — a large lake closed off to the sea by a man-made dike. North of the dike is a series of islands on the Wadden Sea, a vast coastal system of intertidal sand & mudflats. Here are some of the highlights of the trip and suggestions of great places to run.

North Holland Province

Amsterdam is officially in North Holland, but Haarlem is the provincial capital (route suggestions). The port city of Enkhuizen, a 45-minute train ride from Amsterdam, was the anchor point of the trip. There’s some lovely running in Enkhuizen, around the large marina & canal paths, and on scenic coastal cycle trails headed north toward Oosterdijk or south toward Oosterleek. Other port cities in the area with pleasant running options are Hoorn (south of Enkhuizen) and Mendemblik (north of Enkhuizen).

Another great option for running in this area is to explore scenic countryside, which consists mainly of farmland & wetlands. There are dedicated cycle trails covering probably 80% of the geography. A point-to-point numbering system, with excellent waymarking, is super helpful once you get the hang of it.

The highlight of our time in North Holland was the island of Texel. It’s the largest of the Wadden islands, at 25 km long and 10 km wide. It’s a popular spot for visiting in summer, for its beaches, dunes, nature preserves, and birding. There are more bikes than cars and more sheep than people! There’s wonderful variety of running options here, from beautiful coastal trails to paths around wetlands, grass-covered dunes, and farm fields. (ROUTE INFO)

Friesland Province

We spent a lovely three days in this northwest Netherlands province, mainly in the coastal stretch between Harlingen and Stavoren (with some inland jaunts by bicycle), and on the beautiful island of Terschelling. Friesland is mainly agricultural, though it’s also popular with tourists for its lakes and scenic islands. In the port city of Harlingen, there’s lovely running on the several km of canal-side paths, a long pier, and the Strand path above the seawall. A worth-it side trip is 10 km east to Franeker, one of the eleven historical cities of Friesland and location of the Eisinga Planetarium — the oldest still-functioning planetarium in the world. Further south in Makkum — a pretty village on the banks of the lake IJsselmeer — there’s similarly scenic running on canal-side paths, around the marina, and a section out to the Beach Resort Makkum.

Another town worth visiting is Hindeloopen, a particularly charming coastal city. We love the Schaatsmuseum, which displays the history of Dutch skating, including the famous Eleven Cities Tour — it happens rarely, but is a true event when it does (runners will appreciate!). A few km south is Stavoren, which features some lovely running on the Noorderdyk path headed north of town.

A highlight of our Friesland visit was a day spent cycling on the island of Terschelling. It’s one of the biggest of the Wadden islands, and a popular visitor destination. Runners will love Terschelling, with its 70 km of cycle paths and 30 km of beaches. There’s some lovely coastal view running on a path on top of the seawall headed north of West-Terschelling; paths winding through scenic grass-topped dunes on the northern side of the island; and pretty farmland in the interior. The extensive beaches on the north side of the island are also great for running — wide, and with firm packed sand (be aware of the tides!).