Cycling and walking routes through this unique part of North Holland follow the Westfriese Omringdijk, taking you through vast polders and along the IJsselmeer. Along the way, you’ll pass through quaint villages and historic towns such as Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Medemblik, each with its own maritime history. The area exudes space and tranquillity, with views of water, dykes and agricultural landscapes. West Friesland is an attractive region for those who wish to actively enjoy culture, history and the typical North Holland landscape.
Gemeente Westfriesland
Routes in West Friesland
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LF Zuiderzee Route | Medemblik - Workum
Between Medemblik and Den Oever, the landscape looks very different. Here you cycle through the Wieringermeerpolder, the only true Zuiderzee polder. It was drained in 1930, before the Afsluitdijk existed. Near Den Oever, you pass through the first of the few patches of forest on this route. The Dijkgatbos was planted after the Germans blew two holes in the dike of the newly constructed polder just before their retreat in 1945.
- Start location
- Medemblik
- Distance
- 70.0 km
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Langereisroute - De Weijver via Groene Pade
18.7 km circular walk through the West Frisian polder landscape, past meadow birds, a historic wading pool, and the Groene Pade water reservoir in Hoogwoud.
- Start location
- Hoogwoud
- Distance
- 18.7 km
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Streekpad Westfriese Omringdijk
Walk 150 km along the historic West Frisian Ring Dyke (SP9) past Hoorn, Alkmaar, Medemblik, and Enkhuizen. Divided into 8 daily stages, marked yellow and red.
- Start location
- Hoorn
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Testroute voor Wiegert
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- Start location
- Opmeer
- Distance
- 153,050.2 km
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Rondje Lage Hoek - Wandeling vanuit De Weijver bij Opmeer
8.5 km circular walk through the West Frisian polders near Opmeer and Hoogwoud, past the national monument Wipbrug and polder mill De Vier Winden.
- Start location
- Hoogwoud
- Distance
- 8.5 km
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Ommetje Spanbroek-Opmeer
Quiet village walk of 6.6 km through Spanbroek and Opmeer – past small parks, the ice rink, and the De Wijzend marina in Westfriesland.
- Start location
- Spanbroek
- Distance
- 6.6 km
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LF Zuiderzee Route | Hoorn - Medemblik
The first West Frisian city you encounter today is Hoorn. At the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, Hoorn was briefly the most important trading city in Holland. This was because Amsterdam initially sided with the Spaniards, while many cities rallied behind the Revolt. The Zuiderzee cities, together with the Sea Beggars, blockaded the port of Amsterdam. At Hoorn, this escalated into the Battle of the Zuiderzee between the Spanish fleet and the rebels. Past the Binnenhaven, on the Bossuhuizen, you can see colorful friezes depicting the Battle of the Zuiderzee
- Start location
- Hoorn
- Distance
- 49.0 km
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Grote Zomerdijkroute
Short circular walk of 5.1 km through the quiet farmland around Spanbroek — with views of the fan-shaped polder landscape of West Friesland.
- Start location
- Spanbroek
- Distance
- 5.1 km
Highlights in West Frisia
Weather forecast for West Friesland
Partly cloudy, 17.1°C
Wind speed: 8.6 knots / 16 km/h
Wind direction: NW
The weather in West Friesland
West Friesland is the place where the sturdy West Frisian Omringdijk protects the land from the water and where the vast polders exude the history of the Dutch East India Company. The weather here is a powerful companion that constantly casts the monumental farmhouses and glistening ditches in a different light. Whether the sun is shining over the endless orchards or a strong wind is chasing the clouds across the IJsselmeer coast: Westfriesland is honest, open and full of Dutch character.