kayak route Franeker

Two routes:

Round trip of 17 km from Tzum.
No portages.
Round trip of 24 km passed Lollum.
One portage.

Kayak rentals:

Hitzum: Anneke's Theetuin.

Round trip of 17 km. from Tzum

Franekertrack

Downloadable GPS-track (17 km): Franeker.

To the starting point in Tzum:

Leave the highway A7 (Afsluitdijk - Joure) at exit 17 Bolsward. Head north on the N359 in the direction Wommels. After 10 km turn left on the Berkwerterleane in the direction Wommels. The starting point is on your right when you enter the village. There is a small parking place along the canal.

From the starting point you go to the right and turn left on the Oude Meer. This is a beautiful and very quiet canal passing through the meadows. There are no roads nearby and you only see some farmhouses. Follow the main canal to the end and at a T-junction you turn left on the Franeker Vaart. This canal is a little wider, but also very quiet. You pass Welsrijp, a village of 500 inhabitants. The Franeker Vaart leads to the Van Harinxmakanaal. This is a main canal and you may meet commercial boats and bigger yachts. Turn left and after a short distance you approach Franeker. There is a scrapyard on your left opposite the side-canal marked "Kleiroute". Keep following the main canal. In Franeker there is a very low lift-bridge. Kayaks can go under it, but for a Canadian Canoe the bridge may be too low. You can carry it passed the bridge (you have to cross a busy street) or wait for the bridge to open. A fter the bridge you pass a short dead end on your right and a little further you turn right. The next junction is under a bridge. Here you turn sharp right. You pass a narrow canal through the city center. You pass the Planetarium of Eise Eisinga. Follow the bends and turn left at the Y-junction. At the T-junction you turn left again and follow the canal around the center. At the next junction you go straight on towards the Van Harinxmakanaal. Here you turn sharp right and after a short distance you turn left. This is a narrow and very pretty canal that meanders back to Tzum.

Round trip of 24 km. passed Lollum.

FranekerLollumtrack

Downloadable GPS-track with tour around the city center (26.1 km): Franeker-Lollum.

To the starting point at the Prins Bernhardlaan in Franeker:

Leave the highway A31 (Afsluitdijk - Leeuwarden) at exit 20 to Franeker. At the first roundabout you turn left. Then at the Klipper you turn right and follow the bend to the left. Then at the Fregat you turn right and follow the bend to the left. At the end of the street there is a boatramp. There is a low side where you can launch the kayak.

From the starting point you go to the right towards Franeker. At the intersection you turn right on the Noordergracht around the city center. After a low bridge you turn right at the Tuinen on the Vliet. When you come at the wide Van Harinxmakanaal you turn sharp right. After a short distance you turn sharp left opposite a marina. Follow the canal towards Tzum. Just before you enter the village you turn right on the Tjommer Feart. After quite a distance you turn sharp left towards Lollum. Just before the village there is a small kayak pier on the right. Here you have to portage. You head norht now on the Lollumer Feart. You pass camping Slachtehiem. This canal is narrow and there are many bends. At the next T-junction you come at the Arumer Feart, and you turn right under the bridge. You keep going straight on and pass Hitzum. When you come at the Van Harinxmakanaal you turn right. You return to the starting place the same way as when you came. With an extra round on the canals of Franeker, this trip is 27.1 km (GPS-track).