Fryslân is one of the most beautiful provinces of the Netherlands, surrounded by nature, life and a lot of unique and interesting places to visit. However, most people tend to focus on bigger cities to visit, like Leeuwarden, which, don’t get me wrong, it’s a wonderful city, but they forget about the hidden gems of Fryslân such as Burgum.
By: Laura Apostol
The Village of Burgum
Burgum is situated in the Fryslân province, only 45 minutes by bike (or 20 minutes by car) from Leeuwarden, being part of the Tytsjerksteradiel municipality (I dare you to try to pronounce it, because I gave up). Known for its waters and forests, the village hides some of the most interesting activities, perfect for everyone, from students to grandparents.
Trip to Burgum
Wandering around with our bikes is one of the most favorite activities me and my friends do in the weekend, trying to find the most beautiful places in Fryslân. Rules? No map, no phones, just random streets and quick decisions of taking right or left.
And that’s how we ended up discovering Burgum. First, we came across an imposing church. Not knowing exactly where we were, we looked up on the description of the church; it was the protestant church of Burgum (Kruiskerk Bergum) which is dated from the 13thcentury with a mesmerizing pipe organ from the 18thcentury. However, what amazed us were the graves outside the church. Dating from 19thcentury up to the present times, the graves are time capsules of history, representing the sorrows, battles and lives of people of Fryslân. Enhanced by a calming quietness, the church brought us peace and calmness bringing us closer to the province.
Camping at Bergumermeer
As mentioned, Burgum has a lot of activities suitable for everyone, and one of them is of course, camping! Right next to a beautiful lake, Bergumer Mar, there is the vacation park named Bergumermeer. Being surrounded by nature seems the perfect time but imagine this plus having something to do for everyone. Me and my friends went there camping, and I must say, it was the best time in the Netherlands!
Being able to do bike tours, having a pool, a zoo with kangaroos (I have never seen one!) and lamas, being surrounded by the lake and waking up at sunrise to admire the beauty of nature, Bergumermeer became paradise! The vacation park is full of everything you need, from grocery store, to restaurants, fast food and pubs, you can escape the world without having to worry about anything.
To be honest, I never experienced Fryslân fully up until I started to explore it. I thought Leeuwarden was the most eventful and interesting place, that the province has to offer, but I was so wrong ! What makes Fryslân worthy of being the capital of culture is the nature, history and beautifulness of the small villages and places that are waiting for you to explore!
