Cycling past seven of the Elfsteden and tasting all the local specialties in the meantime, that is the Culinary Elfstedentocht in a nutshell. When VVV Waterland van Friesland, the tourist office of the southwest of the province, asked me if I wanted to be the first to take the Culinary Elfstedentocht by bike, I didn’t have to think about it. Good food and drinks, being active and discovering the most beautiful towns in Friesland: it can hardly be more fun! So I went to Friesland to discover the best of Southwest Friesland in three days. Do you also want to do the Culinary Elfstedentocht by bike? That’s how you do it!
Culinaire ElfstedentochtCulinary Elfstedentocht by bike
The Culinary Elfstedentocht is a circular route of 113 kilometers, which means that you cycle in a round and start and end at the same point. It doesn’t matter where in the route you start. Before departure you choose 11 of the 18 snacks on the route to taste.
Because we didn’t have any good bikes to take to Friesland, we start our tour in Bolsward. Here we pick up electric bicycles at Rijwielhandel Kroon. You pay 24.50 per day for an electric bicycle. We park the car for free at Plein 1455, about a 5-minute walk from the center of Bolsward. Even if you bring your own bicycles, you can park your car here for free and start the tour from Bolsward.
Bolsward to Workum
We park our car and pick up the bikes. Time to start the Culinary Elfstedentocht! The first part takes us directly through typical Frisian landscapes with lots of grassland and water. With the sun high in the sky, it is a wonderful day for a tour through Waterland van Friesland. It is 13.4 kilometers from Bolsward to the first stop in Workum, a distance you can cover in an hour on an electric bicycle.
Junctions: start in Bolsward at junction 5, then 11 – 10 – 9 – 6 – 4 – 17
Distance: 13.4 kilometers
Bite #1 Ice cream farm Margje 24
The first stop on the Culinary Elfstedentocht is IJsboerderij Margje 24. I did not make this stop myself, but went straight to Workum. The IJsboerderij is just about on junction 6, so you can’t miss it. If you make this trip on a warm day, it is definitely recommended to stop for a traditional ice cream or milkshake from the Ice Drive In.
After Margje 24 it is still 2.5 kilometers to Workum. In 2020, the beautiful Versmarkt 3 Ambachten opened in this Eleven Cities City. This is where we go for the next 3 bites.
Snack #2 Workumer Heegje at Bakery van der Werf Workum
At bakery van der Werf you can get various Frisian specialties. The Drabbelkoek is one of the best known. Here we tasted the Workumer Heegje, a cake invented by this bakery itself. In terms of taste and texture, it reminded me of a combination of carrot cake and gingerbread. Tasty!
Bite #3 Clove cheese at Organic Cheese Factory De Nylander
Snack three is Frisian clove cheese from Nylander. All Nylander cheese is not pasteurized. This makes the taste incredibly full and creamy, really not comparable to cheese from the supermarket. It’s that we were on bicycles, otherwise we would have definitely brought some cheese.
Snack #4 Dry sausage at Thijs van der Meer Keurslager
Keurslager Thijs van der Meer is also located in the Versmarkt 3 Ambachts. His Frisian dry sausage is known far beyond Workum. He also sells other traditional meat products. Very tasteful!
Workum to Hindeloopen
After lunch with all these delicacies we get back on the bike towards Hindeloopen. With only 5.3 kilometers it is a chicken’s end and before we know it we are already in the center of the town. Hindeloopen is really a picture to see and I am glad that we also spend the night here. Hindeloopen consists entirely of small streets along narrow waters and my camera is working overtime to capture everything.
Nodes: 17 – 22 – 20 – 19 – 96
Distance: 5.3 kilometers
Bite #5 The Hinderlooper barrel at Chocolaterie Koldewijn
Chocolaterie Koldewijn has been located in the heart of Hindeloopen for 18 years. The chocolatier works on his own and creates the tastiest and most original flavor combinations in his workshop. The snack we taste here is the Hinderlooper tonnetje, a pure bonbon filled with soft chocolate and a hint of nutmeg. After that we can’t hold back and we also take a few chocolates home with us. If you like it, you can also book a workshop to learn how to make chocolates yourself.
Bite #6 The Hindelooper Voddenwijfje (or fresh fish) at Sudersee
Liqueur brewery and fish restaurant Sudersee is the sixth stop on the route. They brew countless types of mead and fruit liqueurs here, of which the Hindelooper Voddenwijfje is the one that should not be missed. Do you love fresh fish? Then I definitely recommend that you also dine here. We enjoyed a very tasteful three-course dinner at Sudersee.
Stay overnight in Hindeloopen
The first day of the Culinary Elfstedentocht is over and we spend the night in a very special place. We get a room in the former captain’s house, called the Hylperhuis. The room is wonderfully spacious and the beautiful furniture gives it a very special atmosphere. If you want to sleep peacefully, the Hylperhuis is the ideal place.
Hindeloopen to Stavoren
After a good breakfast in the croissanterie in the harbor of Hindeloopen we cycle to Stavoren. I find this part of the route very atmospheric and when we also pass a group of sheep I am completely sold: it is so beautiful here! Given the short distance, we are soon in the port of Stavoren.
Nodes: 97 – 98
Distance: 3.5 kilometers
Bite #7 A Sip of Stavoren at VVV Stavoren
At the tourist office of Stavoren we can pick up a bottle with a Sip of Stavoren. This herbal bitter is of course distilled in Friesland and with 14.9% it is not too heavy a liqueur. Since we picked up the Sip at 10 o’clock in the morning, we decided to take it home as a souvenir.
Snack #8 Staverse Turfham at Butcher Schram
There is another stop in Stavoren: the Staverse Turfham from Slagerij Schram. We skipped this on our Culinary Elfstedentocht, but if you love traditional meat specialties you should not miss the smoked Staverse Turfham.
Stavoren to Sloten
The route from Stavoren to Sloten, the next destination, is 32 kilometers. The grasslands and waterways make way for forests. I think it’s very cool that you cover quite a few kilometers on a forest path. You can break up the fairly long ride halfway with a stop for snack 9. Just before junction 16 you will see a sign along the road with IJsboerderij Bûterkamp. You follow this for the next stop.
Bite #9 Dúmkes ice cream at IJsboerderij Bûterkamp
The ice creams at this ice cream farm are made from the organic milk of their own cows. Wonderfully creamy and so full of flavour! There is always a bowl of ice cream in the taste of a Frisian specialty. For example, they often make Dúmkes ice cream, after the typical Frisian biscuits, and Sûkerbôle ice cream is also regularly in the display case. During our visit they have mocha Beerenburg ice cream, with the light taste of Beerenburg liqueur. In addition to the Frisian specialty, be sure to try the lemon merengue. Wonderfully fresh and soft!
Nodes: 98 – 4 – 5- 6 – 15 – 16 – 22 – 20 – 21 – 27 – 26 – 30 – 32 – 44
Distance: 32 kilometers
The second part of the route to Sloten is almost as long as the first part, so we still have about 15 kilometers to go. Even now we cycle a lot through woods and after about an hour we arrive in Sloten, the smallest city of the Eleven Cities. Sloten is indeed very small but super atmospheric and cozy. A nice place for a walk or even rent a boat and sail to the Slotermeer.
Snack # 10 Triple ‘De 8 fan Sleat’ at the Mallemok
After this long stretch of cycling, it’s time to sit down on the terrace of the Mallemok in Sloten for the tenth specialty. The 8 fan Sleat is a beer brewed by the local Brouwersgilde Sleat. It is a blond triple of 8.8% and after such a bike ride it tastes great. Tip: order the home smoked salmon sandwich for lunch. As far as I’m concerned, one of the best salmon sandwiches I’ve had in a long time.
If you want to enjoy De 8 fan Sleat again, stop #11, De Zeven Wouden, is the place for a second glass of triple.
Sloten to Sneek
We say goodbye to beautiful Sloten and head for Sneek, the last destination of the second day of the Culinary Elfstedentocht. Personally, I found this a less interesting part of the route. Less beautiful nature and also a bit busier. Somewhere halfway you have to cross a small river with a ferry. The crossing costs €1 per person and you can only pay in cash. So make sure you have some loose euros in your pocket.
Nodes: 44 – 43 – 42 – 53 – 15 – 14 – 93 – 59 – 50 – 5
Distance: 27 kilometers
Spend the night in Sneek
By the time we arrive in Sneek it is almost evening. So today we no longer taste snacks in Sneek and instead check in at our hotel, Stadsherberg Sneek. The room is wonderfully spacious and the brown café belonging to the hotel looks cosy. After checking in, we walk to restaurant Aan de Gracht for a tasty meal in a cafe setting.
Snack #12 Beerenburg at Widow Joustra
We skipped snack 12 because we are only in Sneek in the morning the next day and a Beerenburg is a bit too heavy on the stomach. If you are in Sneek in the afternoon, be sure to visit Weduwe Joustra. Beerenburg has been prepared here according to an original recipe for six generations. A must for the enthusiast!
Snack #13 Snekersoes at Bakery De Korenbloem
As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early for sweet pastries, so we walk past De Korenbloem Bakery in the morning for a real Snekersoes. I advise you not to have a heavy breakfast if you want to taste this one. In terms of taste and texture, the Snekersoes reminded me of a Bossche bol, but without chocolate and with raspberry jam. Very tasty and very filling. A good base for the last part of our Culinary Elfstedentocht.
Sneek to IJlst
It is less than 5 kilometers from Sneek to IJlst, so you can drive here in fifteen minutes. IJlst is a quiet town where in the past mainly wood was processed and worked. Nowadays you can especially enjoy walking around and admire, for example, the three churches.
Nodes: 53 – 40 – 41
Distance: 4.6 kilometers
Snack #14 Milk at De Wylde Boerinne
Crazy about fresh milk from the farmer? Then stop 14 is for you. At De Wylde Boerinne you tap fresh raw milk yourself. You can also purchase other dairy products in the farm shop to take home.
Snack #15 11 Fountains Oranjekoek at De Boer’s Bakery
I think that the Oranjekoek is just about the most famous export product of Friesland. Nowadays it is even on the shelves of the large supermarkets, although in terms of taste it is of course nothing compared to the real Oranjekoeken. In IJlst you eat the best at De Boer’s Bakery. Don’t be fooled by the name: the Oranjekoek owes its name to the orange slices that are baked in the dough. However, the top of the cake is pink.
IJst to Bolsward
The very last part of the tour takes us back to Bolsward. Again we cycle through a beautiful landscape full of green fields, cows and old farms. How beautiful Friesland is. On the way to Bolsward we make a stop for ‘bite’ 16. This stop is just before junction 68 and is clearly indicated on the brown signage.
Bite #16 White wine ‘Middelsee white’ at the Thaborhoeve
The Thaborhoeve has no less than 1500 vines and produces about 700 bottles of wine per year. They produce red wine, white wine and rosé with bubbles. If you pass by here, the owners will welcome you with open arms and of course a nice glass of wine. You can tell by everything that they are very proud of their product and that is completely justified. The wine is very tasty and the vineyard and the rest of the country are beautiful. There is also a small camping site on site. If you are enthusiastic about the wine, you can of course buy a bottle for home.
Nodes: 41 – 42 – 43 – 68 – 44 – 14 – 2 – 8 – 6
Distance: 16 kilometers
Final destination Bolsward
We cover a total of 113 kilometers during this Culinary Elfstedentocht. We end the route where we started it, in Bolsward. Before we return our bikes we have one more bite to go.
Hapje #17 Frisian almond liqueur ‘Amaretsje fan muoike tetsje’ at De Stiekeme Stoker
The last stop we make is De Stiekeme Stoker, a small distillery in an old factory building. After his retirement in 2009, Wiepie Oenema started experimenting with distilling Beerenburg, grain jenever and other liqueurs. This hobby became so big that he now produces six different alcoholic drinks. He does everything himself. From making the spice mix to bottling the drink. Very inspiring to see! We get to taste a glass of all drinks and the Amaretsje, an almond liqueur, is an absolute favorite.
Snack #18 Beerenburg at Sonnema
The last ‘bite’ on the Culinary Elfstedentocht is tasting Beerenburg at Sonnema. We skipped this one, because it was a bit much alcohol tasting in a row. If you love Beerenburg then I would definitely add Sonnema to your route. This is the inventor of this drink and it has been brewed according to the same recipe since 1860.
Practical information about the Culinaire Elfstedentocht
Total duration and distance of the culinary Elfstedentocht
The total distance you cover is 113 kilometers. As you have read, this is nicely distributed over the days and especially with an electric bicycle it is very feasible to cycle the route in three days. Keep in mind that you don’t have the same amount of time to spend everywhere. If you want to do it at your leisure, four days would be ideal. In that case I advise you to book an overnight stay in Sloten before continuing to Sneek.
Navigating by bike
For navigating to the nodes, I can recommend the free Fiets Knoop app. You can easily plot and save your cycling route on this. I myself chopped the entire route into pieces, so that I could open a new route after each stop and not have to look back where I left off. Put your phone in a phone holder so you can travel safely. If you rent a bicycle from Kroon, you can borrow it from them.
Luggage service
I never go on a cycling holiday myself, so I don’t have the right bags to take my luggage with me on the bike. If that also applies to you, then a luggage service is a good idea. A company will pick up your luggage at the agreed place and then take it to the next destination. Ideal as far as I’m concerned! For example, look here for luggage transport.
Cycling the Culinary Elfstedentocht yourself
Have you become enthusiastic after reading this article and would you like to cycle the Culinary Elfstedentocht yourself? Which can! You simply follow the route as described here and indicate to the entrepreneurs you want to visit that you would like to taste the snack of the Culinary Elfstedentocht. Of these 18 snacks you can choose 11 to taste, just like we did. Of course you are free to taste more. You don’t have to make an appointment for this and you can just cycle by. You also pay for your snack or drink on the spot. More information about the Culinary Elfstedentocht can be found on the website of VVV Waterland van Friesland.
The Culinary Elfstedentocht through Waterland van Friesland is a very nice activity for a (long) weekend away. Set out the route, determine which snacks you want to taste and you’re good to go!
