Nieuwestad & Canals
Nieuwestad
Leeuwarden’s ring canals and the Nieuwestad district, lined with cafés. Take a boat trip or paddle along the water to see the Frisian water-city scenery.
Nieuwestad runs along the canals of the old town, with shops and café terraces on both sides. It is Leeuwarden’s liveliest area. The old town is surrounded by a ring of moat canals. In summer you can take an open tour boat (about one hour), or rent an electric boat or kayak to explore, passing windmills, drawbridges and old warehouses. In very cold winters, the canals freeze over, and locals go ice skating on them.
Opening hours
All day; boat rides approx. Apr–Oct
Nearby sights
- Keramiekmuseum Princessehof
- Fries Museum
- Oldehove
- De Waag Leeuwarden
- Prinsentuin
- Natuurmuseum Fryslân
- Us Mem
- Grote of Jacobijnerkerk