Boating Holidays across the canals and rivers of Europe from Le Boat

Woudsend

Base manager Rolf Niermarkt and his team provide a warm welcome to everyone who comes to Le Boat’s new base at Woudsend in the heart of the beautiful Friesland cruising area of the Netherlands. Come and enjoy a leisurely cruise along the region’s vast network of pretty lakes and canals which have been popular with boating enthusiasts for centuries.

Our new base and first class facilities at Woudsend are exclusive to Le Boat – so you can be assured of an excellent start to your holiday. You can enjoy a leisurely holiday in the Friesland cruising area – starting and finishing at Woudsend, or you can cruise one-way between Woudsend and and our base at Strand Horst – not far from Amsterdam, if you want to see a wider variety of towns, villages and landscapes.

The Friesland area is a peaceful landscape of green fields and woodlands criss-crossed with canals, lakes and waterways; don’t be surprised to see the white sails of a small sail boat seemingly glide through the fields – its waterways hidden from view. Further inland you’ll discover historical towns and friendly villages with narrow cobbled streets and brightly coloured shops. The Dutch nation is known for its friendly approach too, so you can be sure of swapping stories of your holidays along the canals with fellow travellers.

Make sure you take time out to visit ancient forts and castles (staten and stinzen), as well as Woudsend’s two working windmills. Woudsend is the only town in the region to boast two distinctly different types of windmill, the wood sawing mill (De Jager – The Hunter) and the grain mill (Het Lam – The Lamb) - both of which are still operational today. You can buy flour and other products from the miller’s house at the Het Lam windmill and also visit the tourist information centre there too.

You can also enjoy a lovely ‘café culture’ atmosphere in Woudsend and other local villages – which is perfect at the start or end of your holiday. Cafés and restaurants open their doors onto the quaysides where you can relax with a coffee and watch the world go by.

PRE-ORDER YOUR GROCERIES

Order one (or more) of our 2 grocery packs, which will be ready on board for you when you arrive:

1) “Sundowner Pack” - all the essentials for your first evening on board
2) “Starter Pack” - all you need for your first night & morning.

These packs are only available prebooked, from the time of your booking up to a few weeks before departure. For the full details of the packs, please visit our Important Extra page.

Download Taxi Transfer Form

BASE OPENING HOURS

Mon - Thurs: 09.00 – 18.00
Fri & Sat: 09.00 - 20.00
Sunday closed

LATE ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS

A notice will be left in the office window. Enter the Le Boat site by a gate to the right of the office. Your boat will be left open with the lights on.

NEARBY HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS

Grand Café Restaurant De Watersport
Iewal 14
8551 PS Woudsend
Telefoon: 0514 – 591270

Hotel en Zo Meisje Loos
Midstrjitte 2-4
8551 PG Woudsend
Tel: 0514-591222
info@meisjeloos.nl

PARKING

Open parking beside office (35 euros).
Locked compound also available on site (50 euros).

SUPERMARKETS

There is a Spar Supermarket in the village, which is 1.2km away. Open Mon-Thurs 08.00-19.00, Fri 08.00-20.00, Sat 08.00-17.00, Sunday closed
In the larger town of Sneek (8km away) you will find a larger selection of shops and supermarkets.

LOCAL MARKET DAY

None locally, nearest in Sneek Tuesdays 09.00-13.00 & Thursdays 10.00-17.00

TOURIST OFFICE

April- June: Open Mon, Wed, Sat.
Address: Midstrjitte 61, Woudsend
Tel 0514 591446

ACTIVITIES

Golf courses – visit the Burg Golf Academy and 18 hole course in Legemeer tel 0513 499683 (5km).

Visit the two working windmills Woudsend. Het Lam is the oldest corn milling windmill in Friesland and the Jager Windmill (timber sawmill, built in 1734) is open every Saturday.

VET

Name: Dierenkliniek Sneek
Address: Lange Veemarktstraat 11 Sneek
Tel: 0515 412112