11fountains hiking route: Sneek

This route begins at the Fountain of Fortuna. At a man who stands in the middle of the canal on a golden ball, holding the horn of abundance in his hands. He symbolizes the wealth that Sneek could always dream of, a wealth that Sneek has also experienced.

Behind the fountain, you see the Sneek Watergate. It is an impressive building with two beautiful towers. The Watergate was built around 1492 to block the water access to the city. Sneek used to have five such gates, of which only this one remains. Walk through the gate to the “Waterpoortsgracht” and follow it to the “Martiniplein”. Here you will find the “Martinikerk” church, which has a special wooden bell tower. According to tradition, the body of the folk hero “Grutte Pier”, who died in Sneek, rests within the church walls. “Grutte Pier” was a war hero who dreamed of freedom and opposed the Dutch. After a life as a warrior, he settled in Sneek, where he died in 1520.

Walk around the church, over the “Oude Kerkhof” to the bulwark. This area used to be an extension of the defensive wall and is now one of the few remains of the fortress works of Sneek. Now enter the “Kerksteeg” and turn right onto the “Nauwe Noorderhorne”. This is a small street with great shops selling curiosities. At the end, you will find the “Marktstraat”, where the old Sneek town hall with its ornate stairs dominates the streetscape. Besides the many magnificent aspects of the town hall, you can also find the helmet of “Grutte Pier” here, who died in Sneek in 1520. (Note: the town hall is not accessible to the public)

At the end of the “Marktstraat”, you need to turn right twice to get to the “Leeuwenburg” and then to the “Galigastraat”. This is a street with various small shops. On the “Oude Koemarkt” turn left. Then follow the street until you reach the canal. Turn left. Then you see the fountain from behind. At the special bakery on the corner, turn left again. Now follow the “Grootzand” to the end, where it leads to the “Schaapmarktplein”, a square that is especially lively in summer, and then into the “Nauwe Burgstraat”. At the end, turn right to the “Wijde Burgstraat”. Here stands a sculpture called “Lapkepoep en de Friese Boerin” – “Lapkepoep and the Frisian peasant woman”. “Lapkepoep” is the Frisian term for a textile dealer. The sculpture is a gift from C&A. The brave brothers Clemens and August were still young dreamers, around twenty years old, when they opened the first C&A store in Sneek in 1841.

Cross the “Oosterdijk”, which is flanked on both sides by the better-known shops. At the end, turn right and then turn right onto the “Jousterpijp” to the “Kleinzand”. In this street you will find “Weduwe Joustra”, the distillery where the sixth generation of the Joustras continues the tradition of making the widow’s Beerenburg. Shortly behind it is the Frisian Shipping Museum, which knows everything about Sneek’s history, Frisian shipping, and the background of the “Skûtsjesilen”.

Now turn left into the “Singel”. Halfway you will encounter the Sint Martinus Church. The churches in Friesland were often designed simply, but this church is of a different caliber. A look inside is worth it thanks to the un-Frisian, beautiful decorations.

When you leave the “Singel”, you arrive again where you started. However, we still recommend a short visit to the city center to enjoy a nice drink or meal on one of Sneek’s terraces. You can find all the gastronomic establishments of Sneek here.