Water holiday park in golden triangle Sneek-Joure-Akkrum

“Snitser Mar” or “Sneekermeer” Europe’s number one lake

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

“Snitser Mar” is the Frisian name for “Sneekermeer” the most popular lake of the Dutch province of Friesland. It refers not only to the town of Sneek, “Snits” in Frisian. With its rugged landscape of ponds and navigable mini-lakes, popular with sailing schools, the Snitser Mar is also the lake serving the surrounding villages of Uitwellingerga, Terherne and Goingarijp. It also includes Akkrum, Jirnsum, Langweer and Joure with the waterways and rivers that give these holiday locations a direct link with the larger lake, known as the “mar”.

Since 2014, the largest part of the water surface of the Snitser Mar belongs to the municipality De Fryske Marren (“The Frisian Lakes”), the administrative town being Joure. But a small part of the area falls under the municipality Súdwest-Fryslân (Southwest Friesland), administered by Sneek, while Akkrum is in the municipality of Heerenveen.

Far more than just a lake
The Snitser Mar is the most popular area for water sports in the string of Frisian lakes and forms an attractive location for other types of recreation. It is an extensive and multi-faceted holiday area for cyclists and walkers who can enjoy the special tracks and paths along the edge of the lakes. There is also a range of indoor recreation facilities, such as the Ski Centre Sneek, and outdoor water ski-ing on the new fast lane of the Snitser Mar and the new water ski cableway.

In addition to the many inviting yacht harbours and famous yacht shipyards, there are all sorts of boat rental companies in the Snitser Mar region and excellent hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, holiday homes, group accommodation, sailing schools, restaurants, campsites, as well as camping facilities and moorings in rural locations.

The Snitser Mar and surrounding lakes form the water sport school of Europe where many people of different nationalities have learned surfing, sailing and motor boating. Since 1934, the Sneek Week is an annual event, starting on the Friday evening preceding the first Saturday of August, with the Snitser Mar hosting the major European yacht regatta on inland waters.

Local products and interesting places
The area composed of grasslands and lakes in the Sneek-Joure-Akkrum triangle is also renowned for its local products, including “Weduwe Joustra Beerenburg” (Frisian gin bitters) while the best orange cake in the world is found at the “De Korenbloem” bakery. Sneek is also home to the Frisian Shipping Museum, a ‘must see’.
In the context of excellent food and drink, we must not forget that Joure is the town of Douwe Egberts, the famous Dutch coffee maker. Museum Joure is well worth a visit. It is located in the centre of Joure, in ten historic factory buildings of Douwe Egberts. Douwe Egberts the coffee multinational (today the German-owned firm: Jacobs Douwe Egberts) started off in what are now the museum buildings. In addition to the history of Douwe Egberts, founded in 1753, Museum Joure also displays many historic local industries such as: brass making, copper work and the workshop of the famous Frisian grandfather clocks (“staartklokken”).

Another great attraction in the area is the breeding of Frisian horses and the surroundings of Joure are a traditional location for horse breeding. The historic stud farm ‘De Oorsprong’ in the woodlands of Sint-Nicolaasga is today a pleasant country hotel with a café-restaurant.

Museum Joure and the authentic shop ‘De Witte Os’ in the Midstraat (photo), in which Egbert Douwes, the son of Douwe Egberts began, with Akke Thijssens, the still existing shop selling coffee, tea and other colonial merchandise, are within walking distance of Jouster haven [Joure harbour]. There one can buy traditional roasted 100% Arabica coffee from Java, roasted with an authentic Probat coffee roaster. Besides this “speciality”, De Witte Os also sells other coffees, teas and nostalgic pleasure foods such as confectionery.

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

De Snitser Mar, the Sneekermeer, the lake of Europe.

Countryside recreation area in the Snitser Mar region.

Countryside recreation area in the Snitser Mar region.

Countryside recreation area in the Snitser Mar region.

Also a ‘must see’: the historic distillery of Weduwe Joustra at Kleinzand, in Sneek, today run by Heleen Sonnenberg, of the sixth generation of Beerenburg (Frisian gin bitter) makers.