Frieschepalen: Fort and Historic Routes

Frieschepalen is located on the A7 motorway between Heerenveen and Groningen. Its history and historic routes give the destination a focus of its own beyond this road connection: they span the development of the raised bog area and peat extraction through to Frieschepalen Fort and the Friese Waterline. If you are looking for a hotel in Frieschepalen, these themes can help you choose what to explore according to your travel interests.

From Raised Bog to Village Thoroughfare

Frieschepalen originated in the 18th century as a village developed to open up the raised bog area. As early as around 1660, the Grote Veenvaart was dug to Bakkeveen for peat extraction. At Frieschepalen, the canal turned southeast; a lock and a drawbridge were part of this section. Today, the Tolheksleane is Frieschepalen’s main thoroughfare. The avenue, lined with beautiful oak trees, follows the course of the filled-in canal. The former waterway and today’s village thoroughfare are thus side by side in the village landscape.

Frieschepalen Fort

Frieschepalen Fort, also called the Frieschepalen Schans, was built in 1593 on the orders of stadtholder William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg. Unlike other fortifications, it was neither armed nor staffed. The fort was restored and partially rebuilt in 2014. There is also an information panel and the star-shaped artwork “Zitschans” by Sven Lamme. The construction of the fort in 1593, the Veenvaart around 1660, and the founding of the village in the 18th century took place in successive periods; 2014 marks the fort’s later restoration and partial reconstruction.

Historic Routes and the Provincial Border

The “Friese Waterlinie I” cycling route passes through Frieschepalen and continues to Frieschepalen Fort. It focuses on the eastern part of the Friese Waterline; if you look carefully, most of the defensive structures can still be seen in the landscape. The route thus links a specific point of interest in Frieschepalen with the wider theme of the defensive line. The “Fietsroute onder Drachten” passes through Drachten, Bakkeveen, and Frieschepalen and is 55.49 kilometres long. Check the route details in advance.

Another way to explore the area is the historic walking route “Historisch Wandelpad Grenspalen Frieschepalen.” It runs partly right along the boundary between the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. When this boundary was officially established in 1724, boundary marker No. 14 served as a reference point. The marker is 50 metres east of Frieschepalen; originally, it stood on the northwestern edge of the fort. This means the same point connects the history of the boundary demarcation with the history of the fort. The two routes therefore focus on different themes: the Friese Waterline and its defensive structures on the one hand, and the provincial boundary and its historic demarcation on the other.

Discover more destinations: Wijnjewoude, Bakkeveen, Hemrik, Gorredijk, Olterterp, Lippenhuizen, Beetsterzwaag, Tijnje

For the regional travel overview: Opsterland.