Saturday 2nd May 2026 • Promotional Content


Leeuwarden celebrates 150 years of Mata Hari


Worldwide Travel T e Travel Guide


25


© ANNEMARIE SEUNNENGA


Welcome to Leeuwarden. This lively yet intimate city in the north of the Netherlands is just waiting to be explored. History runs through its medieval city centre, winding along picturesque canals where streets bustle with independent shops, cafes and restaurants


© JACOB VAN ESSEN


REMEMBERING AN ICON T e Frisian capital has everything for a (long) weekend getaway. T e rich past of Leeuwarden can be seen in the historic and compact city centre. Cen- turies-old monuments and modern art alternate in the vibrant city cen- tre. In 2018, Leeuwarden was named the European Capital of Culture, an honorary title that’s resulted in an on- going boost to life in the city. Leeuwarden is also the birthplace


of MC Escher, Joost Klein and Mata Hari — the (in)famous First World War spy who captivated people across Europe. T e city commemorates the 150th anniversary of Mata Hari’s birth with a rich programme of events (running from 23 May until 7 August). Highlights include guided walking tours, pop-up exhibitions, street art, fi lm screenings and a unique pres- entation in the house where she was actually born. Experience her legacy and fi nd


© LUCAS DE VOOGD


out how Mata Hari is still a source of inspiration to this day: check out visitleeuwarden.com for a detailed overview of this unique programme. Want to soak up even more culture?


Of course you do! You’ll be amazed by extraordinary stories in the beautiful halls of Leeuwarden’s museums: T e Fries Museum lends its huge walls to local graffi ti artists, the Princessehof Ceramics Museum showcases unique work by Bouke de Vries and the Fry- slân Natural History Museum unveils thrilling the Mummy Mysteries exhibi- tion. A list of all the museums can be found at visitleeuwarden.com.


© LUCAS KEMPER © MARLEEN ANNEMA


OUT AND ABOUT You’re going to want to extend your overnight stay, because Leeuwarden


© JACOB VAN ESSEN


MATA HARI IN VIENNA 1907 © FRIES MUSEUM COLLECTION


is the ideal home base from which to discover the rest of the beautiful Fri- sian landscape. After a short car or train ride and a ferry crossing, you can easily fi nd yourself standing with your toes in the sand of one of the Wad- den isles — part of a Unesco World Heritage Site. A little closer to the city, the beau-


tiful Alde Feanen nature reserve, a water-rich national park just south- east of Leeuwarden. Here, you’ll fi nd beautiful cycling routes, wonderful (hidden) picnic spots and surprising opportunities for water recreation. Of course, the leafy Frisian lakes are also nearby — ideal for a day of fl oating and relaxing.


GETTING THERE To get to Leeuwarden, take a direct fl ight to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, then hop on the train. A two-hour ride takes you through typical Dutch land- scape and straight into the city centre.


Go to visitleeuwarden.com for inspiration, highlights, surprising ways to discover the city and an up- to-date overview of all activities in and around the city.


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