The world-famous Eleven Cities Tour

The Eleven Cities Tour is a world-famous skating tour that takes place in the province of Friesland.

 

The tour takes you over natural ice past eleven historic Frisian cities, including Leeuwarden, Sneek, and Dokkum.

With a total length of almost 200 kilometers, it is a real battle of attrition for participants.

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In the past, the original skating route ran along the Moark (Murk) through Rinsumageast. The Moark has since been filled in, and the Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour) now runs along the Dokkumer Ee.

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Due to its reliance on sufficiently thick natural ice, the Eleven Cities Tour is rare; the last one was held in 1997.

Yet the event remains deeply rooted in Dutch culture, and skating enthusiasts year after year hope for the legendary call: “It giet oan!”