Tell an Amsterdammer that you're headed to Friesland and watch their eyes widen in surprise. Time and again.
Situated in the chilly north of the Netherlands, Friesland is a little under the tourist radar, and it really shouldn't be.
Among other things, it makes a refreshing change from the usual bucket list and is an intriguing alternative to Amsterdam, one of several European cities battling over-tourism.
A two-hour drive from the capital, you're in bucolic surroundings - lush pastures, wooden farmhouses, vintage windmills and waterways so numerous that Frisians joke they have more words for bodies of water than bread.
Since time immemorial, the Dutch have battled and prevailed over their watery flatlands, successfully converting uninhabitable marshes into terra firma through innovative feats of engineering. Frisians love a good float. Today, sloops, barges, yachts, row boats and canoes are as common as bicycles are in Amsterdam.
LAND OF WATER LILIES
Friesland is the northernmost of The Netherlands' 12 provinces, quirky and unique for a number of reasons. Its provincial flag is emblazoned with red, heart-shaped water lilies and it has its own language.
The biggest drawcard are known collectively as the 11 Cities, all linked by canals - Leeuwarden, Sneek, Ijlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Franeker, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen and Dokkum.
With populations that range from 715 in Sloten to just under 100,000 in the capital, Leeuwarden, they are called "cities" for their historical significance, rather than their size and structure.
Leeuwarden was named the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2018 and Lonely Planet's third-favourite destination in its Best of Europe list for the same year.
It's also where the famous Elfstedentocht long-distance skating tour, which uses the cities' linked canals, began in 1909. The event can only happen if the ice is 15cm thick and, because of global warming, it has eluded Friesland since 1997.
A NEW BOOST FOR THE REGION
The 11Fountains project, conceived as a type of cultural "Elfstedentocht", has been celebrated as a new type of heritage and a novel way to promote the region.
The project is 11 contemporary artworks by 11 international artists installed in 11 historic cities.
Anna Tilroe, the curator and brains behind the concept, briefed creatives to come up with designs that would shed new light on forgotten historical aspects of a city, using water as the central theme. Each tells a unique story and promotes the mienskip (community) that is so evident and tangible in this part of the land.
The project was unveiled in May last year and the 11Fountains breathed new life into their locations.
With her fountain, Cornelia Parker, a visual artist from Britain, aimed to "liberate" the heraldic lions on the facade of the Waaggebouw (weigh house) in Workum.
Her De Woeste Leeuwen (Rampant Lions), carved out of accoya by a local artist, shows the big cats standing comically upright, paws raised, with water spurting from their claws.
Chinese artist Shen Yuan was inspired by the myth surrounding Hindeloopen's coat of arms, which features a tree enclosed by a doe and a stag. Titled Flora & Fauna, his fountain features the "tree of life" with exotic birds spouting water and the stag antlers alongside, symbolising the life force and wisdom.
In Bolsward, De Vleermuis (The Bat) is a bronze masterpiece sculpted by Paris-based Belgian artist Johan Creten. In certain folklore the creature represents wealth, community, rebirth, the role of the individual in community, and the ecological environment. Stairs up the back of the bat invite people of all ages to climb up and lie between its wings.
And in Sneek, Fortuna's Fountain features a man on a rotating golden globe, holding the Horn of Plenty. It throws back to Fortuna, the goddess of good luck and the patroness of cities, families and population groups. Water pours from the horn, symbolising the flow of fortune and asking: who will profit from it and how long will it last?
GO BY WATER
One of the best ways to view and explore the cities is from the water. Hire a boat - you don't even need a licence for smaller craft - and then stop and start as you please, not forgetting the other towns and hamlets that lie on routes in between.
Wherever you go, the tourist offerings rank high, with museums, heritage sites, cathedrals, memorials, Jenever (Dutch gin) tastings, galleries, water sports, outdoor markets and speciality stores.
Friesland is sold as a place where rich history is embraced by modern culture and where tranquillity is a state of mind. Slip it onto your European itinerary and discover a place that's literally a world apart...