Friesland, Netherlands

Friesland or Frisia is a province in the northwest of The Netherlands. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of Flevoland, northeast of North Holland, and south of the North Sea.

Friesland is the largest province of the Netherlands if one includes areas of water; in terms of land area only, it is the third largest province. Most of Friesland is on the mainland, but it also includes a number of West Frisian Islands, including Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, which are connected to the mainland by ferry.

Friesland is known for its unique language and culture, its water sports and ice skating.

Cruises generally commence in Spring (March) when the average hig temperature can reach around 30deg C (85-90degs F) and the main season ends in September/October when it gets much too cool. It is worth checking however, as a limited number of cruises are available up to Christmas and New Year.

General Information:

Population: 646,306 (2010)
Language: West Frisian, Dutch
Durrency: Euro
Time zone: CET (UTC+1) • Summer (DST)CEST (UTC+2)