Heritage sites in Harlingen

Heritage Sites in Friesland

This collection highlights the strategic and spiritual history of Friesland’s coast. It features the Stelling Kornwerderzand, a WWII defensive line on the Afsluitdijk consisting of reinforced concrete bunkers that famously resisted the German advance in 1940. In Harlingen, the list includes the 18th-century Grote Kerk, the neo-Gothic Sint-Michaëlskerk, and the Stenen Man monument on the Westerzeedijk. The selection is completed by the Lorentzsluizen tide locks and a statue of the legendary Frisian rebel leader, Grutte Pier.

Heritage Sites in Friesland — Map

A

Lorentzsluizen

A complex of tide locks located at Kornwerderzand on the Afsluitdijk, named after physicist Hendrik Lorentz. It serves as a vital maritime link between the Wadden Sea and the IJsselmeer.

Bram ten Cate / CC BY-SA 3.0

B

Grote Kerk

An 18th-century Protestant church built in 1775 on the site of a medieval predecessor. Its tower serves as a prominent landmark in the Harlingen skyline.

Fyke Bôle / CC BY-SA 4.0

C

Stienen Man

A monument and boundary marker on the Westerzeedijk. This 18th-century 'Stone Man' is a replica of a 1576 original placed to mark the middle of the dike.

Wutsje / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA… / CC BY-SA 3.0

D

Sint-Michaëlskerk

A neo-Gothic Roman Catholic church completed in 1881. Designed by architect Alfred Tepe, it is characterized by its tall spire and detailed brickwork.

Vidi Condor / CC BY-SA 3.0

E

kazemat XVI

Part of the Stelling Kornwerderzand, a WWII defensive line on the Afsluitdijk. This bunker was part of the Dutch position that successfully repelled a German ground assault in May 1940.

Vidi Condor / CC BY-SA 3.0

F

kazemat VII

A reinforced concrete bunker within the Kornwerderzand fortifications. It played a critical role in the defense of the Afsluitdijk during the German invasion of 1940.

Vidi Condor / CC BY-SA 3.0

G

kazemat II

A WWII defensive structure located at Kornwerderzand. It is part of a network of fortifications built to protect the locks and the strategic entrance to the IJsselmeer.

Vidi Condor / CC BY-SA 3.0

H

kazemat XIV

A historical military bunker on the Afsluitdijk. It forms part of the Kazemattenmuseum, illustrating the strategic importance of the Stelling Kornwerderzand during World War II.

Nijeholt / CC-BY-SA-3.0

I

Pier Gerlofs Donia

Pier Gerlofs Donia was a Frisian rebel leader and pirate. He is best known by his West Frisian nickname Grutte Pier, or by the Dutch…

Other Lists

Harlingen Essentials Historic Churches in Harlingen Kornwerderzand Bunkers