Explore Grou By Renting A Boat
As a popular centre for watersports, much of Grou's appeal is to be found floating atop the lakes of lovely Friesland and the canals that link up the old towns and villages. Hire a boat here and most of the county's waterways open up with potential. Sail across the Pikmar Lake to verdant Goëngahuizen to see the Heechhiem Windmill. From there head along the Wijde Ee waterway to the Unlân fan Jelsma and Kobbelân nature reserves to indulge in some wildlife spotting: it's home to tufted ducks and grebes, and you might spot the occasional deer in the undergrowth. For travellers intent on exploring all of Friesland, then a trip east to Groningen and the mudflats of the Wadden Sea is a must. Only experienced sailors should attempt the Wadden Sea. But those who do are greeted by UNESCO-listed islands punctuated with lush forestry, dunes and beaches, interlaced with cycle and walking paths.
The capital of Friesland: Leeuwarden, lies north of Grou and can be reached via the Pomprak/Nauwe Galle canal. If you decide to use Leeuwarden as a base then the city, with its tight network of canals and 16th-century architecture, can be explored by boat in just a day or two allowing plenty of time for further exploration. From Leeuwarden, the quaint 13th-century town of Sloten, delightful Lemmer and the Ijsselmeer are all a boat ride away and have various moorings in historic villages, and delightful nature reserves fit for large and small boats.
Local folklore and culture dictate that the people of Grou don't celebrate the Dutch Saint Nicolas feast, as in other towns, as they have their own Saint: Sint Piter (Saint Peter). He's a saint with a similar aesthetic to Nicholas, all snow-white beard and dangling robes, but with the benefit of originating in the little hamlet of Grou. He's celebrated with street parades and colourful retellings of local tales, every year on February 21. If you're in the area in the winter (and very lucky as it's extremely rare) then you could watch the eleven cities tour: Elfstedentocht, when the canals freeze over enough to skate on them. The tour starts in Leeuwarden and passes through Sneek, Hindeloopen, Workum and more covering 200Km by the finish line.
