Discover Joure: Frisian history, coffee and Heremastate Park

Joure is a Frisian vlecke—a village with an urban character. It lies at a junction of waterways and roads where traders from every direction once gathered to exchange goods. Today, it offers something for a range of interests: Frisian clockmaking, coffee and local history, as well as a freely accessible park and leisure activities. If you are planning a stay, these highlights can help you decide whether Joure matches your travel interests.

Museum Joure: clockmaking and coffee culture

Museum Joure is a makers’ museum on the site where a world-famous coffee brand began. The buildings include the distinctive little shop De Witte Os, which has been a KLM miniature house since 2018, as well as the manor house, the warehouse and the birthplace of founder Egbert Douwes. The route through Frisian clockmaking includes a clockmaker’s workshop and the world’s largest collection of Frisian clocks. The museum therefore focuses on both craftsmanship and the history of coffee production.

At the Koffieproeverij, you can prepare and taste different types of coffee yourself. You will learn how coffee develops its flavour. During busy periods or group visits, the tasting may temporarily close. The museum is also one of the landmarks along Midstraat: VVV Joure is located in a historic building at number 99. Museum Joure, with its coffee room and antiquities chamber, and the museum shop De Witte Os are at the same location.

Historic buildings and Heremastate Park

De Witte Os is listed as a Rijksmonument, a Dutch national monument. The Jouster Toer also tells the story of the town: the tower dates from 1628 and once housed a council chamber and a prison. The former church tower of Westermeer stands in Joure’s cemetery. Listed as a national monument, the brick tower probably dates from the 16th century. De Groene Molen is a polder mill built around 1800 as a scoop-wheel drainage mill on a tall brick base.

Heremastate Park offers a different focus: this freely accessible park surrounds Herema State in Joure. The English landscape garden, partly designed by garden architect Roodbaard, can still be seen in its original form. Old linden trees, beeches and oaks also shape the park. During your stay, you can thus experience historic buildings and a landscaped park as two different sides of Joure.

Midstraat, guided walks and leisure activities

Local shops and specialist stores line Midstraat, with outdoor terraces along the way. From De Kolk, you can walk or cycle to the marina for visiting boats or to Midstraat. If you would rather explore the town as part of a guided tour, you can plan to join the Jouster Kuierke. The walk passes old façades, narrow streets and historic buildings. You may also get the chance to visit the historic courtroom in the Jouster Toer. The guided tour takes place regularly; check the seasonal dates before your visit.

Other leisure activities offer a variety of experiences. Puzzelmuseum Joure has logic puzzles, brainteasers and riddles to try for yourself. You must reserve and make an appointment in advance. SUP Joure offers SUP board rentals and supervised, guided lessons, including sessions with children. At the subtropical Swimfun Joure swimming pool, the Wild River ride winds through waterfalls and caves. Speelbos Joure is an indoor play centre for children aged 1 to 12 and has an escape room for children featuring puzzles and brainteasers. Visitors can use surfboards and a wide range of play equipment free of charge at Jouster Strand Woudfennen.

A recurring event in local life is the Jouster Merke: this annual market coincides with a funfair and takes place on the fourth Thursday in September. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the exact event date in advance.

Discover more destinations: Sint Nicolaasga, Rohel, Legemeer, Sintjohannesga, Teroele, Terkaple, Rotsterhaule, Boornzwaag

For the broader travel overview: Skarsterlân.