Leeuwarden, Netherlands

The AquaZoo Friesland is situated along the waterways of Leeuwarden and focuses on the aquatic animals found in the province of Friesland. There are 88 species of reptiles, fish, birds and mammals, including a few exotic species such as pandas and lemurs. Visitors can accompany the zookeepers on their polar bear inspections and observe the feeding of seals, penguins, otters and sea lions. Children can occupy themselves on the adventure routes and playgrounds or at the beach club. The self-service café sells food and beverages. Plushy animals and gift vouchers are for sale at the souvenir shop.

The Green Star 2, 8926 XE Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-11-43-12-14

In 1827 the Frisian Society was founded to preserve the history, antiquities and linguistics of the people of the province. The Frisian architect Abe Bonnema died in 2001, leaving 18 million Euros for the Fries Museum. The museum curates hundreds of thousands of objects, ranging from archaeological finds to Old Masters and modern art. Through objects such as postcards, architectural drawings, books and paintings the museum tells the story of the 11 cities and countryside of Friesland. The new museum building was completed in 2013 and houses several permanent collections. The intrigue of Mata Hari, who was born in Leeuwarden, is among these.

Fries Museum, Wilhelminaplein 92, 8911 BS Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-55-55-00

The Historische Centrum Leeuwarden curates thousands of meters of documents, chronicling the city's history from the Middle Ages to the present day. Building plans, genealogy, population registers, newspapers, periodicals and official decisions are all kept in the archives. The Center coordinates Heritage Day activities and offers guided tours of the city and sites under its management. A permanent exhibition tells the story of Leeuwarden. Staff members are available to provide assistance to researchers, the media and members of the public. The shop sells publications written about the city. These could range from the history of the tennis club to a biography on Escher.

Groeneweg 1, 8911 EH Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-33-23-50

What to do if you are traveling with kids:

The Nature Museum of Friesland has an emphasis on children's activities and entertainment. The building in which it is housed was once the City Orphanage. Dioramas of a classroom and the guardians' meeting room are two permanent exhibitions. Others include the Whale Room, Darwin's Attic, the Underwater Safari and the Dragon's den. Of the 330000 items in the museum's care, only 10% are on display and temporary exhibitions are changed often. There are large collections of moths, shells, and birds and their eggs. Activities such as demonstrations, lectures and story evenings are scheduled for vacations and weekends.

Natuurmuseum Fryslan, Schoenmakersperk 2, 8911 EM Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-33-22-44

Princessehof, a Dutch Baroque building, in the historic city center, was once occupied by royalty. It was subsequently divided into three houses. The mathematically inspired Dutch painter, Escher, lived in the middle house during his childhood. It is now part of a Ceramics Museum and contains the world's largest collection of tiles. The collection of the last royal to occupy the palace is housed in the Nassau Room. The temporary exhibitions on the ground floor are changed regularly. Ceramics from all over the world can be found in the permanent exhibition on the upper floor. The museum has a café.

Grote Kerkstraat 9, 8911 DZ Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-94-89-58

Activities and Attractions for Couples and Singles:

The Friesland Resistance Museum is a subsection of the Friesland Museum and depicts life during the Second World War. Displays explore topics such as the occupation, collaboration, resistance, persecution and ultimately, liberation. The museum attempts to show that the choices people made were not clear cut. The issues were not black or white. There were many shades of gray. There are 45000 diverse objects including a piece of soap, a bar of chocolate, pistols and army boots. The museum attempts to tell the stories behind the objects using films, photographs, books, magazines and documents.

Fries Verzetmuseum, Wilhelminaplein 92, 8911 BS Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-55-55-00

Construction on this Gothic Tower in the old city center, began in 1529. It was intended to be adjacent to a church. Almost immediately, it started sinking and leaning to one side. The builders tried to correct the lean by placing subsequent layers of bricks perpendicular to the ground. This caused the building to curve so construction stopped at 40 m, instead of the intended 120 m. The church was never built but the tower remained and has become the city's icon. There are 183 steps to a viewing platform on top of the tower. The tower is 2 m off-center and leans further than the tower at Pisa.

De Oldehove, Oldehoofsterkerkhof, 8911 DE Leeuwarden, Phone: +31-05-82-33-23-50

The block house complex was situated in a corner of the old city center, surrounded by canals. Building started in 1499 and underwent several changes. The House of Detention was rebuilt in 1754 and in the 1870s became a Special Criminal Prison. It was a prison in one form or another until 2008 when it was sold by the city to the National Society for the Conservation, Development and Exploitation of Industrial Heritage, and became the Cultural Business Center. The wood paneled boardroom has intricate carvings of the coats of arms of all the provinces of the country. The center is open to the public.

Blokhuispoort, Blokhuisplein 40, 8911 LJ Leeuwarden

The Boniface Foundation owns this Neo Gothic monument, comprising the church and two parsonages. The west parsonage has 29 rooms and was built in 1882. It has been used as a hospital, teachers' training college and shelter home. The 13 rooms of the east parsonage are now apartments. The church has five altars, four confessionals and two organs. The Pieta, which was installed in 1929, and the carvings on the baptismal font and pulpit are worth noting. Visitors can climb to the top of the tower, which was hit by a Douglas airplane in 1947. The plane lost part of its wing but managed to land safely.

Saint Boniface Church, Secr. Sassingastins 50, 8925 JN Leeuwarden, Phone: 05-82-66-81-31