ABOUT THE CAMPSITE
Camping Vrijhaven is situated on the border of land and water, just within the built-up area of the picturesque Frisian village of Heeg. Water sports enthusiasts can actively enjoy the outdoors here, whilst the campsite offers peace and space to relax together. One of its greatest advantages: it is closer than you think!
Jacob, Karin and their dedicated team are ready to make your stay unforgettable. Hire a little boat and set off directly from the jetty onto the water, enjoy a romantic sunset in a Dutchtub hot tub, or BBQ with friends around the campfire. Sustainability, innovation and personal attention are at the heart of everything they do.
OUR LODGES
Compact and cosy, perfect for small families
Cosy and fully furnished, including an espresso machine
ON THE CAMPSITE
The campsite is on open water with a sandy beach; from the jetty you sail straight out. Sailing, paddleboarding, windsurfing, canoeing and sloop sailing, with a sailing instructor available.
Canoes and paddleboards are at the jetty. The Frisian lakes and the Heegermeer are just around the corner.
Hire a wood-fired Dutchtub hot tub and enjoy the sunset over the water.
Around one of the campfire spots you barbecue with friends, and the jetty is the place to end the day.
FACILITIES
THE CAMPSITE
IN THE AREA
The places Rink-Jan recommends himself, with the distance from the campsite.
Sports & activities0.5 kmHead out with the last professional fisherman in Heeg, once the eel village of Friesland, to his fyke nets on the lake. Freerk is the eighth generation and tells you about the trade along the way, and you get to taste his own smoked eel.
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Sports & activities1.9 kmHire in the marina at Heeg: electric boats, a large boat for up to ten people, sailing boats, SUP boards and canoes. No boating licence needed, so within fifteen minutes you're out on the Heegermeer heading for Gaastmeer or the Fluessen.
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Sports & activities15.1 kmThe village of Lenten from the Kameleon books, rebuilt true to life, with Hielke and Sietse's forge, a short film and a boat trip behind the real Kameleon. On the island you can pole-vault over ditches, cross on pull rafts and get into the water, so bring dry clothes.
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Sports & activities13.8 kmSubtropical swimming pool for a rainy day: wave pool, a 55-metre slide with lights and music, an outdoor rapids ride and a toddler pool with a little beach. Meanwhile, parents can head for the sauna or the jacuzzi.
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Sports & activities15.1 kmOld-fashioned play park in Gaasterland with more than forty play structures and rides, from a ten-metre slide to a maze and a barefoot trail. It's right next to the IJsselmeer beach of De Hege Gerzen, so combine it with an afternoon of swimming.
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Beach & nature1.7 kmOne of the largest lakes in Friesland, right in front of the campsite, with open water for sailors and windsurfers and reed beds full of birds along its edges. You can swim at the little beaches of Heeg and Indijk, or walk the loop around Heeg and Gaastmeer.
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Beach & nature13.6 kmOld beech wood in Gaasterland that leads via the broad Murnserleane to the Mirnser Klif, one of the three real cliffs in the Netherlands, with views over the IJsselmeer. Follow the blue posts for a loop of just over six kilometres, with a little beach and a pavilion along the way.
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Beach & nature15.1 kmSand and grass beach on the IJsselmeer below Oudemirdum, with a paddling pool, play equipment, football and volleyball pitches and a terrace serving pancakes. Quieter than the North Sea coast and easy to combine with the play park next door.
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Culture & day trips14.7 kmThe largest steam pumping station still in operation in the world, a World Heritage Site since 1998, on the edge of Lemmer. You start in the visitor centre and then walk with a guide through the engine hall and the boiler house. A few times a year the station really runs on steam.
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Culture & day trips8.7 kmIn one of the oldest buildings in Sneek, the family has been making Beerenburg to the widow's recipe since 1864. Pop into the nostalgic little shop on the Kleinzand or book a tour with a tasting in the attic among the museum pieces.
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Culture & day trips8.5 kmLively water town with the 1613 Waterpoort as its icon, shopping streets and terraces along the canals. At the Fries Scheepvaart Museum on the Kleinzand you'll see skûtsjes, the Elfstedentocht and a children's museum, and at the museum you can book a town walk that includes climbing the Waterpoort.
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Culture & day trips1.2 kmThe water sports village within walking distance of the campsite, with terraces by the harbour and a past as an eel trader with London. In the harbour lies the eel barge Korneliske Ykes II, a historic cargo ship on which you can join a day's sail in summer.
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Culture & day trips13.1 kmOld Zuiderzee town behind the IJsselmeer dyke with narrow alleys, little wooden bridges and captains' houses. See the painted Hindeloopen furniture at Museum Hindeloopen and the world's largest skate collection at the Schaatsmuseum, then walk along the dyke among the sheep.
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Culture & day trips9.8 kmOne of the Eleven Frisian Cities, with a long, wide main street lined with gables and four windmills. Be sure to visit the Jopie Huisman Museum, where the painting rag-and-bone man painted worn-out shoes and old coats so realistically that you want to touch them.
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Culture & day trips8.9 kmThe smallest of the Eleven Cities, a fortified town of just a few streets around the water of the Diep, with two water gates, a corn mill on the rampart and cannons on the bastion. A lovely place to head for on a boat trip across the Slotermeer.
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Culture & day trips5.5 kmMuseum in the old Nooitgedagt skate factory, with skates, toys and tools, and from the upper floor a view of the De Rat sawmill. On fine days this three-hundred-year-old mill still saws real tree trunks into planks.
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Culture & day trips29.5 kmThe Frisian capital for a city day: climb the leaning Oldehove tower and on a clear day see as far as the Wadden Islands, visit the Fries Museum on Wilhelminaplein and walk through the old Blokhuispoort prison, now full of studios and a library.
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Culture & day trips3.3 kmSmall village across the Heegermeer, squeezed between the Fluessen and the Grote Gaastmeer, with a village shop, a little beach and terraces on the open water. A lovely destination for a bike ride or a boat trip from the campsite.
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Restaurant3.6 kmThe highest-rated restaurant in the area, in Woudsend on the Slotermeer: oysters from the live shellfish tank, bouillabaisse, sole and shellfish from a chef who comes out into the dining room himself. Often full, so book in good time.
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Restaurant1 kmGrand café with a waterside deck next to the swing bridge in Heeg, where you can watch the boats sail past. Seasonal menu with fresh fish and spare ribs, and a good place to simply pull up a chair after a day on the water.
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Restaurant3.8 kmRestaurant in a converted farmhouse on the water in Woudsend, overlooking the windmill on the other side. Small menu with produce from local farmers, and a warm welcome from the owners themselves.
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Practical1.2 kmWell-stocked supermarket in a new building on the edge of the village, with a good fresh section and a large car park. Handy for your first shop after arrival.
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Practical8.3 kmThe nearest station, with an Arriva train to Leeuwarden twice an hour and a stopping train towards Stavoren. Handy for a car-free city day in Leeuwarden or to catch the boat in Stavoren.
View on the map →GUEST REVIEWS
A wonderful campsite with spacious pitches on a beautiful private little beach. Close to Heeg. This is a place to truly unwind. The morning bread-roll service is lovely, and you can also buy nice coffee at the small 'café' by the beach. Shame it wasn't always open and no evening meals are offered 😀 The toilet/shower building near the entrance is great and attractive, but the one at the back is, by contrast, much less pleasant. Late in the evening the showers and toilets are no longer lit, which isn't great if you need the toilet at night 🤔 This doesn't outweigh the pleasant atmosphere, peace and cosiness of the campsite, so we'll definitely be back with our own Volkswagen T2 camper. Regards, Tim & Barbara
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Nice campsite with probably the friendliest staff around. Facilities are very clean. Possibly there are better sites but our stay here was trouble free. Cars are parked away from tents which improves the atmosphere. We did our own thing in the lake; there are boats and windsurfers on site but probably due to poor weather there was not a lot of action when we were there, so best to check what's on offer. The local village has several eating and shopping options, and the Friesland area itself is very easy to get around by bike.
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Lovely family campsite, perfect base for exploring pretty Heeg just 7 mins walk away. Enjoyed a couple of flat cycle loops with the kids & managed to Wing in the river off the little beach in the campsite. There was even live music on the Sunday afternoon. Highly recommend. (Only marked down by my kids as you need a euro for the shower and no hand dryers, but not a biggy!)
I've been coming here since childhood, and almost 25 years later it still feels like coming home. This campsite has something special: a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and a beautiful setting where you can fully unwind. Whether you're with children, love watersports, or enjoy discovering the Frisian villages and towns nearby, there's something for everyone. For me, it remains a place I keep coming back to with pleasure!
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Absolutely beautiful, peaceful place to spend a few days. Clean facilities. You have direct access to the lake which was so lovely. Village a 10 minute walk away. Only downsides were charges for showers, no hand driers or paper towels in toilets and our electricity repeatedly tripped. That said we had a totally idyllic stay and would thoroughly recommend it.
Really nice, quiet campsite with spots to moor your boat at the jetties. There's a small beach for children and the facilities are cosy and tidy. It's a place that attracts real campers, so the atmosphere matches: peaceful, with respect for the people around you. Nearby is the lovely little town of Heeg, with a supermarket and restaurants.
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We have just had a fabulous week here. Lovely lovely campsite with lots of space, good facilities, fabulous hot showers. Fresh croissants, bread etc every morning. Looking forward to our next visit.
Lovely little spot! Nice owner! We had the Romeo & Julia pitch. This generally offered good privacy, but this was sometimes taken away as we were right next to a busy boat ramp and picnic table.
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100+ happy guests have already been
Quiet and fresh. Long-stay discount applies. Ideal for walkers and birdwatchers.
Pleasant spring weather. Frisian nature at its finest. Water sports season begins.
Water sports in full swing. Still quiet before the high season. Ideal for couples.
High season. Snoekmeer full of sailors. Eel fishing highly recommended.
Busiest month on the water. Lively beach bar. Sneekweek nearby.
Quieter. Beautiful autumn light over the water. Bird migration to admire.
Low season. Endless peace and quiet. Long-stay discount valid until 30 October.
* Based on long-term averages. Actual temperatures may vary.
Inspiration & News
Who has never spent a holiday at camping Vrijhaven in Heeg, has the privilege of still being able to discover this wonderful spot with full curiosity.
Read moreFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A Dutchtub is a wood-fired hot tub in the open air. You can hire one at the campsite for a romantic moment under the open sky.
Yes, the campsite has its own jetty. You can hire a small boat or bring your own watersports gear. Sailing lessons are available through an experienced instructor.
Yes, the beach bar, in a converted sea container, serves organic products, espresso and snacks with a view over the water.
The Woudagemaal is the largest steam-powered pumping station still in operation in the world, on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It's within cycling distance and offers guided tours.
Yes, there's an outdoor playground, bird boxes to discover and the water for all kinds of adventures. Jacob and Karin know the best spots in the area.
Sneek is about 10 km away, around a 15-minute cycle. Visit the Weduwe Joustra Beerenburg distillery and the historic town centre.
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Stay 7 nights, pay for 6
Book seven nights and pay for six: the seventh night is free. Valid for arrivals in the low season (spring and autumn).
arrival
