Heerenveen Facts for Kids

This page is about the city and municipality. For football teams, see SC Heerenveen and SC Heerenveen (women).

Quick facts for kids

Heerenveen

It Hearrenfean (West Frisian)

Town and municipality

Heeresloot

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Flag

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Seal

Location of the municipality (red) and the city (dark red) in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

187.76 km² (72.49 sq mi)

• Land

180.86 km² (69.83 sq mi)

• Water

6.90 km² (2.66 sq mi)

Elevation

1 m (3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

49,528

• Density

274/km² (710/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Heerenvener

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

8410–8459

Area code

0513, 0516

Heerenveen is a lively town and a larger area (called a municipality) in the northern part of the Netherlands. It is located in the province of Friesland, which is also known as Fryslân.

In 2021, the town of Heerenveen had almost 30,000 people living there. The whole municipality, which includes the town and surrounding villages, had over 50,000 people.

History of Heerenveen
Towns and Villages
Museums to Visit
Getting Around
Sports in Heerenveen
- SC Heerenveen Football Team
Famous People from Heerenveen
Twin Cities
Images for kids
See also

History of Heerenveen

Heerenveen was started in 1551 by three important people, called "lords." They created the town as a place to dig for peat. Peat is a type of soil that can be dried and burned for fuel, like wood. This is how the town got its name: heer means "lord" and veen means "peat."

Unlike some older towns in Friesland, Heerenveen did not have special "city rights." These rights were given to important towns a long time ago. Even without these old rights, Heerenveen has grown to be one of the biggest municipalities in the province today.

The windmill Welgelegen (also called Tjepkema's Molen) is a special landmark. It is the only one left from 17 windmills that used to stand in Heerenveen.

Towns and Villages

The municipality of Heerenveen includes the main town and many smaller villages. Some of these villages include Akkrum, Aldeboarn, De Knipe, and Jubbega.

Map of the city of Heerenveen in 2014
Map of the whole municipality of Heerenveen

Museums to Visit

Heerenveen has some interesting museums where you can learn new things:

Museum Belvédère: This museum shows modern art and contemporary art.
Museum Heerenveen: Here you can discover the local history and culture of the area.

Getting Around

Heerenveen has its own train station. This makes it easy to travel to and from the town by train.

Sports in Heerenveen

Abe Lenstra Stadium, home of SC Heerenveen

Heerenveen is famous for its amazing sports facilities. It's a great place for athletes and sports fans!

The Abe Lenstra football stadium is home to the local football team.
The Thialf speed skating arena is a world-famous ice rink. It was one of the first indoor 400-meter ice rinks ever built. Big international skating events happen here, drawing huge crowds. Thialf is also where the city's ice hockey team, the Heerenveen Flyers, plays.

In 2006, a big project called "Sportstad" (Sport City) was finished. This project brought together a gymnastics hall, a swimming pool, and an expanded football stadium all in one area. The Abe Lenstra stadium is quite special because it can hold more people than the town of Heerenveen actually has living in it!

SC Heerenveen Football Team

The town's football team is called SC Heerenveen. They play in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands. One of their biggest achievements was qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 2000.

Famous People from Heerenveen

Cissy van Marxveldt, a children's book writer

Wim Duisenberg, a former president of the European Central Bank

Sven Kramer, a famous speed skater

Many interesting people have come from Heerenveen or the surrounding area:

Suzanne Manet (1829–1906) was a talented pianist and opera singer. She was married to the famous painter Édouard Manet.
Cissy van Marxveldt (1889–1948) was a Dutch writer who wrote many popular children's books.
Wim Duisenberg (1935–2005) was an important politician. He was the very first president of the European Central Bank from 1998 to 2003.
Epke Zonderland (born 1986) is a gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Sven Kramer (born 1986) is a world-famous long track speed skater. He has won three Olympic gold medals in the 5000 meters race.
Sanne Wevers (born 1991) is an artistic gymnast who won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Andries Noppert (born 1994) is a football goalkeeper who played for the Dutch National Team in the 2022 World Cup.
Anna-Maja Kazarian (born 2000) is a talented Dutch chess player.

Twin Cities

Heerenveen used to have a special connection with the city of Rishon LeZion in Israel. This partnership, where cities learn from each other, ended in 2016.