Traces of Saint Titus
Cycle route through the Frisian meadows - Titus Brandsma's heitelân - to consecrated places in Dokkum and on the Wadden Islands, among others.
A Frisian has been canonised again for centuries: the farmer's son Titus Brandsma, born in 1881 in Bolsward, was recently canonised by the Pope in Rome because a miraculous healing could be attributed to him.
Brandsma was widely active as a professor at the Catholic University in Nijmegen, as well as within Frisian language education and the revival of pilgrimages to Dokkum. In World War II, his fight for freedom of speech became fatal to him.
This cycle route follows the traces of Saint Titus in Friesland.
Birthplace Bolsward
The former town hall of Bolswa…
Cycle route through the Frisian meadows - Titus Brandsma's heitelân - to consecrated places in Dokkum and on the Wadden Islands, among others.
A Frisian has been canonised again for centuries: the farmer's son Titus Brandsma, born in 1881 in Bolsward, was recently canonised by the Pope in Rome because a miraculous healing could be attributed to him.
Brandsma was widely active as a professor at the Catholic University in Nijmegen, as well as within Frisian language education and the revival of pilgrimages to Dokkum. In World War II, his fight for freedom of speech became fatal to him.
This cycle route follows the traces of Saint Titus in Friesland.
Birthplace Bolsward
The former town hall of Bolsward houses an exhibition dedicated to Titus' life. Also visit the Roman Catholic church where he spent his early childhood and where a memorial chapel has been set up for him. Then cycle past the farm near Oegesklooster where the saint was born.
Past churches and monasteries
Through a green meditative landscape, along the banks of the vanished Middelzee, you cycle towards the Frisian capital. On the way, you pass many churches, bell towers, former monastery sites and even a Buddhist stupa (only after Leeuwarden), where you will find a Boniface statue with a bottle of spring water in addition to 1,000 Buddha statues. After visiting the Leeuwarden churches, you can spend the night in Stadsklooster Jabixhûs if you wish.
Pilgrimage to Dokkum
The next day, cycle along the Dokkumer Ee, on your way to Friesland's pilgrimage site: Dokkum. Titus was a connoisseur of medieval Frisian monastic history. The architectural style of the Bonifatiuskapel in Dokkum was inspired by this. In this monastery-like chapel, audio tour 'Stations of the Cross Titus Brandsma' awaits you. You can also visit the Titus Brandsma Pilgrim Chapel with reliquary here and see a modern statue of Titus in the park near the chapel.
Titus on Ameland
Finally, you cycle to the northernmost tip of Friesland - the pier of Holwerd - where you take the boat to Ameland to visit the remarkably restored Roman Catholic Clemens Church of Nes, where Titus plays a role in the stained-glass representations.
To the penurious monks
The best way to end this trip in the footsteps of Titus is with a boat trip from Ameland to the neighbouring island of Schiermonnikoog. There you can stay in the monastery of the monks on the outskirts of the village.
Refugios
Along the way, you can stay in refugios, which are simple places to sleep in churches, totally appropriate for this journey. Pilgrims can stay for €15 in the churches of Nijland, Sibrandahûs, Jorwerd, Hiaure, Blessum, Boksum, Wânswerd and Foudgum, among others. All information and rules (e.g. you need to be a member of the Stichting Alde Fryske Tsjerken or the Nederlands Genootschap van Sint Jacob ) can be found on the website of Santiago aan het Wad.
Sights on this route
Starting point
Plein 1455 1
8701 EW Bolsward
Navigate to starting point
Cultuur Historisch Centrum 'De Tiid'
Museum De Tiid, in the former historic town hall in Bolsward, shows the fascinating history of Southwest Fryslân. Take your time for the interactive presentations and feast your eyes in the photogenic council chamber, on the steps and in the city hall tow
Cultuur Historisch Centrum 'De Tiid'
Cultuur Historisch Centrum 'De Tiid'
Onderdeel van Cultuur Historisch Centrum De Tiid
Jongemastraat 2
8701 JD Bolsward
Sint Franciscusbasiliek Bolsward
De Sint Franciscusbasiliek is een Rooms Katholieke kerk in het centrum van Bolsward uit 1933.
Sint Franciscusbasiliek Bolsward
Sint Franciscusbasiliek Bolsward
Grote Dijlakker 8
8701 KV Bolsward
Broerekerk (church)
The Broerekerk was built in the 13th century as a monastery church of the Friars Minor. The monastery was abandoned and demolished in 1580. The three-aisled church without a tower is a ruin as a result of a fire that took place on 8 May 1980.
Titus Brandsma monument
Father Titus Brandsma, priest and professor at the Catholic University of Nijmegen, died in 1942 in Dachau concentration camp because he urged Catholic newspapers not to publish Nazi propaganda.
Birthplace Titus Brandsma
On February 23, 1881, Anno Sjoerd Brandsma was born in the Ugo Monastery, near Bolsward. He was the fifth of six children, five of whom would enter the monastery.
Hartwerd Bell Tower
In the Middle Ages there was a Romano-Gothic church where the Hartwerd bell tower now stands. It was very unusual for a little mound village such as Hartwerd to have its own parish church.
Nicolaaskerk Nijland
De Nicolaaskerk is bijzonder mooi gelegen op een ovaal omgracht kerkhof, in het oude deel van het dorp Nijland. Pelgrims kunnen hier voor een klein bedrag logeren.
De Thaborhoeve
Landelijke mini-camping met wijngaard aan het water, net buiten Sneek. Op deze bijzondere locatie kun je genieten van de rust en de ruimte van het Friese landschap met haar prachtige vergezichten.
Theetuin en minicamping de Dille
Unieke pleisterplaats aan de Elfstedenroute, tussen Leeuwarden en Sneek. Onze theetuin is gelegen aan de Zwette, in het midden van Friesland. De minicamping ligt aan het water, u kunt hier uw hengeltje uitgooien of een lekkere duik nemen.
Sint-Bonifatius Church
The church is named for the heavenly Saint Boniface. It was built in around 1882/4 in Leeuwarden to designs by the architect P.J.H. Cuypers.
Grote of Jacobijnerkerk
The Grote of Jacobijnerkerk is the oldest and, from an architectural point of view, the most important church in Leeuwarden.
Stadsklooster Jabixhûs
Het Jabixhûs is een interkerkelijke gemeenschap, waar gastvrijheid, bezinning en creativiteit een grote rol spelen.
Kerkmuseum Jannum
Wil je in Middeleeuwse sferen komen? Bezoek dan het bijzondere kerkje op de terp van Jannum. Het lijkt wel of de tijd hier heel lang heeft stilgestaan.
Accommodatie Claercamp
Claercamp a cosy farmhouse, situated in the Dokkum countryside: “There is a lot to see and do in and around Dokkum and on the coast of the Wadden Sea. Welcome in our unlimited accessible apartment on the groundfloor and the 3 atmospheric guestrooms + private bathroom ( 1 with sauna)
Kloosterkapel Sibrandahûs
Prachtig middeleeuws kerkje waarvan wordt beweerd dat het een uithof was van het voormalige klooster Claercamp. Pelgrims kunnen hier voor een klein bedrag logeren.
St Boniface Chapel
The 2.5-metre high memorial statue of St Boniface next to the St Boniface spring marks the spot where the saint died. Monastery stone was used to build a chapel near the spring to make this a place of pilgrimage.
Sint-Bonifatiuskerk
De Sint-Bonifatiuskerk is een rooms-katholieke kerk in de binnenstad van Dokkum. Het rijksmonument werd gebouwd in 1871.
Kerkje van Hiaure
Dit rijksmonument in Hiaure is in 1869 gebouwd op de fundamenten van een middeleeuws kerkje. Pelgrims kunnen hier voor een klein bedrag logeren.
Buddhist Centre at Hantum
Hardly what you would expect! In the middle of the Frisian landscape at Hantum, there is a Tibetan Buddhist temple or stupa. It is believed that the presence of the stupa will bring good fortune to the region.
Veerpont Holwerd
Maandag t/m zondag Sneldienst Ameland – Holwerd van 17.00 uur vertrekt om 16.45 uur Sneldienst Holwerd – Ameland van 17.30 uur vertrekt om 17.15 uur
St. Clemenskerk Ameland
De Rooms Katholieke St. Clemenskerk is te vinden in het dorpje Nes op Ameland.
Willibrordusdobbe
Vlak boven het dorpje Nes op Ameland ligt een voormalige heilige bron van de heidense Friezen. In het oude Friesland werden bronnen als sacrale krachtplaatsen beschouwd.
Klooster Schiermonnikoog
Het Klooster Schiermonnikoog is open voor gasten die het leefritme en de gebedsdiensten van de schiere monniken willen volgen.
End point
Knuppeldam 2
9166 NZ Schiermonnikoog
Navigate to endpoint
Directions
Je kunt gratis parkeren op Plein 1455, vernoemd naar het jaar waarin Bolsward stadsrechten kreeg.
Deze fietsroute beschrijft een enkele reis van Bolsward, via Leeuwarden en Ameland naar Schiermonnikoog.
De afstanden die op de eilanden afgelegd worden en de terugtocht, zijn niet meegerekend in het totale aantal kilometers.
De terugweg is naar eigen inzicht in te vullen: fietsend of (deels) met het openbaar vervoer.
- 06
- 02
- 14
- 46
- 69
- 50
- 89
- 13
- 73
- 41
- 61
- 25
- 07
- 06
- 34
- 93
- 57
- 62
- 91
- 85
- 73
- 30
- 35
- 31
- 32
- 12
- 23
- 80
- 24
- 25
- 30
- 01
- 01
- 30
- 79
- 29
- 27
- 26
- 19
- 18