Harbours in Heeg: Getting There, Harbour Information and Sailing Destinations on the Heegermeer

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Heeg lies in the southwest of Friesland, right on the Heegermeer, in the heart of the Frisian lakes. Visiting yachts moor mainly at the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl on the western edge of the village and at the Jachthaven Eendracht near the village centre, both directly on the lake. Here you can read how to get to Heeg for the start of your sailing trip, where each harbour is, where to park and shop, what sailing weather to expect, which sailing destinations are nearby and what skippers should know about mooring, bridges and lake weather.

Where are the harbours in Heeg?

In Heeg, visiting yachts moor in two places, both directly on the Heegermeer. The Passantenhaven Heegerwâl lies on the western edge of the village on the Pharshoeke road, right next to the bathing beach, and is a few minutes' walk from the village centre. The Jachthaven Eendracht lies further east on the It Eilan road, less than 300 metres' walk from the village centre.

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In addition, Heeg has smaller facilities, which mostly belong to boat rental firms and holiday parks with their own jetties. The Jachthaven Hoora in the village takes sailing boats and sloepen up to eight metres in length.

Arriving for the start of your sailing trip in Heeg

Heeg lies away from the railway lines, so you cover the last stretch by taxi or car.

From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Heeg

The nearest major airport is Amsterdam Schiphol. From there you take the train to Leeuwarden and then the regional train towards Stavoren as far as Sneek. In Sneek you take a taxi for the last stretch.

By car or train

The Leeuwarden–Stavoren regional train stops at Sneek Noord and Sneek. By car you can reach both harbours directly, and the Jachthaven Eendracht has charging points for electric cars.

Parking

At the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl there is a car park on the Pharshoeke road, about 200 metres east of the harbour. At the Jachthaven Eendracht you leave your car in the secure harbour car park between the harbour office and the toilet block, just a few steps from the berths. There are also charging points for electric cars there.

Motorhomes have their own pitches at the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl and the Jachthaven Eendracht.

Showers and sanitary facilities

Both harbours have showers and washing machines. The Passantenhaven Heegerwâl has two sanitary blocks with showers and toilets, the second of which is only used when it is busy. The showers are open from 8 to 13 and from 17 to 22, and the toilets around the clock. There is also an accessible room with a shower and baby-changing table, as well as two washing machines and a tumble dryer. Showers and hot water are included in the berth fee.

The Jachthaven Eendracht has a sanitary block with showers, a family washroom, a baby bath and an accessible area. Washing machines and tumble dryers are in a separate room.

Shopping for the trip

On foot you can reach the PLUS Gerritsma supermarket on the Koaldyk in the middle of the village, about 150 metres as the crow flies from the Jachthaven Eendracht and about 600 metres from the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl. The village centre also has further shops, cafés and restaurants, and the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl has a small harbour shop selling ice cream and drinks.

For a big shop by car, there is a Poiesz about 5.5 kilometres to the north towards IJlst and Sneek and a Jumbo in Sneek about 7 kilometres away, both as the crow flies.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

Heeg has two GP surgeries, one of them on the Tollewei. In the evening from 5 pm, at weekends and on public holidays, the Dokterswacht is responsible, the out-of-hours GP service in Friesland, telephone 0850 820 820. The nearest pharmacy is the Apotheek Sasburg in Sneek, about 7.5 kilometres as the crow flies. The nearest accident and emergency department is at the Antonius Ziekenhuis in Sneek, Bolswarderbaan 1, about eight kilometres from Heeg as the crow flies.

• 112: Emergency number for police, fire brigade and ambulance in life-threatening situations
• 0900 8844: Police, if it is not urgent
• On the IJsselmeer: Kustwacht, the Dutch coastguard, on VHF channel 16 and DSC channel 70, by telephone on +31 88 958 4040

Comparing the harbours in Heeg

The Passantenhaven Heegerwâl is the visitors' harbour by the beach, with its own pontoon for charter boats. The Jachthaven Eendracht is the sheltered marina with a boatyard and fuel station near the village centre.

Feature	Passantenhaven Heegerwâl	Jachthaven Eendracht
Location	West edge of the village, right on the Heegermeer, next to the beach	East side of the village, right on the Heegermeer, under 300 m on foot to the centre
Address	Pharshoeke 99, 8621 CW Heeg	It Eilan 68, 8621 CT Heeg
Berths	Just over 150 for visitors: 115 box berths, quay for around 35 boats alongside, 60 m pontoon for charter boats	290 berths for boats from 7 to 14 m
Water depth	minimum 2.00 m	–
Season	Mid-March to 31 October	–
Visitor berthing fees 2026	€1.85 per metre per night	€2.25 per metre per 24 hours incl. water, electricity from €3.00 per boat
Tourist tax	€2.00 per person per night	€2.00 per person per night, children under 4 free
Refuelling	–	Diesel and petrol at the quay
Phone	+31 515 443753	Office +31 515 442575, harbour master +31 6 24404610

Prices: as at November 2026, rates for the 2026 season.

Where is the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl?

The Passantenhaven Heegerwâl lies on the western edge of Heeg, right on the Heegermeer, close to the Fluessen. Right next to the harbour is a child-friendly bathing beach with play equipment and a water slide, and you can reach the village centre on foot in a few minutes.

The harbour is for visitors only and is open from mid-March to 31 October. Most berths are on solid bank with a strip of grass, and on the lake side there is a 60-metre pontoon for charter boats. Boats of the Bruine Vloot, the traditional flat-bottomed sailing barges, have their own tariff. The harbour staff also look after the island of Rakkenpôlle opposite.

Facilities at the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl

There is water and shore power, Wi-Fi, two sanitary blocks, a laundry and a slipway for trailers. You can draw water at a water point; under the 2026 tariff it costs €0.50 per roughly 100 litres. The site also has pitches for motorhomes, caravans and tents.

Where is the Jachthaven Eendracht?

The Jachthaven Eendracht lies on the eastern side of Heeg, right on the Heegermeer, less than a 300-metre walk from the village centre. The harbour is well sheltered in any weather, and open connections lead to the Fluessen and the IJsselmeer.

With 290 berths for boats from 7 to 14 metres, it is considerably larger. The harbour rents out permanent berths and also welcomes visitors. On site is the Eetcafé Tante Sjuul, with a terrace overlooking the harbour, which serves lunch and dinner in the season.

Facilities at the Jachthaven Eendracht

There is drinking water and shore power at the pontoons, and Wi-Fi throughout the harbour. You can fill up with diesel and petrol at the quay every day. The harbour crane lifts up to 32 tonnes, and there is a DIY workshop hall for your own work on the boat. There is also a playground, barbecue areas and pitches for motorhomes up to eight metres.

What is the weather like for sailing in Heeg?

In the winter months, the wind in the Netherlands most often blows from the southwest. The Dutch weather service KNMI issues separate warnings for each province, including Friesland, about dangerous weather such as thunderstorms, severe gusts or fog.

There are no tides on the Heegermeer. The Frisian lakes and canals form a connected network of waterways, and the water authority Wetterskip Fryslân keeps the water level at a fixed target. Even so, strong winds can build up waves on the large lakes: the province classes the Heegermeer and Fluessen as waters with waves of up to about 0.6 metres. For guests on board, the season from the end of March to the end of October is when bridges and locks operate daily and the Passantenhaven is open.

Which sailing trip destinations are near Heeg?

From Heeg, the Frisian lakes and canals take you to the inland towns as well as to the IJsselmeer. Heeg lies on the Johan Friso Canal, a provincial waterway that runs from Stavoren via Warns, De Morra, the Fluessen, the Heegermeer and the Jeltesleat to the Prinses Margriet Canal.

• Stavoren: via the Fluessen, De Morra and the canal near Warns; from there, the Johan Friso lock leads out onto the IJsselmeer.
• Sneek: via the Wide Wimerts and De Geau to the town canal in Sneek.
• Workum: via the Fluessen, the Grutte Gaastmar and the Warkumer Trekfeart. The Workum lock and the It Soal channel also take you out onto the IJsselmeer.
• Lemmer: via the Jeltesleat to the Prinses Margriet Canal, and along it to Lemmer.
• IJsselmeer: via Stavoren, Workum or Lemmer, depending on where your sailing trip continues.

You can read more about the harbours at the entrance to the IJsselmeer in our profile of the harbours in Stavoren, and about the village on the Johan Friso Canal between Heeg and Stavoren in the article on the harbours in Warns.

What can you do on a harbour day in Heeg?

Heeg is an old fishing village that made its living from the eel trade, and today it is one of the largest watersports centres in Friesland. Most attractions are in the village and can be reached on foot from both harbours.

• Village centre and façades: The houses, shops and historic buildings in the centre bear witness to the long history of eel fishing. Most of the cafés and restaurants with waterside terraces are also in the village.
• Havenkom De Syl: This old harbour basin in the village centre used to be full of ships and fishing boats, and the eel trade was run from here. Today it is the home port of the Palingaak Korneliske Ykes II.
• Palingaak Korneliske Ykes II: This replica of an old eel carrier was built using traditional methods. It tells the story of how live eels were shipped from Heeg across the sea, mainly to London. A model of the ship stands in the visitor centre in Heeg.
• Beach at the Passantenhaven: The bathing beach with play equipment and a water slide lies right next to the harbour and is well suited to children.
• Rakkenpôlle: The leisure island opposite the Passantenhaven has toilets, overnight camping spots and fire pits; you bring your own firewood.

Every year on Ascension Day, the Heechspanning street theatre festival turns the village centre into a stage, followed in summer by the Heechsimmerfestival with live music.

For skippers: mooring and weather in Heeg

Registration and Berthing

• Passantenhaven Heegerwâl: You moor in berths or alongside the quay. The berths with a finger pontoon range from 2.80 × 7 metres to 5.50 × 15 metres, and those without a finger pontoon from 3.30 × 9 metres to 5.00 × 12 metres. An overnight stay runs until 11 am the next day. If you only moor during the day, you pay €2.00 per person. For the slipway, register at the harbour office, telephone +31 515 443753.
• Jachthaven Eendracht: In line with the harbour regulations, visitors report to the harbour master, telephone +31 6 24404610. The berths are 7 to 14 metres long. The mooring fee applies for 24 hours at a time.

Harbour rules

At Jachthaven Eendracht, the harbour regulations prohibit sailing in the harbour with sails set or at a disturbing speed. You may run the engine only to move the boat. Pets must not roam freely, and loud noise is prohibited. Barbecuing is allowed on the Rakkenpôlle, but not on the island's jetties.

Bridges in Heeg and approach

Both harbours lie directly on the Heegermeer. There is an area on the lake for fast boats, marked off by yellow buoys; outside it, everyone adjusts their speed to the other watersports users.

The bridges in the village are operated by the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân only at fixed times. In the 2026 season, they generally opened from 9:30 to 10:00, from 11:30 to 12:00 and from 16:30 to 17:00. In May, June and September, additional openings from 9:00 to 10:00 and from 19:00 to 19:30 were added at weekends, and in July and August these times applied daily. From 2 November 2026 to 20 March 2027, the municipality operates bridges and locks on request only, Monday to Saturday. You contact the province of Fryslân at least two hours beforehand on 058 292 58 88, on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:00 (as of November 2026). The exact times can be found on the municipality's website.

Which marine weather forecast applies to Heeg?

On the Frisian lakes, keep an eye on the KNMI warnings for Friesland. As soon as you want to head out onto the IJsselmeer, the VHF marine forecast (Marifoonbericht) from the Dutch weather service KNMI applies. It covers coastal waters up to 30 nautical miles offshore and the large inland waters of the IJsselmeer and Markermeer. It is issued four times a day, is valid for 24 hours from 0, 6, 12 and 18 UTC, and includes wind warnings from Beaufort force 6.

The Kustwacht broadcasts the weather forecast by VHF on channels 23 and 83, daily at 8:05, 13:05, 19:05 and 23:05 Dutch time. The current version is available on the KNMI website.

Sailing trips from Heeg on Törnfinder

An overview of the sailing area is given on the page Sailing on the IJsselmeer; trips throughout the country can be found under Sailing in the Netherlands. All current offers are listed in the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Heeg without a car?

Take the train to Sneek on the Leeuwarden–Stavoren line, then a taxi to Heeg. Heeg does not have its own railway station.

Where can I park at the start of my sailing trip in Heeg?

At the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl, use the car park on the Pharshoeke road, about 200 metres east of the harbour. At the Jachthaven Eendracht, use the secured harbour car park, which has charging points for electric cars. Both harbours have separate pitches for motorhomes.

Are there showers in the harbours in Heeg?

Yes, both harbours have showers and washing machines. At the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl, the showers are open from 8 to 13 and from 17 to 22 and are included in the mooring fee.

Where can I buy supplies for my sailing trip in Heeg?

At the PLUS Gerritsma supermarket on the Koaldyk in the village centre, about 150 metres from the Jachthaven Eendracht and about 600 metres from the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl. For a big shop, there is a Poiesz about 5.5 kilometres away and a Jumbo in Sneek about 7 kilometres away.

When is the Passantenhaven Heegerwâl open?

Every year from mid-March to 31 October. The province and the municipality operate the bridges and locks daily from the end of March to the end of October.

Can you get from Heeg to the IJsselmeer?

Yes, via the Frisian lakes and canals to Stavoren, Workum or Lemmer. At both Stavoren and Workum, you pass through a lock onto the IJsselmeer.