Friesland is officially called Fryslân, and Frisian is an official language there alongside Dutch. That is why you often see two names on place-name signs. Leeuwarden, Ljouwert in Frisian, is the provincial capital and the only Frisian city with its own Addressly page.
This guide looks beyond Leeuwarden, at the places in Friesland where you can also search: Drachten, Sneek, Heerenveen, Harlingen and Franeker. They are spread across the province and each has its own character, from port town to shopping town. For each place you can read where it lies and what to look out for in a listing.
Leeuwarden is home to NHL Stenden, Van Hall Larenstein and Campus Fryslân of the University of Groningen. Students are therefore also looking for rooms and small homes there.
Leeuwarden lies in the north of the province. Franeker and Harlingen lie to its west, on the railway to the Wadden coast. Sneek is in the south-west, among the lakes, and Heerenveen in the south on the line to Zwolle. Drachten lies in the east, towards Groningen, and is the only place on this page without a train station.
Only Leeuwarden has its own Addressly page; you can still add the other places to your search profile.
The provincial capital, with a central shopping area around the Nieuwestad, the Wirdumerdijk and the Ruiterskwartier. Camminghaburen, Bilgaard and Aldlân are neighbourhoods recognised by the municipality and useful names to include alongside the centre. Leeuwarden is the province's railway hub, with trains to Groningen, Zwolle, Harlingen and Sneek, among others.
The largest town in the municipality of Smallingerland and one of the larger places in Friesland. Drachten has no train station; you travel to Groningen and Leeuwarden by bus or car. The centre has plenty of shops and facilities. For any home, check how far the nearest stop with a fast bus connection is.
No Addressly city page yet; you can still add Drachten to your search profile.
Lies in the south-west, in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân, and is known for the water and lakes around it. Sneek has a station on the line from Leeuwarden to Stavoren. A home by the water is appealing, but check the practical side too: storage, parking and the route to the station.
No Addressly city page yet; you can still add Sneek to your search profile.
Lies in the south of the province and has a station on the railway between Leeuwarden and Zwolle. That makes Heerenveen interesting if you travel in both directions. For any home, compare the journey to the station and the facilities nearby.
No Addressly city page yet; you can still add Heerenveen to your search profile.
A port town on the Wadden Sea, with ferries to Terschelling and Vlieland. Harlingen has two stations, Harlingen and Harlingen Haven, on the line to Leeuwarden via Franeker. The historic centre has many older buildings; for an upper-floor home, ask about the stairs, storage and insulation.
No Addressly city page yet; you can still add Harlingen to your search profile.
A historic town in the municipality of Waadhoeke, between Leeuwarden and Harlingen, with a station on the same line. Franeker had a university until 1811, and its Eise Eisinga Planetarium is the oldest working planetarium in the world. The old centre has many listed buildings.
No Addressly city page yet; you can still add Franeker to your search profile.
If you work or study in Leeuwarden, Franeker, Harlingen, Sneek and Heerenveen all lie on a railway line that starts or ends in Leeuwarden. Choose the places on the line that fits your journey, and test the journey time at the moment you would actually travel.
Drachten and many villages have no train station. There you depend on the bus, your bike or a car. For any listing, check how far the bus stop is, how often the bus runs at your times and whether your work or studies are easy to reach.
Because Frisian is an official language, listings sometimes use a place's Frisian name, such as Ljouwert for Leeuwarden or Snits for Sneek. If you search a website yourself, try the Frisian name too, and when in doubt, check the postcode.
Harlingen, Franeker and Sneek have many older buildings, often by the water. For such a home, ask about insulation, damp and ventilation, and see where you can store your bike and belongings. A nice view says little about the condition of the home.
In your Addressly search profile you can select Leeuwarden and other places in Friesland together. Addressly monitors matching listings and can send viewing requests from your own inbox. You stay in contact with the landlord yourself.
Want to set up a search that covers more than one city? Our guide on responding faster to rental listings explains how to build your profile.
Officially Fryslân. In everyday use and in many listings you still see Friesland; it is the same province.
No. From Drachten you travel to Groningen and Leeuwarden by bus or car. For any home, check how far the bus stop is and how often the bus runs at your times.
Franeker, Harlingen, Sneek and Heerenveen all have a station with a direct line to Leeuwarden. Which suits you best depends on your door-to-door journey time.
Yes. NHL Stenden, Van Hall Larenstein and Campus Fryslân of the University of Groningen are in Leeuwarden, so students are also looking for rooms and small homes.
Leeuwarden has the largest supply in the province. You can still add the other places on this page to your search profile; Addressly then monitors matching listings there too.
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Content last reviewed Sept. 13, 2026.