old houses along the Grootzand road
the gate features the Snitser coat of arms
the Water Gate is the last remnant of the old city walls
houses close to the Water Gate are being renovated
a view over the Kolk towards the signature Water Tower from 1908
the Martini church with the standalone wooden bell tower
the bordes shows the city's coat of arms
the Town Hall
the 150 years oldf court house is now a restaurant
the Water Gate has changed considerably over time, the present appearance is from 1758
Snits (Sneek) sits east of the
Snitser Mar, a large, shallow lake that was created in the Middle Ages by peat extraction
and foul weather. In summertime the lake is a watertourist hotspot with Snits as its bustling center.
The main
event is the
Sneekweek, one of Europe's largest watersport events.
Snits is the first city participants of the
alvestędetocht reach
after the start in Ljouwert (Leeuwarden).
The city's origins hark back to the10th century settlement Ter Snake that sat on a
dry sand ridge in the wet peatlands.
Ter Snake became Snits, the place grew in importance and gained city rights in the
13th century.
Around1492 a moat and walls were built, making Snits the only walled Frisian city.
Today the base
of the city's signature Wetterpoarte (Waterpoort) is all that remains of these old fortifications.
Another landmark building
in town is the
Martinitsjerke, a Gothic church from 1498 but rooted in the 11th century.
The
town hall was built around 1480 but
has seen several changes over time. The bordes from 1745 sports the coat of arms.
We visited Snits in August 2020.
the Koningsbrug spans the Stadsgracht. The spiky building in the back is the theater built in 2008
this is the Wonderbrug, a wooden walkbridge that replaces the 19th century drawbridge
the drawbridge over the Lemmerweg, one of the main roads into the city
the Fortuna Fountain by Stephan Barkenhol depicts the Horn of Plenty and dates from 2018
the weather vane atop the bell tower depicts Saint Martin, the patron saint of the Martini Church
colorful flowers decorate the Eierbrug
