Viewpoint Tjeukemeer - Delfstrahuizen

The Tjeukemeer is an attraction in itself because of the wonderful view over the water and the many boats. If you are lucky, you will find the skûtsjesilen competition held with skûtsjes. Originally, this was a way for farmers to earn some extra money when they had no freight. The lake is the largest inland waterway in Friesland and therefore popular with water sports enthusiasts. Perhaps you will discover traces of the lost villages that are said to have drowned in the lake.

There are two legends about the name of the Tjeukemeer (in Frisian: Tsjûkemar). The first tells of two farmer's wives who were walking back from milking cows. They discovered a fire, but the farmer's wife who was carrying the milk refused to put it out. The other farmer's wife then called her Tsjûke, a dog's name. The Tjeukemeer is said to have originated in the hole that the fire left in the land.

The other legend is about two sisters who lost each other in the smoke of the fire. They kept calling each other: Tsjûke and March. Their voices remained audible for a long time and formed the fused name Tsjûkemar.