{"id":53177,"date":"2026-01-13T11:40:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T10:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/?p=53177"},"modified":"2026-01-13T11:41:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T10:41:14","slug":"why-15-january-is-known-as-the-day-of-the-elfstedentocht","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/news\/why-15-january-is-known-as-the-day-of-the-elfstedentocht\/","title":{"rendered":"Why 15 January is known as the day of the ‘Elfstedentocht’"},"content":{"rendered":"

On 15 January 2026, the Fries Scheepvaart Museum will be entirely dedicated to the Day of the Elfstedentocht<\/a>. During this special afternoon, sports historians, former officials and eyewitnesses will delve into the rich history of the Netherlands\u2019 most famous skating event. But why has 15 January been designated as the Day of the Elfstedentocht?<\/p>\n

The Origin of the Day of the Elfstedentocht<\/h3>\n

The choice of 15 January is no coincidence. On 15 January 1909, the first official Elfstedentocht was held. That day marked the beginning of a national tradition that grew into one of the greatest sporting and cultural phenomena in the Netherlands. Ever since, 15 January has been regarded as the symbolic starting point of the Elfstedentocht\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

As climate change has made it increasingly rare for the tour to take place, 15 January has evolved into a fixed day of remembrance and gathering. On this day, the focus is no longer on the ice itself, but on the stories, the people and the meaning of the Elfstedentocht.<\/p>\n

Royal Connection to the Elfstedentocht<\/h3>\n

During the Day of the Elfstedentocht 2026, sports historian Jurryt van de Vooren<\/a> will open the afternoon with his research into the special relationship between the Dutch Royal House<\/a> and the Elfstedentocht. Among other topics, he will discuss the legendary 1986 edition, in which Crown Prince Willem-Alexander became the first member of the Royal Family to complete the Elfstedentocht.<\/p>\n

This royal participation strengthened the event\u2019s national status and made 1986 one of the most memorable editions in its history.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n

Passing on Knowledge of Natural Ice<\/h3>\n

Henk Kroes, former chairman and ice master of the Vereniging De Friesche Elf Steden<\/em><\/a>, will also be present. Together with his son Sytse Kroes, he will explain how knowledge of natural ice, ice formation and safety is preserved and passed on, now that the chances of another Elfstedentocht seem increasingly slim.<\/p>\n

Conversations, Images and Eyewitness Accounts<\/h3>\n

Presenter Sippy Tigchelaar will speak with Jan Bakker, the association\u2019s new chairman and himself a participant in the 1997 Elfstedentocht. Visitors will also be shown unique film footage from 1956 and 1986, two editions deeply etched into the collective memory of the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

Particularly special is the story of Berend Keulen, who between 1947 and 1997 stood at the starting line of all seven Elfstedentochten that were held. His experiences offer a rare and comprehensive view of fifty years of Elfstedentocht history.<\/p>\n

Practical Information<\/h3>\n

The Day of the Elfstedentocht will take place on 15 January 2026 at the Fries Scheepvaart Museum<\/a>.
Tickets cost \u20ac11 per person and include coffee or tea with oranjekoek<\/em> and a drink afterwards. Tickets can be purchased via the Fries Scheepvaart Museum\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

More Than a Skating Event<\/h3>\n

The Day of the Elfstedentocht shows that the Elfstedentocht is more than a sporting event. It is a living piece of cultural heritage. That is why 15 January, the day it all began, remains a fixed date to keep the magic of the Elfstedentocht alive, even without ice.<\/p>\n

Friesland Holland Travel<\/strong><\/p>\n

Would you like to experience an Elfstedentocht yourself? This trip is part of the complete cycling holidays offered by Friesland Holland Travel<\/strong><\/a>, specialists in Elfstedentocht routes by bike. Want to learn more or plan your own tour?<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf10 www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl<\/a>
\u2709\ufe0f info@frieslandhollandtravel.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On 15 January 2026, the Fries Scheepvaart Museum will be entirely dedicated to the Day of the Elfstedentocht. During this special afternoon, sports historians, former officials and eyewitnesses will delve into the rich history of the Netherlands\u2019 most famous skating event. But why has 15 January been designated as the Day of the Elfstedentocht? The… Lees meer Why 15 January is known as the day of the ‘Elfstedentocht’<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":53168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53177"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53177\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frieslandhollandtravel.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}