Burgum

Burgum is the largest and administrative town of the municipality of Tytsjerksteradiel, in the Dutch province of Friesland. It had a population of 10,058 inhabitants in January 2017.[1]

Burgum
Village
Burgum, church: de Kruiskerk
Flag
Coat of arms
Location of the village in Tytsjerksteradiel
Burgum
Location in the Netherlands
Coordinates:
Country Netherlands
Province Friesland
Municipality Tytsjerksteradiel
Population
 (1 January 2017)
 • Total10,058
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
9251
Dialing code0511
De Poppestien, Burgum

On January 1, 1989 the official name of the village was changed from Bergum to Burgum. This was done to match the Frisian name of the village. Bergum is the current name in Dutch.[2]

The name Burgum is suggestive of an area of higher altitude than the surrounding area. The province of Friesland is bordered in the north by the Wadden Sea. In ancient and medieval times, habitation in Friesland occurred only in those areas which were elevated above sea level (for example in Burgum) or on artificially built mounds known as terp, weird or ward. These mounds were areas of refuge in times of flooding. The artificial mounds became redundant after the building of the dykes on the border of the Wadden Sea. Habitation of this area goes back to the Stone Age.

Main things to see in Burgum are the Town Hall and the Krústsjerke (Cross Church) which is the remainder of a convent burned in the Eighty Years' War.

Within the town and its surroundings there are many events to engage with local culture, food and people. As the town is a part of the province of Friesland and it centrally located it is easy to get around to most places by car or through public transportation. The town itself has various restaurants such as De Pleats which is a restaurant housed in a historical farm. The shopping center consists of a mixture of boutique shops such as Aline Fashion or mass retailers like Hema. Other facilities in the town are a library, a pharmacy, an indoor pool, an indoor and outdoor amusement park, an observatory, a harbor, a newly constructed park and in summer a fruitgarden where you can pick berries from the branch to take home. In summer you would not want to miss seeing a game of the local sports 'Fierljeppen' as it is mostly unique to the province and Burgum has the most modern Fierljep arena of the Netherlands.

As Burgum is a part of the Province Friesland there are some items that should be on your food tour list if you would visit the town such as Fryske dúmkes, sugar bread, the liqueur Beerenburg, Oranjekoek, nagelkaas (cheese)[3] - all of which you can source at local vendors.

Friesland is renowned for its many lakes and canals. One of these lakes is found nearby the village of Burgum and it is called the Burgumer Mar. Another object of interest is the so-called Poppestien. A large stone deposited in this area during the last ice age (11.000 BC). In ancient times this stone was used in fertility rituals.

Notable buildings

Notable people associated with Burgum

References
  1. Overzicht inwonersaantal Tytsjerksteradiel - Tytsjerksteradiel
  2. Taalunie (2019). "Friese namen" (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  3. Scholte, Daisy (2019). "5x typisch Friese lekkernijen". Expedia. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  4. "Joke van Rijssel staart zich niet blind op succes". Leidse Courant (in Dutch). 25 November 1977. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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