The best city hikes and walks in Weinterper Skar

To Close Too Artist Jan Merx, Location Drachten, Year 1997. The artwork is based on a thorn hedge and constructed from a large quantity of metal rods. It forms a visual and functional separation between the street and the orchard that belonged to the former Franciscan monastery, which now houses the Smallingerland Museum. The total length of the rods is 2500 meters and the artwork is 20 meters long, 3 meters high, and 1 meter deep. (https://keunstwurk.nl/art/to-close-too/)

Since May 2025, seven memorials have stood on Kiryat Onoplein, commemorating victims of World War II, as well as all veterans and deceased Moluccan soldiers of the KNIL. On the square, there is a general war memorial, designed as a cross of white marble and corten steel with a memorial plaque next to it listing the names of victims. In addition, a memorial from the Nederlandse Tramweg Maatschappij (NTM) commemorates employees who died due to shelling, reprisals, and other wartime violence. There are also specific memorials, such as the Gypsy Memorial in the form of a broken caravan for a murdered Roma family, and a Jewish memorial with broken columns symbolizing abruptly ended lives. Furthermore, there is a KNIL memorial for Moluccan soldiers, a Veterans Memorial for everyone who contributed to peace and freedom, and a series of memorial tiles with the names of war victims who were not previously listed. (Friesland.nl)

The cruciform church with a portal and a separate tower was built in 1924-1925 according to plans by J. Bosma. The reformed church and parsonage are a municipal monument. The organ from 1904 was made by Maarschalkerweerd & Zoon for the Adelskerk (demolished) in Oud Beets. (Wikipedia)

Museum Drachten, also known as Museum Dr8888, is a museum for modern and contemporary art located in the center of Drachten, on Museumplein. (Wikipedia)

The history of Drachten knows a flourishing period of tobacco production, which mainly took place between 1800 and 1950. One of the best-known products from this period was the Drachtster Kei-pruimtabak, produced by Erven Fokke v.d. Meulen. With the advertising slogan ‘Stevig in de mond’ (Firm in the mouth), they tried to emphasize the robustness of the tobacco, a nod to the name referring to a 'kei' (boulder), a symbol of hardness and strength. This slogan is a reflection of the distinctiveness and unique positioning of Drachtster tobacco on the Dutch market. Brand names such as Anker, Bijekoer, Friesche Heerenbaai, Goudbloem, and Woudkoning adorned the packaging of the tobacco products at the time. These traditional names stand in stark contrast to the later introduced, more modern brands such as Standing and Aircross. Each of these names contributed to the diversity and recognizability of Drachtster tobacco.

The church from 1743 is a T-shaped structure. Above the entrance is a crowning in the Louis XIV style with the coats of arms (truncated in 1795) of the church's founders. Hector Livius van Haersma, aged 5, laid the first stone in 1742. The wooden facade tower with a constricted spire has a weather vane in the shape of three turf blocks. The church building is a national monument. (Wikipedia)

On the waterfront stands a statue of Peije Rasp (1879-1941), made by Mindert Wilstra. Peije, born Freerk de Jong in Ureterp, was a street musician. He was the last true musician who roamed Southeast Friesland for almost forty years with his accordion.

Members of the "Thy Kingdom Come" association for inner mission, founded in 1899, decided in January 1925 to build their own Orthodox Reformed chapel. This chapel was built and opened on December 12, 1926. It is one of the few Orthodox Protestant chapels still in use in Friesland. A memorial service was held on December 12, 2006, to mark the chapel's 80th anniversary.