Elfstedentocht

Elfstedentocht, meaning Eleven Cities Tour, is a long-distance speed skating event held on natural ice in Friesland, the northern province of the Netherlands. The race forms a single loop that links eleven Frisian towns: Leeuwarden, Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, and Dokkum, with the finish back in Leeuwarden. The total distance is roughly 200 kilometers.

The event takes place only when the winter weather produces thick, safe ice along the entire route. It is organized by the local ice club and monitored by ice authorities; only if the ice is deemed safe will the route be opened for skating. Because it depends on natural conditions, the Elfstedentocht is not held in every winter and can be postponed or canceled.

The Elfstedentocht began in 1909, and has occurred irregularly since then. The most recent edition was in 1997; since then no edition has been held, due to insufficient ice conditions in Dutch winters. The competition is a major cultural phenomenon in the Netherlands, attracting tens of thousands of spectators and viewers, and it is regarded as a symbol of winter in Friesland and the country as a whole.