Kûbaard combines a compact Frisian village layout with distinctive architectural history and routes that take in the village and the Slachtedyk. When planning your visit, it is worth considering the buildings, the dyke route—which is accessible to walkers and cyclists almost throughout—and the various cycling and running options as separate highlights.
The village between churches, dykes and canals
Kûbaard’s centre is compact. Along the dykes and canals, modest buildings extend into the landscape. The church stands in the eastern part of the village centre, in a spacious cemetery; tall lime trees line the area around it. Here, a dense village centre meets buildings that extend loosely into the landscape. The church is a distinctive landmark in the village, while the dykes and canals shape its wider layout.
The church: design, organ and gravestones
Kûbaard’s church is a hall church with a five-sided chancel. It has been a Dutch Rijksmonument since 17 December 1971. Its design can be linked to the local history of the church: in 1856, Willem Hardorff built a new mechanical tracker-action organ for the Hervormde Kerk in Kûbaard.
The gravestones also offer a distinct connection to the past. During restoration work in 2004, 18 gravestones were discovered in the church. Two of them are among the oldest in Fryslân, dating from around 1340. The 19th-century organ and the much older gravestones thus represent different periods in the church’s history. The church can be rented for half a day; contact the churchwardens to arrange this.
Farmhouse architecture and village houses
A well-preserved Stelphoeve farmhouse is located at Berkwerterleane 1. Its dairy cellar is on the right-hand side of the front façade and can be recognised by its three windows with shutters. Berkwerterleane 2 is a farm with a crosswise front house beneath a hipped roof. Two corner chimneys with decorative panels add to the building’s architectural features. The two farms can therefore be distinguished by their different forms: the Stelphoeve farmhouse with its dairy cellar, and the crosswise front house with its hipped roof and corner chimneys.
The houses along one of the village approaches also contribute to the architectural variety. On the road towards Swarte Beyen, along the old monumental Slachtedyk, characteristic detached village houses dating from around 1900 stand on one side. The architectural picture thus extends from farm buildings to the houses along this road.
The Slachtedyk on foot and by bike
The 42-kilometre-long Slachtedyk is managed by It Fryske Gea as a natural and cultural-historical feature in the landscape. Near Kûbaard, the Bidlerstien is a boundary stone associated with the Slachtedyk. Almost the entire Slachtedyk is freely accessible to walkers and cyclists; local restrictions may apply on some sections. Anyone wishing to explore on foot or by bike will find a different way to discover Kûbaard’s landscape than by focusing on the architectural history in the village centre.
The cycling route information also varies in focus. The Friese Elfstedenfietstocht is a 235-kilometre tour through the eleven Frisian cities; its history as an event dates back to 1912. It passes through Kûbaard from Wommels via the Gaest to Petronella Moensstrjitte. Another described route follows the road from Greate Buorren via Leane to the Slachtedyk.
For a culinary cycling tour, “Eetbaar Fryslân: foodroute Wommels - Kubaard” is listed as a 64-kilometre route. Near Kûbaard, the Kaats-Route follows cycling route junctions 25 and 6. As route infrastructure can change, check the current route before relying on the junctions. These three descriptions offer different forms of guidance: a specific route through the village, a stated route distance and a route via junctions.
The Kûbaarder Hurdrindei
For more than two decades, the Kûbaarder Hurdrindei has been held on the first Saturday in October as a sporting running event for all ages. The run generally goes from Kûbaard along the Slachtedyk to Wommels and back to Kûbaard. The route description comes from a 2013 report, so check the current course before taking part. If you are planning your trip around the run, check the event dates too.
Discover more destinations: Bozum, Reahus, Easterlittens, Wommels, Easterein, Weidum, Mantgum.
For the main travel overview: Littenseradiel.
