The story of the Bintje potato offers a tangible way to explore Sumar’s local history: agriculture, the village church, monuments, and landscape each provide a different perspective. The area also has a cultural and historical route and the annual Hynstedagen. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether to focus on architectural and commemorative history, the landscape, or an event date.
Bintje and village history
The Bintje potato was developed in 1905 by Kornelis Lieuwes de Vries, who was a schoolteacher and potato breeder in Sumar. The Bintje Monument commemorates him and these two roles. This brings a specific agricultural development into direct connection with public remembrance of its developer.
Village church and places of remembrance
Sumar’s village church was built in 1769 and consecrated on 12 November of that year. Its furnishings include an oak pulpit, which is thought to date from the mid-17th century and probably already stood in the church that preceded the 1769 building. An organ by Bakker en Timmenga was put into use on 7 March 1907. The village church also has six restored stained-glass windows by Ype Staak, dating from 1771. Its architectural and furnishing history therefore cannot be reduced to a single year: the pulpit points to a presumed earlier period, while the organ and windows mark other dates.
Another memorial is the De Molkbus monument, which has stood in Sumar near the primary school since 1996. The De Hoop grain mill is open every Saturday; visits are possible accompanied by a volunteer miller. If you plan a visit, choose a Saturday and check that the mill will be open before you travel.
Landscape and cultural and historical route
Sumar lies on the boundary between sandy terrain and low peatland. The village is also situated on a raised sandy area, though one that is less pronounced than those at Jistrum, Noordermeer, and ’t Heechsân. This comparison helps put the local raised area in context alongside these more pronounced ones. Southwest of Sumar lies the Sumarreheide; in the past, an extensive heathland area lay there between Sumar, Nijega, and De Tike.
One cultural and historical route option is “Op é Trapers” through De Alde Feanen National Park. It passes through the villages of Sumar, Oudega, and Opeinde and by various cultural and historical monuments.
Hynstedagen and choosing your travel dates
The Hynstedagen is an annual Frisian equestrian event held on the Sumarreheide near Sumar and Garyp. The 2026 edition’s program includes inspections, carriage classes, championships, an evening tournament, market stalls, and shows. Dates change from year to year, and program items may vary. So check the dates and program for your intended year of travel if you want to plan your stay around the event.
For the event, the dates for the relevant year are what matter; for a visit to the De Hoop grain mill, Saturday is the relevant day. Plan your booking around the occasion you have in mind and check the stated visiting conditions before you travel.
Discover more destinations: Jistrum, Hardegarijp, Oostermeer, Aldtsjerk, Wyns, Burgum, Noardburgum, Eernewoude.
For the broader travel overview: Tytsjerksteradiel.
