Waling Dijkstra — writer of Friesland
Waling Dykstra (1821–1914) grew into one of the most beloved voices of Friesland and was one of the most prominent Frisian poets, folklorists, and storytellers of Friesland.
He captured the lives of ordinary Frisians in a way that has stayed with generations. He wrote in Frisian, for the Frisian people, out of a deep love for his region.
The house in Holwerd was his home; here, on the border of the Frisian interior and the Wadden Sea, many of his poems and stories about daily life in Friesland originated.
With care for every detail — the restoration
Han and Suzanne have been running Villa Oldenhoff in Abcoude with great pleasure for 16 years, a much-loved spot for travelers from home and abroad. It was Han and Suzanne who fell in love with the completely dilapidated little building and the location in Holwerd during a short holiday and envisioned what it could become. Not to demolish, not to modernize it until it was unrecognizable — but to renovate it carefully. With respect for the past and an eye for modern comfort. Every room is furnished with care, every detail thought through. The result is two apartments that feel as if they have always belonged there. The name Walingsuites was actually a natural choice. A tribute to the man whose house this was, and to the Frisian culture he defended so ardently. You are not staying in a generic holiday apartment here. Those who stay here stay right in the middle of a piece of Frisian literary heritage, with all the warmth that goes with it.
From writer's cottage to writer's residence
The building that housed Waling Dijkstra's creative life offers guests the same conditions today: tranquility, character, and craftsmanship. The circle is complete — what was once a place of writing is now a place to stay the way writers stay: attentive, aware of the surroundings, detached from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
With the same warm luxury and quality you have come to expect from Villa Oldenhoff, the apartments offer a unique place where history, tranquility, and comfort come together — in the heart of the characteristic landscape of Friesland.
Come experience it for yourself. The writers' house awaits.
