Joure (Frisian: De Jouwer) is a place in the Dutch province of
Friesland and the capital of the municipality of De Friese Meren.
Joure has 13,150 inhabitants (2020).
Inhabitants of Joure are
called Jousters. In popular parlance they are also called Jouster
Keallepoaten (calf's feet), after the Frisian "keallepoat" (calf's
leg), a cake offering that the ancestors brought to the water
spirit, because he had allocated so much water to their land. The
keallepoat consists of two elongated cakes that are baked next to
and against each other and therefore look like veal's feet. They are
made from rye flour, honey and various herbs.
Joure was partly created on top of a sand ridge and on
an old flood defense (end of the Middle Ages) that ran from the
Tolhuis to Haskerhorne, on the crown of this dyke the later
Midstraat was constructed. Joure was also at a crossing of waterways
next to the former village of Westermeer. Around 1400 many canals
were dug by Hamburg sailors. They sought a remote place that could
be reached by canals and draft horses, as these places were
relatively safe from the feared Normans. Then the Kolk was also dug,
from where a waterway "De Overspitting" to Heerenveen was also dug.
In the crisis years of the 1930s, there was a lot of activity in
Joure. The peat that came from, among other places, the Nannewiid
(lake created by peat excavation, south of Oudehaske), was
transported on barges in Joure and transferred into skûtsjes. This
overloading took place on the spot where the church "de Oerdracht"
now stands.
Some street names, such as "Eeltsjebaes, Aukebaes
and Hettebaes", still remind us of the shipyards, where new skutsjes
and pramen were made, but also many repairs were carried out. Before
the war, Joure was part of an extensive horse tram network. Joure
was thus connected with Sneek, Lemmer and Heerenveen. The
Stationsstraat is a street name from that time. A nice detail is
that roads had to be built before the construction of the rails. The
Tramwei is a reminder of this. Before that they were used to
undertake all transport by boat.
Traditionally, Joure is not
a city, but it is too big to be called a village. In Old Frisian
tradition such a place is called a vlecke.
There are several
theories about the origin of the name Joure, or De Jouwer. It is
often thought that it comes from the Frisian word Hjouwer, which
means oats.
The name of Joure is also inextricably linked to
Douwe Egberts. In 1753, Douwe Egberts' father, Egbert Douwes,
started a business in colonial merchandise on Midstraat in Joure,
which has grown into the well-known coffee roaster. For years there
was still a DE store on Midstraat. It was closed on October 24,
2014.
Until the municipal reorganization in 1984, the capital
Joure was part of the former municipality of Haskerland, and then
until 2014 of the former municipality of Skarsterlân. After that
Joure became part of the municipality of De Friese Meren.
The
Haulster forests are located east of Joure. The Haskerveenpolder is
located north of Joure. The Langweerderwiels are located west of
Joure. Joure has a subtropical swimming pool, a harbor, an old
center and beautiful water-rich residential areas.
In 1466 de vlecke acquired the right to a weekly market. More than
15 years later, in 1482, the right to an annual fair was also added:
Jouster Merke. This is still held every year on the fourth Thursday
of September.
The Frisian Balloon Festivities have been held
annually in Joure since 1986. In addition, 35 hot air balloons take
off daily from the Nutsbaan in Joure. The event usually takes place
in the last week of July and attracts many tourists. In addition to
the take-off of balloons, the balloon parties consist of various
performances by artists. Since then, Joure is also called Balloon
City with about 50 balloonists.
The Peasant Wedding is also held
on the Wednesday that the balloon parties start. With a wedding, a
harness racing (riding competition) on unsaddled horses and a ring
riding facility.
The World Cup Solex racing is also held in Joure
every year. This also attracts many tourists.
The Romantic market
is held in August, Joure can be transformed into a real Mont Martre
Market for one day. More than 250 stalls transform the Midstraat
into a beautiful and above all cozy market. The art and collectors
market offers numerous nostalgic products from (grand) mothers time.
The market has a long tradition in Friesland and has grown into a
real Frisian event in more than fifty years.
For the first time
in 2008 (May 24) a historical spectacle was organized in Joure:
Rjochtdei, a major event in the center of Joure. Midstraat was the
center of the 17th century theater. The year 1628, in which the
lower court was used in de vlecke Joure, is central. In the form of
an open-air game, Grietman Hobbe van Baerdt (the then mayor) gave
justice in the Hobbe of Baerdt Tsjerke. All kinds of activities took
place around it in the center. A special coin, the Jouster Sulvur
Gūne, was issued for this day. On May 20, 2010, the Rjochtdei was
organized for the second time. On this occasion, Ambachtelijk
Friesland offered the Museum Joure a drinking horn, cut from the
horn of a cow. The carving on the horn contains the coat of arms of
Joure and that of Hobbe van Baerdt. The opening is decorated with
ornamental silver and the tip contained a silver acorn.
Every summer, in the last week of the primary school holidays, the Youth Holiday Days are organized. About 750 children per day attend these children's play days. In 2011 it was organized for the 20th time.