Friedrichstadt feels as though a piece of Holland has been dropped on the flat marshes of North Frisia. The town was founded in 1621 by Duke Friedrich III of Holstein-Gottorf, who invited Dutch Remonstrants, a persecuted Protestant group, to settle on the banks of the Treene, and they brought their architecture with them: canals lined with stepped-gable brick houses, bridges, trees and little quays. The result is a miniature Amsterdam, complete with canal boats, and it is a delight to walk.
The duke hoped to make the town a rich trading post, and it did not quite work out that way, but the place became known for something else, religious tolerance. Remonstrants, Lutherans, Mennonites, Catholics and Jews all lived here side by side at a time when Europe was tearing itself apart, and the town still has a number of churches and a Jewish cemetery that tell of that mix. A handful of them stand within a few minutes' walk of each other.
For a rider the town is a delight after the flat roads of the marsh. The old centre is compact, with a small market square and cafes along the water, and a stop here with a coffee and a piece of cake is easy. Parking on the edge of the old town is straightforward. The surrounding country is classic marshland, with dikes, drainage ditches, grazing sheep and a huge sky, and the roads run straight for kilometres, with the wind from the North Sea often strong.
The town is small, about two and a half thousand people, so for fuel the safe choices are Tönning, the nearest larger town, or Husum a little further north. Along the way there are small farm cafes, and local specialities include fresh fish, shrimp and a hearty plate of North Frisian dishes. The weather changes fast, with cloud, wind and bright sun in the same hour, so layers are useful.
Late spring, when the meadows are bright and the lambs are out, and early autumn, when the light is warm and the geese are flying, are the best times to visit.