Location & Venue

MODXpo 2027 is taking place at Z Leeuwarden, in Leeuwarden the Netherlands. Z is located in the heart of the city, just a 5 minute walk from the train station, and directly atop the Zaailand parking garage. 

Leeuwarden is a friendly and very walkable city, perfect for a weekend away, filled with culture, street art, great little restaurants and bars, city canals, and a tower that leans more than the Tower of Pisa. It's also the home of modmore! So we're excited to show you around.

From Schiphol Airport, Leeuwarden is easily and comfortably reached by train in just about two hours, six times per hour.

There are a range of hotels and B&Bs in walking distance within the city center, as well as hotels on the outskirts of town more suited for those coming by car, for all ranges of budgets and preferences. 

Z Leeuwarden is located at Zaailand 106, 8911 BN Leeuwarden. 

Photos by Z Leeuwarden / Peter Hamstra

Hotel Suggestions

Depending on your itinerary, we generally have two sets of recommendations for hotels.

For those coming by public transit, the following hotels are within comfortable walking distance from the train station and venue, right in the city center. These offer good comfort at a good rate, great to attend the MODXpo and explore the city on foot. 

• Leonardo Oranje Hotel Leeuwarden - directly across the train station and 5 mins from the venue. Doesn't get any closer, and generally good rates. 
• Fletcher Hotel-Paleis Stadhouderlijk Hof - about a 15 minute walk, but you do get to stay in a literal city palace! Good standard rates, and Fletcher is known for offering good sales from time to time. 
• Hotel Vie Via - about a 15 minute walk (can take a bus to get closer too), modern self-service hotel. 
• Alibi Hostel - located in the old prison, Alibi offers a modern and comfortable hostel (and a limited number of hotel rooms) at about 15 minutes walk from the station and venue.

For those coming by car, the city center options aren't as ideal. Nearby parking is paid, sometimes limited, and part of the city (particularly around the Fletcher) requires a special city center permit. 

When driving, we would recommend the following hotels that are located outside of the city center, offering (in most cases) free parking, and are still easy to make your way into the city either by car (parking in Zaailand) or a short bus/bike ride. 

• Eurohotel Leeuwarden - western side of the city, affordable rates, solid comfort. 
• WestCord WTC Hotel Leeuwarden - more higher end on the west side of the city. 
• Notiz Hotel - eco-focused hotel run by students of the International Hospitality Management university on the north side of the city. 
• Bastion Hotel Leeuwarden - typically among the more affordable hotel options, south side of the city
• Van der Valk Hotel Leeuwarden - likely the furthest hotel to still count as "in the city", but a a modern, luxurious, and comfortable option to consider. The bus connection is not ideal, so best if you plan to drive into the city. 

When staying at these hotels, you can choose to drive into the city center (5-10 minutes) and park in the Zaailand garage (€11,50/day) right by the venue, or to leave your car at the hotel and take a bus back and forth. 

When relying on public transport, note that the final bus is typically between 11pm-midnight depending on the route. Keep that in mind if you plan to stay up late.

There are also a bunch of B&Bs in the city. Some apartments in the city center can be booked via Stadslogies or via booking.com. 

Getting to Leeuwarden by public transport

Leeuwarden is well connected by train, and a very walkable compact city. 

• From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (flying in, connecting to Eurostar from London, Paris, Brussels; various Flixbus connections), it takes just over 2hrs by train. Six connections per hour, some direct, while others have a short transfer at Amersfoort Centraal, Almere, or Zwolle. 
• ICE connections from Germany should transfer at Hengelo, Arnhem, or Utrecht towards Zwolle instead of first going all the way to Amsterdam. When booking international rail, enter Leeuwarden as your destination to get an all-in-one ticket.
• From Groningen (connecting to Deutsche Bahn in Leer, Flixbus from Bremen-Hamburg-Berlin, and Bremen airport) the direct train journey 3x an hour takes 35-45 minutes. 

From the station, exit the north side towards the city center (towards the fountain and Achmea tower). Once you reach the big plaza (Wilhelminaplein) and the courthouse on your left, turn right to walk towards the Fries Museum. Z Leeuwarden is on the right of the Museum, at the far corner of the plaza. 

Outside of the city center, which is nice and compact to walk around, there are good bus connections to get you around the city. 

Getting to Leeuwarden by car

If you join us by car, you will want to park at the Zaailand parking garage. Zaailand parking garage is located at Zaailand 5, 8922BL, Leeuwarden.

Z Leeuwarden is right on top of the garage (exit C is ideal), and parking is up to €11,50 per day. Limited electric car charging is available in the garage. 

The garage has several exits:

• Exit C is most convenient, which exits by the Scapino. Walk past and around the Scapino, and you will find Z Leeuwarden immediately around the corner. 
• Exit A and B are on the main plaza. Look for the Fries Museum on your left, and cross the plaza towards the street on the right of the museum. 

The garage is open 24/7, but on late nights you'll need your ticket (or your parking app) to open the garage entrance.  

Accessibility

Z Leeuwarden is accessible and we are [tentatively] exclusively on the ground floor, however the wheelchair accessible entrance to the building is located around the corner from the main entrance. 

If you are reliant on a wheelchair, or have other accessibility related questions, please email [email protected] and let us know your estimated arrival time so we can meet you at the door and make your arrival and stay as easy as possible. 

With a Dutch gehandicaptenparkeerkaart (GPK) you are allowed in Leeuwarden to park in any roadside parking spots free of charge. The Zaailand parking garage costs the normal amount and has elevators. Limited nearby roadside parking is on the Zuiderstraat and part of the Willemskade. Note that a GPK does not allow parking on parking spots for vergunningshouders, which includes part of the Willemskade.  

What to do in Leeuwarden

Staying a little longer to enjoy the city? Here are some recommendations:

• Visit the Fries Museum to explore Frisian history, art, and culture. 
• Check out the Blokhuispoort, the former prison complex that now houses creative small businesses, a great restaurant, the library, and Alibi Hostel. 
• Visit the Oldehove, the leaning tower of Leeuwarden. It is currently undergoing renovations, but is still open for the public. By April, renovations should also be complete.

On a nice sunny day, either joining a guided boat ride (< €10 pp) or renting your own electric sloep (€40-80/hr) to explore the cities canals and Potmarge river is definitely worth it. 

The weekly markets are on Friday (Wilhelminaplein) and Saturday (Nieuwestad) for a casual wander. 

Some local favorite places for food and drinks include the Lazy Lemon (all day food and drinks), De Walrus (all day), De Markies (specialty beers), de Stadswaag (lunch), Eetcafé Het Leven (lunch/dinner), the Drunken Dragon (fantasy cafe), Double B (burgers & ribs), Las Tapas, and 't Pannekoekenschip (lunch/dinner pancakes).