Franeker's main draw is the Eisinga Planetarium — a genuine wonder that alone justifies the trip. Beyond that, the town's compact historic centre rewards a half-day's walking, with the sixteenth-century City Hall, the Martenahuis town palace, the Martinikerk with its university tombstones, and the 1657 Waag (weighing house) all within a few streets of each other.
The town is one of Friesland's eleven historic cities — included in the legendary winter Elfstedentocht skating tour — and is built around a network of canals and small bridges that are themselves part of the appeal.