The only seaport in Holland’s northern Friesland province, Harlingen lies along the mudflats of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Wadden Sea. The town is best known as the home of Anton Wachter, the fictional Dutch boy who put his finger in a dike and saved Holland. A statue of the young hero stands along the buzzy harbor, where a life-size reproduction of a sperm whale pays tribute to Harlingen’s rich whaling and maritime heritage. Today the port serves as base for the Netherlands’ largest “Brown Fleet,” more than 70 historic vessels named for the hue of their original sails. Inland canals encircle the pretty town center, its atmospheric streets lined with historic warehouses and colorful facades. The Harlinger Pottery and Tiles Factory, dating from 1598, is the last in the country to produce authentic Delftware (tin-glazed pottery) by hand. The Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium in nearby Franeker is the world’s oldest working planetarium, dating from the 1770s.