Crime Series 'Friesland' Sparks Tourism Boom in German Town

In the picturesque German town of Leer, a unique tourism trend has emerged, drawing fans of the popular ZDF crime series "Friesland" to its filming locations. Günter Podlich, a local guide, leads enthusiasts on tours that retrace the steps of the show's characters, visiting sites like the pharmacy, the houseboat, and the police station.

These "crime tours" are distinct from standard city excursions, operating year-round, typically on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with additional special requests accommodated. In 2025 alone, over 3,200 people embarked on these guided tours. The town also offers a self-guided "crime tour" option, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has proven highly popular, with 17,000 downloads by the end of 2025.

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Some twice and thrice.

The "Friesland" series, a crime-comedy, has been broadcast on ZDF since 2014, consistently attracting between six and eight million viewers per episode in linear television. Online viewership also remains strong, with an average of over 1.2 million views per episode in 2025. This popularity has fueled a significant rise in crime-themed tourism, not only in Leer but also in nearby Norden, which serves as the backdrop for the "Ostfriesenkrimis" series based on books by Klaus-Peter Wolf.

Norden has also embraced crime tourism, featuring a museum dedicated to East Frisian crime culture that opened in late 2024. This museum has become a major attraction, drawing nearly 12,000 visitors in its first year. The success of these series highlights the strong appeal of regional crime fiction and its ability to drive tourism.

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We love the pharmacist.