Harich is a long, narrow village with much greenery, located directly next to Balk. It is an historical town that was once significant thanks to the statesman Dr. Scheltinga. But that was 350 years ago. These days, Harich is a village most people simply drive past on their way from Balk to Woudsend. Cyclists who have cycled through the town know better, however.

Passers-by will immediately notice two structures: the Welgelegen farm hotel and the church. Welgelegen is a former gentleman's farm from the year 1885, a curiosity in Gaasterland, as there were few gentleman farmers in the municipality, unlike the province of Groningen. The front part of Welgelegen is original. The hotel rooms are now housed in the former stable and the attached barn has been converted into a large party and conference hall.

The church was built in 1663. The 12th-century tower has an unusual steeple in that it is made of brick. A stone above the entrance to the church refers to the collapsing of the church during a storm on 10 May 1662. A bizarre eagle with an oak branch in its beak and the largely cutout coat of arms of Dr. Johannes Scheltinga of Harich are depicted on both sides of the stone. Scheltinga was the mayor of Gaasterland from 1659 to 1669 and a member of the Provincial Executive of Friesland and the States General. He is credited with having put Harich on the map.

Built in 1885, the former "gentleman's farm" of Welgelegen is an impressive structure located on the outskirts of Harich near Balk. It now houses a hotel and restaurant where the style of the olden days has been preserved, particularly in the front room, thanks to local entrepreneur Piet Sprik, who bought the "boerepleats" in 1992 and turned it into something special.

Welgelegen was one of the few gentleman's farms in Gaasterland. The accompanying country estate probably used to be around one hundred hectares. Another distinguished country house in the municipality of Gaasterlân-Sleat is Riniastate in Oudemirdum. This white-stuccoed structure from 1843 has a similar architectural style to Welgelegen. Both were designed by architect Heringa Cats.

Farm Hotel

The living room has been converted into a restaurant. The old-fashioned lounge has changed little since it was used for entertaining guests to the home. The original mantelpiece is still in perfect condition, as is the decorative stuccowork on the vaulted ceilings.

The rear portion of the farm used to be the attached barn, cowshed and churning area for making butter, all in accordance with Frisian tradition. The barn has been converted into hotel rooms, a breakfast room, and a party and conference room.

Wings

Owner Piet Sprik hopes to return the gentleman's farm to its former glory by rebuilding the wings, torn down in the 1960s and where the bedrooms and provision depot were once located. The wine cellar beneath the left wing, now filled with dirt and rubbish, is probably still intact.