Holland · 24. Juni 2018

Dordrecht

Dordrecht in Holland

Dordrecht is a city with a population of over 118,000 people in the Dutch province of Zuid-Holland, lies in a southeastern direction to Rotterdam and sits on an island called Eiland van Dordrecht. The island itself is in the middle of the Rhine-Meuse-Lek river delta. Around the island the river delta branches into Beneden Merwede, the Noord Canal and the Dordtsche Kil, meaning, Dordrecht is situated in the middle of the busiest waterways The Netherlands has to offer.

The historic centre of Dordrecht is placed at the northwestern tip of the island.

The city rights were granted to Dordrecht in 1220, making the city one of the oldest cities in Holland. Dordrecht was able to become a powerful trande centre and part of the Hanse.

Although Dordrecht suffered a great deal of destruction during WW II, the historic city centre still manages to present itself as a typical picturesque Dutch city with small houses and lanes breathing the sort of tranquility that makes the visitor wanting to stay longer.

dordrecht city centre — Dordrecht City Centre

Things of Interest in Dordrecht

What is of interest for the visitor passing through Dordrecht? Actually a lot. Open your eyes and start a walk about town. Because of destruction suffered during the war, there are less old buildings around than at other places in Holland. One might conclude that people in Dordrecht managed to balance the need for new constructions with the preservation of the historic buildings on the other hand.

A small list covering a couple of places follows below:

Museum Huis Van Gijn
The Dordrecht Museum
The Grote Kerk
Gabled Houses in Wijnstraat
A number of merchant houses strewn over the city centre
The Museum Huis van Gijn
Het Hof van Nederland
The Windmill Kyck over den Dyck
The City Hall
The Dordrecht Port - there you will certainly find some picturesque old ships which are well worth to be captured
The Visitorcenter Biesbosch Dordrecht
Groothoofdspoort - Groothoofds Gate
The Dordts Patriciershuis
The Nationaal Onderwijsmuseum
The Distillery Rutte
The Dordrecht Museum on WW II 1940-45

There are a number of second hand shops in the gabled houses which might come up with the odd offer. ´Who knows? The city centre offers a lot to the photographer walking about town. Take your time, you will see a lot, as always: weather permitting.

Dordrecht is a Dutch city close to Rotterdam. The city has quite a history and, as usual in the Netherlands, there is the well preserved historic center, with all the old buildings, brimming with modern live; and on the other hand around that and partly in-between there is the modern city. But however modern Dutch cities may be modernity needs the past. Maybe that's what keeps the Dutch rolling.

You won't find much information in the travel guides about Dordrecht. What is available is something about history, about the Dordrecht declaration of the reformed church. The latter is well important but does not help you planning your travel.

You can go about town and look intensely at every angle and every spot that hits your interest.

In this blog we will include more detail over the time to provide more reliable information for the traveller.

Map and Route planer for Dordrecht

Dordrecht ist virtually sitting on an island within the river Rhine Delta. Actually Rhine, Maas and Schelde form this huge Delta. The Rhine coming out of Germany and into The Netherlands where it becomes the Waal. The Waal eventually splits into several arms called Waal and Nederrijn and near Arnhem also brances off as Ijssel. The main stream branches off into several arms called Boven Merwede, Beneden Merwede, Noord River, Nieuwe Maas, Het Scheur and Nieuwe Waterweg. The middle flow Nederrijn later changes into Lek and Oude Maas. The estuary has its largest expansion from the North at Hoik van Holland down to Bergen op Zoom.