Dordrecht

Dordrecht received city rights in 1220, making it the oldest city of Holland. Its position among the Merwede, Noord and Oude Maas waterways supported trade in timber, grain and wine, leaving a townscape of harbours, merchant houses and warehouses. The Grote Kerk and the former Augustinian complex at Het Hof preserve other aspects of its history. Museums offer more intimate encounters: the Dordrechts Museum presents painting, while Huis Van Gijn preserves a collector's domestic world. Water, commerce, religious buildings and collections remain closely interwoven, giving the old centre several ways to reveal the history of the people who lived and worked there.