Maassluis

Maassluis is a quaint town in South Holland, Netherlands the city centre of which has barely changed in a century's time.

Understand
Maassluis was founded around 1340 as a settlement by a lock in the river Meuse, hence its name consists of Maas (Meuse) and sluis (lock). The settlement was first known as Maeslandsluys, as the settlement was part of Maesland. During the Eighty Years' War, work was started on defence works for the town, but the city was captured by the Spanish before the works could be completed.

Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland in 1614, after which it switched its name to Maassluis, which is how we know the city today. Maassluis requested city rights in December 1813 and gained said rights two months later. During the nineteenth century, Maassluis became known for its shipping company L. Smit & Co. and maritime salvaging company W.A. van den Tak, which after fusing together became known as Smit-Tak. This maritime history is still visible in modern-day Maassluis.

By car
From Amsterdam and The Hague, follow the A4 heading for Schiedam and Rotterdam. Follow this highway until you're at Knooppunt Kethelplein (Kethelplein Interchange), where you head for Vlaardingen and Hook of Holland. This will get you onto the A20 heading for Maassluis, which is reached by using exit 7 on the A20, followed by a turn to the left.

From Bergen op Zoom, follow the A4 heading north. The A4 will have different names throughout this route (A59 and A29), but all you need to do is head straight heading for Rotterdam. Once you find yourself on the end of the A29, shortly after exit 20, head west onto the A15, shortly after which you turn north onto the A4 again. This will get you to Knooppunt Kethelplein (Kethelplein Interchange), where you head for Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland). Again, Maassluis is found by using exit 7 followed by a turn to the left. If you were to come from the east of the country, then follow the A15, which starts in between Arnhem and Nijmegen.

By public transit
To get to Maassluis via public transit, you can use trains to get to Schiedam Centrum. From here, either take bus 126 to Maassluis, 712 to Maassluis West or 713 to Hook of Holland or, should you travel to Maassluis in the second half of 2018 or later, use the Rotterdam Metro's line to get to Maassluis, which has three stations to its name:,  and. Of these, the first mentioned will most likely be most useful to you, as it is the closest to the city centre.

Get around
The city centre of Maassluis is perfectly navigable by foot. Since the city is stretched along the Nieuwe Waterweg, the Hoekse Lijn (Rotterdam Metro line B) does a rather fine job of connecting Maassluis. As for buses, line 126 sort of serves as a city bus, having many stops in Maassluis.

See
The Steam Boat museum. On Hoogstraat (High street) cost: €4. You get to see the last seagoing steam powered tug the "Furie".

Grote Kerk that towers above the town.

Eat
Restaurants abound in the central section of the city.

Try De Zoete Inval (Tea Room) on Dr Kuyperkade 15. Nice scones, coffee and tea.

Sleep
There is only one hotel in Maassluis, but two more can be found across the Nieuwe Waterweg in Rozenburg, which can easily be reached via a ferry across the water.

Go next
Following the Nieuwe Waterweg, you will find Hook of Holland downstream, the beachfront of which can be reached directly using the Rotterdam Metro's line B. Upstream you will find Vlaardingen, Schiedam and Rotterdam. Going north you'll find Naaldwijk, Delft and The Hague, the latter of which can be reached using the Rotterdam Metro's line E.

Other nearby destinations include:
 * Brielle - The first city to turn against the Spanish during the Dutch war for independence.
 * Spijkenisse - A modern city just south of Rotterdam.
 * Dordrecht - A historical city that once was one of the six largest cities in the county of Holland.
 * Kinderdijk - One of the best known attractions of the Netherlands, being world famous for its windmills.