Schiedam

Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South-Holland in the Netherlands and is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is best known for Jenever (gin), its historical centre and the tallest old windmills in the world.

By plane
The nearest airport is Rotterdam The Hague Airport with flights from selected cities in Europe. See the Rotterdam page. For onward travel with public transport use RET bus line 33. Travel to Schiedam requires at least one transfer in Rotterdam. Plan your journey via the nationwide planner 9292. The train (operated by NS) between Rotterdam Centraal and Schiedam Centrum gives you in many cases the fastest total travel time of about 35 minutes, but for the train you either need a separate train ticket or an OV-Chipkaart with sufficient balance (20 euro). You can save the hassle and some money by traveling with RET only. Depending on your final destination in Schiedam you can take bus 33 to Rotterdam Centraal and then tram line 21 or 24, or take bus 33 the opposite direction to Meijersplein/Airport metro station, change to metro line E (direction Slinge) and change at Beurs station to metro A, B or C (see below).

As it's 10 km to the centre of Schiedam a taxi can be a fast but more expensive alternative.

If you arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport you can take a direct intercity service to Schiedam Centrum operated by NS. One way ticket, 2nd class costs (2023) (plus €1 if bought from ticket machine).

By train
Schiedam Centrum station is well served by national rail (Nederlandse Spoorwegen ), with direct connections to Delft, The Hague, Leiden, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Roosendaal, Middelburg and Vlissingen. For international trains arriving at Rotterdam Centraal Station, Schiedam Centrum is a 5-minute train ride from there.

By metro
Schiedam is served by the Rotterdam metro, operated by RET. Metro lines A, B and C from Rotterdam serve Schiedam Centrum station. Line A and B continue to Vlaardingen/Hoek van Holland and both serve Schiedam Nieuwland station. Line C continues towards Spijkenisse (De Akkers station). Travel time from metro station Beurs to Schiedam Centrum is 10 minutes. Schiedam counts five metro stations:, , , and.

From Schiedam Centrum it's a 5-minute walk to the heart of the centre. Alternatively, Parkweg station brings you within 300 meter walking distance of three of the largest windmills of the world.

By tram
From Rotterdam, tram lines 21 (to Schiedam Woudhoek) and 24 (to Vlaardingen Holy) offer a frequent service to Schiedam. For the city centre use either Koemarkt or Broersvest tram stop, travel time from Rotterdam Centraal approximately 20 minutes.

By car
Schiedam can be reached via the A4 and A20. Any exit (Schiedam-Noord and Schiedam-Centrum on the A20 and Schiedam-West on the A4 near the Beneluxtunnel) will take you to the city center (follow Centrum). Near the center a P-route is signed which will guide you along parking locations. The parking garages are cheaper then on-street parking. All meters accept debit and credit cards. Also watch for signs vergunninghouders where parking is only allowed for permit holders.

By bus
Eurolines links Rotterdam with various cities of Europe. The Eurolines buses arrive in front of Rotterdam Centraal Station; from there it's a 5-minute train ride to Schiedam Centrum, or take tram line 21 or 24.

By boat
Schiedam can be reached via Schie or Nieuwe Waterweg. The bridges and sluice are operated 1 April - 1 November M-Th 09:00-17:00 and F-Su 09:00-20.30. Outside the season this is on demand only.

Contact the harbour office for mooring (port fees are due) and opening of bridges and sluice at 010 631 53 01, or VHF 22, or at havendienst@irado.nl.

Moorings for passers-by are situated at:

The following water sport associations do have some places for passers-by:

By foot
The best way to explore the historic city centre is by foot. Museums, monumental buildings, windmills, restaurants and shops are all well within walking distance of each other. Within the city centre there are plenty of pedestrian wayfinding signs. For the historic centre, follow Binnenstad (literally "Inner City"). For the tourist office follow VVV.

By bicycle
Like any city in The Netherlands, Schiedam is a very bicycle-friendly. Getting around by bike is probably the fastest way of travel within the city. There are separate bike lanes on most major streets. Avoid getting your tire in the tram rails. Always cross tram rails at an angle. Always lock your bike securely when leaving it, preferably chained to a fixed object.

Free, guarded bicycle parking is available at Broersveld and at Stadserf.

Schiedam Centrum station has a guarded bicycle parking and also offers bicycle rental services.

Public transport
Although the historic city centre of Schiedam can be easily explored on foot, there is a good public transport service if you want to discover surrounding neighborhoods (or maybe your feet are a bit tired from the sightseeing). All metro and tram lines, and most of the bus lines are operated by RET.

See
This small town was built around a few nice canals, which are worth seeing as they are.

Other sites
Unless otherwise mentioned, these buildings or sites are not freely accessible to the general public but can be viewed from public domain. People live and work in these buildings so please be respectful and respect their privacy. Some of the buildings may be opened during the Open monumentendag (open monuments day) in September (see under Do).

Windmills
Windmills of Schiedam are the tallest traditional windmills in the world. There are six historic windmills in the centre.

Outside the old city centre

Museums
You can find the museums of Schiedam close to each other, in the Museumkwartier. This is the (new) name for the area around Appelmarkt, including parts of the Hoogstraat and Lange Haven.



Parks


Outside the historic city centre:

Events




Buy
Most shops are situated on Hoogstraat, Broersveld and Broersvest.

Stay safe
You should take normal precautions against pickpockets and baggage theft, especially in the main shopping streets, at markets, in trams and trains, at stations, and anywhere where tourists congregate.

Go next

 * Delft — old town famous for its Delftware ceramics
 * Rotterdam — Europe's largest port, modern architecture and an impressive skyline