Maassluis: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Maassluis can be explored through its museums, historic buildings and waterways. The Maassluis Museum brings modern visual art and the history of Maassluis together under one roof. The collection includes paintings, drawings and textiles. The museum also displays models of buildings and fishing vessels, as well as objects from crafts and everyday life.

Culture

A particular focus is placed on Dutch tugboat shipping. The Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum is considered the only museum of its kind in the Netherlands and presents the history of Dutch tugboat shipping as well as maritime history. The Sleepboothaven Maassluis is also part of the maritime heritage. It is a museum harbour for historic tugboats and salvage vessels and is described as the only tugboat museum harbour in the world. At the Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum, visitors can use a simulation programme to try steering a ship themselves.

The historic vessels include the museum ship Hudson, the steam seagoing tug Furie and the salvage vessel Bruinvisch. The museum ship Hudson is the only surviving pre-war seagoing tug in the Netherlands. The steam seagoing tug Furie is the last steam-powered seagoing tug in the Netherlands and played a central role in the television series „Hollands Glorie“, based on the book by Jan de Hartog. The salvage vessel Bruinvisch is the last surviving ship from the generation of pre-war salvage vessels. After the Second World War, it was used, among other things, for wreck clearance in the Nieuwe Waterweg.

History

Historic landmarks can also be found outside the museums. The Groote Kerk in Maassluis was built between 1629 and 1639 and is known, among other things, for its Garrels organ. Its tower can be climbed by appointment and offers views of the historic city centre of Maassluis.

The history of water management can be seen at the Monstersche Sluis. It developed from an opening described in the Maasdijk in 1343 into a drainage sluice system that was rebuilt in 1602, and into a lock in 1889. The reopened Monstersche Sluis allows pleasure craft to travel from Midden-Delfland to the inland harbour of Maassluis. Another historic building is the Wippersmolen, dating from 1726. The mill and the miller's house have Rijksmonument status.

Water and Routes

The connection by water extends as far as Rozenburg. The ferry between Maassluis and Rozenburg crosses the Scheur. The Veerpont Blankenburg carries cars, lorries, buses, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians, while the Veerpont Jorina is intended exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. Maassluis also has a metro connection to Hoek van Holland and Rotterdam, as well as three metro stations.

From Maassluis, visitors can also explore the historic Delflandse Trekvaarten by boat via the Noordvliet and Zuidvliet. Another water-based experience is offered by the Trekschuit de Goude Leeuwin: this horse-drawn boat trip starts in Maassluis and continues via Maasland in the direction of De Kwakelweg.

Landscape

The „De 9 rondom Maassluis“ route is 9 kilometres long and connects historic roads, expansive polders and bodies of water along the Nieuwe Waterweg. It runs along the harbour and offers views of large seagoing vessels passing by regularly. At the same time, it passes through an open polder landscape, over dikes and along green fields.

There are walking and cycling opportunities along the Waterweg. Visitors can observe shipping traffic and the maritime activity on the water there. Boonerlucht is considered an area for walking and cycling.

Experiences

During the sailing season, visitors can join Tonijn, Steenbank and Bruinvisch on Saturdays. On trips with the Europoort tug Steenbank, visitors can view the engine room and wheelhouse; accompanied by a crew member, passengers can try to keep the tug on course.

Guided city tours are offered in Maassluis on the themes of maritime life, history, Maarten 't Hart and outdoor art. They last around 1.5 hours. On the Fietstour through Maassluis, participants ride their own bicycles. They are accompanied by a guide from the Historical Association Maassluis; the tour leads to highlights as well as lesser-known places in the city.

A recurring event is the Furieade, a multi-day maritime event weekend in October that is considered the highlight of the year. For a further overview of the area, go to Maassluis.

For the overview of the wider travel region: South Holland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Voorschoten, Boskoop, Zwijndrecht, Bernisse, Westland, Hillegom, Waddinxveen.