The day I went to Dordrecht turned out to be the perfect one for a walk – warm and sunny day in March.
So, relatively early in the morning I took the train and left towards my destination. I had a meeting with my host for the night there in the afternoon, so I had hours to spend around the city centre or wherever my feet brings me.
According to Wikipedia, Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and has a rich history and culture. From the same source I got the information that since 2001 Varna, Bulgaria is a partner city.
As always I got there with no planing at all. I have been told there is Primark, so that was my first target (understandingly, I think). The only other place I had to go was the address of my host late at the afternoon.
After I bought what I needed, I choose a random direction and started my improvised tour. It turned out to be the market day, so the whole central area was quite busy with people and that tempting sweet smell of food cooked right on the site, was all over the place.
The medieval city centre is home to over 950 monuments. The city also houses 7 historic churches and 6 museums in a relatively small area and hosts many festivals and events every year. I surely saw some of them, yet walking alone wasn’t quite sure what is what.
The Grote Kerk of Dordrecht, officially the Church of Our Lady is a large church in the Brabantine Gothic style, and the largest church in the city. It was built between 1284 and 1470, though some parts are newer. It became a Protestant church in 1572, and remains an active church, now owned by the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.
The Groothoofdspoort (Big Head’s Gate) is the original city gate, built in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is situated at the point where the rivers the Meuse, the Merwede, and the Rhine meet.
The City Hall is a renaissance building over one of the city harbors. It is the seat of the city’s government, which first received city rights in 1220, and today it is still the place where residents often hold their civic wedding ceremonies.
My tour finished the next day by seeing a big beautiful parque and some of its inhabitants. Then sat for a coffee with my lovely host Anna.
You can see the rest of Dordrecht at the photo gallery.