Easy hikes and walks around Wilhelminahaven

Schiedam's Old Town Hall is located on the Grote Markt. Built in 1538, it was rebuilt in 1606 after a fire in 1604, and given its current gables in 1637. The double staircase dates from 1717-1718. In 1782, it was modernized by then-city architect Rutger van Bol'es. The last meeting of the city council was held here in January 1973. One section of the town hall houses a restaurant, while the other is used for weddings, meetings, and other representative functions. Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven opened the restored Town Hall on October 22, 2004. The restoration took eighteen months and was made possible by a Kanjer grant from the National Heritage Agency. The restoration of the old town hall addressed both the interior and exterior. The paintwork, ceilings, and furnishings of various rooms have been renovated. The exterior facade and the turret have also been restored. A restaurant is located in the basement of the old town hall. The old town hall is also used as a wedding venue.

The Old Catholic church and rectory at Dam Square 28 and 30 together form 't Huis te Poort. The current complex was built in 1862 on the site of an older church. The name refers to the house, founded in the seventeenth century and donated to the Old Catholic parish in 1725. This was a clandestine church, whose function was not visible from the street. With the new construction in 1862, a recognizable church was created. The design was by Schiedam architects M. van Erkel and J. Vormer. The unique round-arched frame of the stepped gable and the window tracery are derived from Tudor Gothic. This architectural style became popular in the Netherlands through building projects by King William II, who had studied at Oxford. In 2006, restoration work began under the supervision of Stadsherstel Schiedam and was completed in 2009. The Old Catholic Church still celebrates Mass in the building, but cultural events are also held there. Source: https://reliwiki.nl/index.php/Schiedam,_Dam_28_-_Johannes_de_Doper

What was once called "Hemaplein" (Hema Square) and is now also called "Veetplein" (food square) by many Schiedam residents on market day, is officially called "Het Land van Belofte" (The Promised Land). This name refers to a Biblical story about the Promised Land. This land of milk and honey was discovered by two of Moses' 12 spies: Joshua and Caleb. A gable stone above the passage to the courtyard of the Sebastiaanshof, bearing the inscription "HET LANT VAN BELOFTE" (THE LANDSCAPE OF PROMISE), depicts these two spies with a large bunch of grapes. They took this bunch with them as proof of the great fertility of the discovered area and reported that the land overflowed with milk and honey. On Fridays during the fresh produce market, there is still an abundance of produce, so the name actually fits this square perfectly. Sources: https://indebuurt.nl/schiedam/genieten-van/straatnaam-verklaard-daarom-heet-land-van-belofte-zo~71898/ and https://www.facebook.com/literairgezelschapschiedam/photos/wat-een-tijdlang-het-hemaplein-heette-en-tegenwoordig-door-menig-schiedammer-op-/951601490421854/

The Appelmarkt Bridge over the Lange Haven between the Appelmarkt and the Vismarkt is one of Schiedam's three monumental double cast-iron drawbridges, built around 1860. When a boat passes through the harbor, this bridge is manually raised by two bridge keepers. Source: https://www.sdam.nl/zien-doen/ct/molens-en-monumenten/info/appelmarktbrug

De Plantage is a neighborhood in Schiedam situated around the oldest city park in the Netherlands. A historic city park that will have entered its 256th year in 2025. The park was laid out in 1767 by then city architect Arij van Bol’es. At the time, this area was a green zone on the edge of the city. Wealthy people built their houses there with spacious gardens and gazebos on the water. Over time, a number of companies also settled in De Plantage. In 2013, the northern part of De Plantage, called the “Kop van het Park”, was redesigned. With the new redesign, De Plantage also got a clear entrance again; this invites visitors to enter the park to walk, picnic and enjoy. Source: https://www.plantagebewoners.nl/het-mooiste-park

There is such a special tree in the Plantage. This world tree is an Oriental Plane and is called “De Plantage Plataan” because of its location in the park. This plantain was planted around 1870.  The world tree community of the Plantage, together with the tree protector, prevents the tree from being damaged.

The city carpentry house or city carpentry yard used to be a building in a city, where the materials for the city works were stored, and where later the city carpenter also lived and worked. In Schiedam, the city carpentry yard was located at Korte Haven 135. The city carpentry yard is an elongated, 18th-century building, now a national monument, consisting of two brick wings with low floors and hipped roofs. In the middle of the facade is a simple gate with pilasters and entablature.

The Korte Haven is a canal approximately 400 meters long in the west of Schiedam's city center. The Korte Haven was dug in 1577 and connects the Nieuwe Haven (Westvest) in the west with the Lange Haven in the east. The Vlaardingen gate, demolished in 1862, stood on the west side. Source: https://nl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korte_Haven