Dordrecht: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Holland's Oldest City

2 hours – 2 h 30 min Free cancellation Private tour

Dordrecht: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Holland's Oldest City, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

Dordrecht may be the oldest city in Holland, but most visitors have never heard of it. On this self-guided audio tour, you'll trace how the city's medieval monopoly on river trade made it the most powerful city in Holland and hear how that ended in a single night. Starting at Scheffersplein, beside a statue whose rejected commission went to a sculptor who later created the Statue of Liberty, you'll walk the Voorstraat the lowest sea dike in the Netherlands. You'll pass through the narrowest house in Dordrecht, a 17th-century almshouse built by a notorious loan shark hoping to save his soul, and along a street that once housed 70 wine cellars. At the harbourfront, hear how the Saint Elizabeth flood of 1421 wiped out Dordrecht's fortune overnight, and pass the city gate where Charles V, Napoleon, and William of Orange all entered. The tour ends at the statue of Johan and Cornelis de Witt two brothers who rose to lead the Dutch Republic before meeting a brutal end.

Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Audio Guides Cultural Tours Historical Tours Walking Tours Short term availability Weather Dependent - Moderate

At a glance

Duration: 2 hours – 2 h 30 min
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Audio guide: English
Written guide: English
Operated by: VoiceMap Audio Tours

Ages: Adults (6–98 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Included: Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Included: Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Included: App for Android and iOS
Included: Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

Not included

Not included: Smartphone and headphones
Not included: Transportation
Not included: Food and drink
Not included: Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

Itinerary

Groothoofdspoort

Passing by

Pass the Groothoofdspoort city gate, where Charles V, Napoleon, and William of Orange all entered the city. Take in this striking landmark at the point where three rivers meet, its Dordrecht maiden relief still watching over the water after four centuries.
Arend Maartenshof

Passing by

Walk through the Arend Maartenshof, a 17th-century almshouse built by a notorious loan shark hoping to save his soul. Take in this quiet courtyard as a curious piece of moral bargaining set in stone.
Stop 3

Passing by

Pass Pakhuis Stokholm, a colossal seven-storey warehouse built in 1730 by Stockholm-born merchant Johan Anthony Bruyn as a sugar refinery. Discover how this striking building, with its bright red shutters, later became a grain warehouse before its restoration in the 1960s.
Stop 4

Passing by

Spot the Schroevendok Straatman, a rare 1928 ship lift once used to hoist vessels partly out of the water for propeller and rudder repairs. Discover how this unique industrial monument, the only one of its kind in the Netherlands, still stands in the Wolwevershaven after a full restoration in 2019.
Stop 5

Passing by

Pass through the Catharijnepoort, one of only two surviving city gates in Dordrecht alongside the Groothoofdspoort. Spot the old cannonballs still embedded on either side, a reminder of the days when beggars and the sick were turned away at this very entrance.
Stop 6

Passing by

Enter the Hof van Nederland, the courtyard where the first act of Dutch independence took place in 1572. Stand in the very space where a nation's path toward freedom first began to take shape.
Stop 7

Passing by

Walk around the Grote Kerk, a Gothic church whose 65-metre tower has been leaning more than two metres since it was built. Take in this remarkable feat of medieval engineering, still standing despite its unmistakable tilt.
Stop 8

Passing by

End your tour at the statue of Johan and Cornelis de Witt, two brothers born here who rose to lead the Dutch Republic. Reflect on their brutal end, one of the darker episodes in Dutch history, as your journey through Dordrecht concludes.
Stop 9

Passing by

Pass Dordrecht's City Hall, originally built between 1383 and 1388 by Flemish merchants as a cloth trading hall. Discover how it later became the seat of city government in 1544, gaining its current neoclassical facade during a major renovation in the 1830s and 40s.
Stop 10

Passing by

Explore Huis Van Gijn, the elegant 1729 residence of Dordrecht banker and collector Simon van Gijn. Step through rooms preserved almost exactly as he left them in 1922, offering a rare window into upper-class Dutch life around 1900.

Meeting point and pickup

Everyone meets at the meeting point.

Meeting point

This tour starts at Scheffersplein. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

Tour ends at the Statue De Witt Brothers, Visbrug 2, 3311 BE Dordrecht, Netherlands

Using your ticket

VOICEMAP CODE

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Please check your email at the address you provided when you made this booking. You've been sent an eight character code you'll need to redeem your tour.

This code can be used by every member of your party. If you've booked for three people, for example, three people can download this tour using the same code.

DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS

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Once you've received your code, please follow these steps:

Install the VoiceMap Audio Tours mobile app

Create an account

Select Tour Codes from the menu, then select Enter Codes

Enter your code then select Download Now

PLEASE NOTE

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You can download the tour at any time, before or after your booking date. It’s best to download the tour before you set off for the starting point.

This tour follows a set route and includes turn-by-turn directions. It works best if you start it in the right place and follow the directions from one location to the next.

When the download completes, you’ll see a screen with a photo of the starting point and directions to it. The red start button will become active when you are at the starting point.

Remember to bring your own headphones, unless you have booked a driving tour.

SUPPORT

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For technical support and other queries, please contact us