Schiedam

Introduction

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.

Sights and Activities

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

• Old City Hall (Het oude stadhuis), Grote Markt 1. Originally built in the 16th century. It contains late gothic and renaissance elements. The staired plateau was added in 1717/18. The town hall is now only used for performing weddings, meetings and representative purposes.
• The Wheat Exchange (De Korenbeurs), Lange Haven 145. Sa & Su 10:00-22:00. The Korenbeurs was built by Giudici and modified by Schiedam architect Rutger van Bol‘Es (1787–1792). Malt spirit, alcohol and grain was traded here.
• The Porters' Guild House (Zakkendragershuisje), Oude Sluis 19. This is a square-formed building with a zakkendrager (sack carrier) as wind vane. It was built in 1725 and used to be the guild house of the Zakkendragersgilde (Sack Carrier’s Guild). The building has a clock-faced tower and the clock bell tolled to signal the arrival of a ship, after which the sack carriers would make their way to the Guild House. The building is not accessible to the general public.
• Church of Saint John (Grote- of St. Janskerk), Lange Kerkstraat 37. This triple naved hall church was built around 1335 on a spot where earlier in 1262 a small church had stood. The interior includes an early renaissance organ case (approx. 1550), a wood carved pulpit (approx. 1600) and a baptising screen with copper arch and alderman’s and mayor’s bench. The church has five stained glass windows by Marius Richters (1952). The vestry has golden leather wallpaper and a fresco. The building began in 1262 and was completed around 1500. The church contains the grave of the holy Liduina.
• Huis te Riviere. Castle built in 1262.
• Saint Lidwina Basilica (St. Liduinabasiliek), Singel 104, ☎ +31 10 426 82 28. Every Saturday in April–October 13.00-15.00. The Liduina Basilique was designed by architect E.J. Margry and was built between 1878 and 1881. In 1990 the church was turned into a basilica and restoration was started in 1994.
• Het Proveniershuis, Overschiesestraat 3. Former home for leprosy patients, it was thereafter used to accommodate elderly middle-class people, who could pay a sum for accommodation and care. The courtyard now consists of almshouses for single or double occupancy.
• Museummolen De Nieuwe Palmboom, Noordvest 34. Easter - 31 October: Tu-Sa 11.30-17.00, Su and holidays: 12.30 17.00. 1 nov to Easter: only on Sa, Su and holidays. Closed on 1st January, 30th April and 25th en 26th December.. Heavily damaged by fire in 1901, restored between 1991–1993. The museum part shows you how grain is processed to jenever and let you learn more about the history of the mills in Schiedam. Adults € 3,50, children (up to 18 years of age) € 2,50. Dutch Museum Pass and Rotterdam pass holders free entrance. Combination tickets for Jenever museum and Canal cruise available.
• Stedelijk Museum Schiedam, Hoogstraat 112-114, ☎ +31 10 246 36 66. Tu-Su: 10:00 - 17:00; closed on Monday, 25 December and New Year's day. In early 2006 the Stedelijk Museum in Schiedam reopened its doors inside the former Sint-Jacobs hospital. One of the town’s finest listed monuments, its full restoration took more than two years. Spread over 12 rooms, the museum has been housing Dutch fine arts since 1945. Pride of place among the exhibits goes to the extensive CoBrA collection of over 250 works. The museum organises a host of activities and exhibitions for young and old. It also has its own café and shop. € 7,50; Free Admission: Children up to and including 12 yrs, OntdekSchiedam.nu pass, RotterdamPAS, Museumkaart.
• Jenevermuseum Schiedam, Lange Haven 74-76. Tu-Fr 12:00 - 17:00; Sa+Su 11:00-18:00. Closed on 25, 26, 31 December, 1 January, Easter, Kings Day and Pentecost.. Jenevermuseum Schiedam is located on one of central Schiedam‘s most evocative canalside streets. The museum tantalises visitors by recounting the fruity tale of the Netherlands‘ national tipple and other spirits from both inside and outside the country. The Jenevermuseum Schiedam is no ordinary museum: it offers a sensory experience in which visitors, on their own or in the capable hands of a guide, get to smell, hear, see, touch and of course, taste all aspects of the distiller‘s world. Adults: € 9,00; 13-17 years € 5,00; 65 years and older: € 4,50; Free: OntdekSchiedam.nu pass, RotterdamPAS, Museumkaart.

Getting There

By Plane

The nearest airport is Rotterdam The Hague Airport with flights from selected cities in Europe. See the Rotterdam page. Public transport to Schiedam requires 50 minutes of travel time. Bus 33 runs frequently to Rotterdam Centraal Station (in about 25 minutes), change there for tram line 21 or 24 (see below). Or take the same line 33 to metro station Meijersplein where you can transfer to metro line E to Slinge, change at Beurs for lines A or B to Schiedam Centrum, or line C to De Akkers. All these bus, tram and metro lines are operated by RET. As it's only 10 km to the centre of Schiedam a taxi can be a good alternative. If you arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport you can take a direct intercity service to Schiedam Centrum operated by NS.

By Train

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

Schiedam is served by the Rotterdam metro, operated by RET. Metro lines A & B from Rotterdam currently terminate at Schiedam Centrum station. From the end of 2018 they will be extended in the direction of Hoek van Holland and will serve ‘’Schiedam Nieuwland’’ station. Line C continues towards Spijkenisse (De Akkers station). Travel time from metro station Beurs to Schiedam Centrum 10 minutes. Schiedam counts five metro stations: Schiedam Centrum, Schiedam Nieuwland, Parkweg, Troelstralaan and Vijfsluizen.

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

Watertaxi Rotterdam has a landing stage at the Voorhaven. The city centre is a 15 minute walk through De Plantage, the oldest city park in The Netherlands. Follow the pedestrian way finding signs to Binnenstad.

Getting Around

By 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. You need a OV-chipkaart to travel. The Strippenkaart is no longer valid.

Schiedam Centrum station is the terminus for metro lines A and B from Rotterdam. Metro line C continues along the western border of the historic centre towards Spijkenisse De Akkers station. 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.

RET operates tram lines 21 and 24 which share tracks in the city centre (and to Rotterdam). With a frequent service (15 minute intervals on each line), this gives you 7,5 minute intervals on the main section. Both lines connect to Schiedam Centrum station (train and metro) and Schiedam Nieuwland station (metro from end of 2018). Note that due to budget cuts, line 21 operates only till around 19:00h, reducing the interval to 15 minutes on the main section. Further note that line 23 no longer serves Schiedam.

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 Bike

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 Koemarkt and at Stadserf. The tourist information office (VVV) has some bicycles and e-bikes for rent. Reservation is strongly recommended, call 010-473 30 00 or e-mail [email protected]. Schiedam Centrum station has a guarded bicycle parking and also offers bicycle rental services.

Eat

• Borrelmuseum - ‘t Spul, Hoogstraat 92. We-Su 14.00-01.00, Fr+Sa 14:00-02.00. No visit to Schiedam is complete without sampling the drink that has made the town famous the world over: its local gin, or ‘jenever’. The Café Jeneverie ’t Spul stocks 400 different varieties. Differences between jenevers can be tasted by ordering a ‘triple hatch’ (three different shots of jenever) or in larger groups at a special jenever tasting. In the Borrelmuseum behind the tasting room, old adverts, photos, films and other artefacts tell the story of jenever’s illustrious past in the town. Bottles of anything sampled in the café can also be purchased afterwards from the adjoining off-license.

Sleep

• Bed & Breakfast Lange Haven, Lange Haven 59 (historic city centre), ☎ +31 617638013, e-mail: [email protected]. 1 apartment B&B with private entrance located at the historic harbour in the city centre. 1 person €40, 2 persons €70.
• Bed & Breakfast Elselina, Willemskade 26, ☎ +31 6 410 40 452. A Bed & Breakfast in a boat in one of the Schiedam canals.
• Novotel Rotterdam - Schiedam, Hargalaan 2 (Train, tram line 21, 23: station Schiedam Nieuwland), ☎ +31 10 471 33 22.

View our map of accommodation in Schiedam

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés are not as widespread as you would expect, but you can easily find one in the popular cities. Most hostels, hotels and camp sites have several computers, so you can keep connected with folk at home. Here is a list of internet cafés that could come in handy for travellers. Otherwise, most libraries have lots of computers and prices are around the €2-3 per hour range, although sometimes it can be even more expensive.

Wireless internet access using wifi is becoming more popular and is usually available at most hotels and increasingly at train stations. Also in trains (at least in most first class wagons, but also more and more in second class) and some buses you can use wifi. Finally, places like McDonald's and Starbucks have free wifi, and smaller individual business like cafés and restaurants are on the rise too offering these services. More often than not, these service tend to be free of charge, though there might be a limited time you can use the internet.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country code for the Netherlands is 31. The outbound international prefix is 00. The general emergency number is 112, like many other countries.
0800 numbers are toll-free and for 09xx numbers are charged at premium rates. Mobile phones have numbers in the 06 range, and calls to cell phones are also priced at higher rates.

From internet cafés, it is also usually possible to make long distance international calls. Like in other countries, telephone booths have almost disappeared, though some are still found around public transport stations, where you can use a few coins to make calls. It is only recommended for local calls.

The cellular phone network in the Netherlands is GSM 900/1800. The main providers of cell phone networks are KPN (Dutch only), T-mobile and Vodafone, who cover the whole country. Other operators, like Hollandsnieuwe, Simyo or Tele2, use one of these 3 networks basically.

It is best to buy a SIM card when in the Netherlands for use in your cellphone, as this usually works out cheaper than using the one from home. If you are planning to study or work in the country and stay for several months, buying a cellphone is the best option. A simple one, sometimes with €10 worth on it, can be bought from around €25. The simplest smartphones are around €75.

Post

The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.64 (2014). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).

Sending items to other EU countries and the rest of the world (there is one price since 2014) will cost €1.05. Stamps are sold at post offices, supermarkets and smaller shops/kiosks; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.

Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between up to 2 kilograms will cost you €9 for destinations within the EU and €18 (both without Track & Trace) to the rest of the world. Prices with Track & Trace start at €13 and €24.30 respectively. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well. For sending parcels, it might be just as competitive and fast to use a company like TNT, UPS or DHL.

If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.

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