Spijkenisse

The area around Spijkenisse has been settled for some good time, with traces being found of hunters and fishermen that have lived in the Meuse estuary since 10,000 BC. Spijkenisse itself grew as a community of farmers and fishermen along a creek of the Old Meuse (Dutch: Oude Maas). The north bank of the creek became a dike witch housing alongside it. This dike is nowadays the Voorstraat. The houses, meadows and a stone church around the Voorstraat became the city centre. The town, being located in the Meuse estuary and the river delta of the Netherlands, was occasionally flooded, most frequently in the 16th century. During the following two centuries, Spijkenisse would be stuck by several fires, which all limited the growth of the town.
After the Second World War, Spijkenisse was still a rather small town with some 2,500 citizens, but in the 1960s and 70s, there was a great influx of inhabitants, growing the municipality to an average size. Spijkenisse to this day is trying to shrug off the title of groeikern (growing centre), doing so by creating a larger and more diverse city centre.

By car

From Zeeland, follow the N57 up north, only leaving the N57 once the exit for Brielle can be found by the side of the road. Take this exit, turning right at the end of the exitramp. Follow the road you're on now, the N218. Go straight after passing the McDonald's on your left, avoiding a connection to the A15. At the roundabout you should find yourself at, go left (third exit) onto the Groene Kruisweg, turning right at the first major interchange. Go straight on this road (Hekelingseweg), which will turn into the Ruwaard van Puttenweg. At this point, you should be able to see the Spijkenisse Centrum metro station on your left hand side. This is the best point from which to explore the area.

By public transit

Rotterdam's metro network covers Spijkenisse, with lines C and D servicing three stations: , and . All of these are served by both lines. The lines run alongside each other until the Tussenwater station, from which line C connects to Schiedam, continuing to Rotterdam Beurs where it crosses line D, continuing to Rotterdam Blaak, terminating in the east of Rotterdam at De Terp, whereas line D meets line E instead, running alongside it through Slinge and Rotterdam Beurs, until it terminates at Rotterdam Centraal railway station, from which line E continues to The Hague. The stops of Rotterdam Centraal and Rotterdam Blaak can be reached by train, with Centraal being the best served station of the two.

The historical centre of Spijkenisse is easy to get around on foot, with the parts of town outside of the centre being rather uninteresting to the traveller. These parts of town, however, can be reached via buslines 81, 84 and 105. The metro system of Rotterdam reaches into town, and is a faster alternative to the busses.

• Museum & Groentewinkel MAK

  phone: +31 181 620 746
  address: Voorstraat 26
  Museum run entirely by volunteers. The museum shows the history of Spijkenisse through the façade of a simple grocery store.

• De Boekenberg

  phone: +31 181 616 622
  address: Markt 40
  De Boekenberg (the mountain of books) is the Spijkenisse public library, which is shaped like a pyramid or mountain, with books upon books stacked up to the ceiling.

• Olijf

  phone: +31 181 619 066
  address: Voorstraat 54

• Zorba de Griek

  phone: +31 181 611 780
  address: Voorstraat 43

• Il Siciliano

  phone: +31 181 506 029
  address: Voorstraat 30

• 't Oudste Huys

  phone: +31 181 375 283
  address: Voorstraat 18

• De Beren

  phone: +31 181 611 252
  address: Westkade 51-55

• Ristorante Pappagallo

  phone: +31 181 610 221
  address: Karel Doormanstraat 6

• Meiden van de Molen

  phone: +31 181 629 011
  address: Noordeinde 99

• Gers

  phone: +31 181 507 137
  address: Voorstraat 15

• Cardan

  phone: +31 181 657 203
  address: Voorstraat 11

• Carlton Oasis Hotel

  phone: +31 181 625 222
  address: Curieweg 1
  Carlton Oasis is a luxurious hotel between Rotterdam and Zeeland.

• Atlas Hotel

  phone: +31 181 659 944
  address: Groene Kruisweg 11

• Spijkenisse is close enough to where the Delta Works are easy to explore in a day trip, taking a ride along the N57, which shows the feat of Dutch engineering from the closest you'll ever get to it. The N57 runs across the sluices that defend the Netherlands against the tides.
• Brielle, the first city to flip to the Dutch side in the Eighty Years War, resulting in an independent Dutch Republic, is just twelve kilometers to the west.
• Rotterdam is a great city trip, with the city's metro system reaching to Spijkenisse. The Central station can be found on line C, while the Maritime Museum, Markthal and Kubuswoningen can be found on line D, both of which terminate in Spijkenisse.
• The Hook of Holland is not only a major harbour, it also features a great beachfront, which can be reached via metro line C and D, changing at Rotterdam Beurs onto an A-line train heading for Hoek van Holland Strand.
• The Hague, the political capital of the Netherlands is connected to metro line E, an extension of line D.