Maassluis

Maassluis combines maritime history, museums, and routes to explore on foot, by bike, and on the water. During your stay, you can choose from maritime history, art and local history, historic buildings, and outdoor activities.

Maritime History and Museums

The Nationaal Sleepvaart Museum in Maassluis provides information about towing in the Netherlands and is the only museum of its kind in the country. The Museumshaven Sleepboothaven Maassluis offers another perspective on the subject: historic tugboats and a salvage vessel are moored there. The museum and harbor thus represent two different ways to explore maritime history.

The Groote Kerk also combines architectural history with a special feature: it was built between 1629 and 1639, and its tower houses a carillon that is regularly played by the town carillonneur. You can climb the tower by arrangement. From the top, you can enjoy a view of Maassluis’s historic town center.

The Korenmolen De Hoop was built in 1690 and completely restored in 1980–81. Since then, it has once again milled grain on a small scale. For visitors interested in historic buildings and how they are used, it adds a different chapter to the history of the Groote Kerk: the focus here is not only on the age of a building, but also on an activity that continues to this day.

Museum Maassluis presents modern visual art and the town’s history under one roof. The exhibits include models of buildings and fishing vessels, as well as objects related to crafts and everyday life. This offers a perspective ranging from art and local history to objects that illustrate various aspects of daily life.

The Douanehuisje stands at the end of Maassluis’s outer harbor. It is used for exhibitions, workshops, and presentations by artists, collectors, associations, and cultural organizations. The historic Monstersche Sluis was ceremonially reopened on September 1, 2018. This reopening created new opportunities for recreational boating: boats could now travel from Midden-Delfland to Maassluis’s inner harbor.

Routes on Foot, by Bike, and on the Water

De 9 rondom Maassluis is a nine-kilometer circular walking route around the town. The QR-code walk Historisch Maassluis offers a different way to discover historic places. It passes various historic sites marked with QR-code signs and accompanied by stories. The first route is defined by its distance and circular trail, while the second is distinguished by its historic stops and QR codes.

For a bike ride, try Smaakmakers van de Polder, an approximately 15-kilometer route through Maassluis, Vlaardingen, and Maasland. It starts at Weij in Maassluis and passes six local food producers and craft businesses. Its distance and the places it visits make it a different choice from the circular walk: the focus here is on cycling, several locations, and the producers and craft businesses along the route.

You can walk and cycle in the Boonerlucht. If you would rather be on the water, you can travel from Maassluis along the Noord- and Zuidvliet toward the green countryside of Midden-Delfland and discover the historic Delflandse Trekvaarten along the way. The visitor mooring facility in Maassluis’s inner harbor at Geerkade West has space for 19 sailing and motor yachts up to 15 meters long and no more than 4.5 meters wide.

More Activities for Your Stay

The Avonturis nature playground is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and admission is free. Children can build dams in a stream there. Avonturis also has a beach with a large play boat. Alongside museums, buildings, and routes, there are also hands-on play opportunities to enjoy.

When planning your trip, you can distinguish between routes by mode of transport and distance: De 9 covers nine kilometers on foot, while Smaakmakers van de Polder is an approximately 15-kilometer bike ride. If you’re looking for a hotel in Maassluis, this can help you define the focus of your stay: maritime history and collections, a walk, or a longer cycling route each offer a different way to experience the town.

For the main travel overview: Maassluis.