Zuid-Holland
Dordrecht
Six centuries of painting at the Dordrechts Museum bring together very different ways of seeing. Sixteenth-century altarpieces belong to the same museum collection as recent art. Landscapes, portraits and twentieth-century work show that painting has no single fixed form. The museum on Museumstraat offers an introduction to Dordrecht that extends beyond the façades along its waterfront.
At the Hof van Nederland, the focus shifts from art to freedoms, past and present. The museum opens up those subjects at a historic site in the town centre. Combining it with the Dordrechts Museum brings together two ways of telling stories: one through paintings, the other through history and questions about living together. An hour between visits allows time for lunch and the short transfer through the centre.
Huis Van Gijn adds everyday life around 1900. The rooms of a wealthy family and the working spaces of its staff belong to the same house. Beyond the museum galleries lies another Dordrecht starting point: Biesboschcentrum Dordrecht. Its exhibition explains the connections between water, plants, animals and the history of the nature area.
Painting in the historic centre
Dordrechts Museum
The Dordrechts Museum’s permanent collection spans six centuries of painting, from sixteenth-century altarpieces to contemporary art. It includes attention to Aelbert Cuyp’s landscapes, Ary Scheffer’s work and twentieth-century painting. The photograph shows the museum façade in 2008.
Museumstraat 40, 3311 XP Dordrecht
A day in Dordrecht
An example for a day from Wednesday to Sunday, excluding special closure dates. The Dordrechts Museum normally opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–17:00; the Hof van Nederland opens Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00–17:00. An hour between visits allows for lunch and the short transfer. Each museum visit focuses on a selection.
11:00–13:00 · Dordrechts Museum
The morning begins at the Dordrechts Museum, Museumstraat 40. Its permanent collection connects older and recent painting. The galleries allow for following differences between landscape and portraiture, for example, alongside the changing exhibition programme.
14:00–16:00 · Hof van Nederland
At the Hof van Nederland, Hof 6, the afternoon concerns freedoms in the past and present. The museum connects history with subjects that remain meaningful today. Its normal Wednesday-to-Sunday opening provides the basis for this combination.
Map and localities
More about Huis Van Gijn
Huis Van Gijn focuses on living and working around 1900. The museum house preserves the story of a wealthy family and its staff. The kitchen in the photograph makes the work behind the household tangible: its range, pans and worktable belong to a different side of the house from the reception rooms. The photograph was taken in January 2022.
Key figures and transport
Population
122,991
Area
99.47 km²
Water
22.36 km²
Localities
1
Reference date · 1 January 2026
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Water and landscape
Biesboschcentrum Dordrecht
Biesboschcentrum Dordrecht, at Baanhoekweg 53, provides information about the Hollandse Biesbosch. Its exhibition covers water, plants, beavers and birds alongside the area’s history. Outside, rivers, creeks, willows and reeds shape the landscape. The centre also offers walking maps and information about activities; the photograph shows its building in August 2018.