Hook of Holland

Hook of Holland (Dutch: Hoek van Holland or De Hoek, literally "The Corner") is a small town on the Nieuwe Waterweg ship canal near the North Sea coast in Rijnmond. It is well connected to the nearby regional hub, Rotterdam. Most notable for travellers is Hook's ferry port, which has had services to the East of England since 1893.

Understand

The Hook of Holland is not an autonomous municipality, but part of the municipality of Rotterdam, although there is an advisory council for local affairs. The settlement came into existence when the Nieuwe Waterweg was dug to create a better waterway from the harbor of Rotterdam to the sea.

Get in

By boat
The "Stena Hollandica" ferry at Hook of Holland

Ferries from England (UK)
  • Stena Lines runs both daily and daily overnight between Hook of Holland and Harwich in Essex (England). (8hr; €48 one-way foot passenger not including bunk/cabin.)
  • P&O Ferries runs daily overnight from Hull (England) to the Maasvlakte part of the Port of Rotterdam. (10hr; €88+ one-way foot passenger not including bunk/cabin.) Then, a local ferry operated by RET links Hook of Holland with Maasvlakte, where the ferry from Hull arrives.

RET Fast Ferry

Coming by bike (or maybe on foot) from Europoort, Rozenburg (landtong) or Maasvlakte a very attractive way to enter the town is the Fast Ferry service from RET (Rotterdam public transport).

By public transit

Starting at the end of 2018, the Hook of Holland can be reached using the former Hoekse Lijn railway line, which is being incorporated into the Rotterdam Metro system. The line is planned to be taken back into service sometime in fall of 2018, with the second station of Hook of Holland, Strand, being put back in service the year after that. Until then, replacement buses are running. Lines to Hook of Holland are line 35 from Den Haag Leyenburg and lines 711 and 713 to Schiedam Centrum, which is connected to lines  A ,  B  and  C  of the metro system. Upon completion, Hook of Holland will be served by 🌍 Hoek van Holland Haven  B  near the Ferry terminal and 🌍 Hoek van Holland Strand  B , which is several hundred meters from the beachfront.

By foot

The Hook of Holland is a hub in the network of European long distance footpaths. It is served by E2 (GR 5), E8 and E9.

By bicycle

Similarly it can be reached by bicycle in about 1 hour from The Hague or Delft, and 1.5 hours from Rotterdam. The route is flat, but strong wind near the coast can make the ride more difficult. You might pass some of the largest greenhouses in the world; the greenhouses in this area of the Netherlands produce enormous amounts of fruit, vegetables and flowers for domestic use and export.

There are different networks especially for touristic/recreational cyclers, see for more information the page of the whole region.

Get around

The town itself is small and easily walkable. However most of the draws for visitors are 2–4 km (30–50 min walking) from town—not all in the same direction—so a bike or car is helpful if you're hoping to fit a lot into your day.

See
The enormous arms of the Maeslant Barrier can close off the mouth of the waterway to protect against storm surges
  • 🌍 Maeslant Barrier (Maeslantkering), Havennummer 882, ☎ +31 174-511222, e-mail: . M–F 10:00–16:00, Sa Su hols 11:00–17:00. Storm surge barrier that is one of the largest moving structures in the world. The Maeslantkering is one of a series of surge barriers, locks, and dikes in the Netherlands, further described in the Delta Works article. The visitors' center (het Keringhuis, €2 per person) explains the history of Maeslantkering as well as the wider context of Dutch water management, but exhibits are in Dutch only. Several times per day, guided tours are provided for €4 per person (most are in Dutch, some in English); check the website for time and reservations. It's also possible to get a good, free view of the barrier from the top of the dune next to the visitors center. Once a year (usually in September), the barrier is closed and re-opened for testing. On that day, the place will be relatively crowded. (updated May 2016)
  • Europoort — The largest port in the world (by some measures) sits on a series of islands facing the Hook of Holland. You can drive or bicycle here on your own, or take Rondvaart Europoort's harbour tour departing from the mainland:
    • You can get to the port on foot or bicycle via the RET Fast Ferry from Hoek van Holland Haven, departing hourly from 06:06 to 19:06. (You'll probably want a bike to get around upon arriving at the sprawling Europoort.) Round-trip ferry tickets €5.60.
    • FutureLand visitor center & tours, Europaweg 902, e-mail: . Tu–F 10:00–17:00, Su 11:00–17:00, sometimes Sat. The Port Authority offers 60- and 90-minute catamaran tours and 60-minute bus tours (€9–11 for the boat or bus tour, €15 combo for both), departing from the visitor center (i.e. you must get to the port on your own). (updated May 2016)
    • Rondvaart Europoort (Europoort Roundtrip) (Departs just east of Maeslantkering, a bit outside Hook of Holland), ☎ +31 174-820374. see website for sailing schedule. Harbor cruise tour of the port. Reservations recommended. €17.50 adults for 1½ hour tour, €21–€25 for 2½–3½ hour tours.. (updated May 2016)
    • Driving to the port is possible, but you'll have to go almost all the way to Rotterdam to get to the tunnel.
The Atlantikwall Museum is set in an old bunker
  • 🌍 Atlantikwall Museum, Widerstandsnest 17. open a few days a month (see website). A bunker-turned-museum about the strategic importance of Netherlands' Atlantic coast in World War II. Hook of Holland was one of the most important places for the Germans to hold in the war because of the harbour. Not in English. €2.50, cash only. (updated May 2016)
  • 🌍 Kustverlichtingsmuseum (Coastal lighting museum), Willem van Houtenstraat 102, ☎ +31 703 912 448, e-mail: . (updated Mar 2018)
  • 🌍 Fort 1881, Stationsweg 80 – 82, ☎ +31 881 881 500, e-mail: . Over 12 years old: €6, between 4 and 12: €4.50, under 4 years of age: Free.. (updated Mar 2018)

Do
Hook of Holland's beach, on the North Sea
  • 🌍 Beach (30 min walk from the west edge of Hook of Holland (even shorter from Hoek van Holland Strand train station), or there's a parking lot on Badweg). The 18 km long sand beach is one of the nicest in the Netherlands. Some affordable restaurants and clubs stretch out from the access roads, or you can find a tranquil spot by walking a bit farther along the beach. Free. (updated Jul 2016)
  • Bike or hike in the dunes. Separating Hook of Holland from the beach are some lightly forested sand dunes with great bike/hiking/dogwalking paths. Good birdwatching too. Free. (updated Jul 2016)

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Connect

Go next
  • Rotterdam — Major multicultural city known for its modern architecture.
  • Delft — Arguably the country's most picturesque canal-lined town. Home of the famous Delft Blue pottery (or Delftware), and the home of Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
  • The Hague — The seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and home to Scheveningen, the most popular seaside resort of the Netherlands.
  • East of England by ferry
Routes through Hook of Holland

Cork ← London ←  W  E  → Berlin → Omsk
END ←  W  E  → Vlaardingen → Rotterdam
END ←  W  E  → Vlaardingen → Schiedam → Rotterdam
Harwich ←  UK  NL  → END


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