05.04.17
MS “Bellejour”
Dordrecht
06:30Breakfast is served for early risers at the lounge area
07:30 – 09:00Buffet breakfast at the restaurant
09:20Come and join us to make a group photo in front of the ship
09:30Walking city tour of Dordrecht complimentary
provided by Crucemundo (in English language)
13:30MS Bellejour sets sail back to Amsterdam
13:30Enjoy your lunch at the onboard restaurant
15:00 – 18:00Welcome to Crucemundo workshops
(exact timing and certain details will be announced onboard)
18:30Dinner at the restaurant followed by disco at lounge
20:00Arrival in Amsterdam, enjoy the city on your own
or join our walk to the Red Light District!
Have a nice day!
05.04.17
MS “Bellejour”
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (pop. 120,000) is the southernmost city of South Holland and of the Ranstad metropolitan area. It has the particularity of being surrounded by water, sitting on an island in between the Old Meuse (Oude Maas), New Merwede (Nieuwe Merwede), the Lower Merwede (Beneden Merwede), the DordtscheKil and the Noord.
The main attraction is the old town, with its surprisingly tilting façades. It is a shame that half of the historic centre has been scared by ugly, modern social lodging.
History
The name Dordrecht comes fromThyre, the name of the river, and Middle Dutchdrecht(channel), meaning "Thure river crossing".
First mentioned in 1049, Dordrecht obtained city rights in 1220. In 1253 a Latin school was founded, which still exists today as the Johan de Witt Gymnasium - the oldest gymnasium in the Netherlands.
On 17th April 1421, the Saint Elisabeth's flood drowned large parts of southern Holland, causing Dordrecht to become an island. Over 100,000 people died in the flood.
In 1572, representatives from all cities from Holland and Zeeland gathered in Dordrecht. They held their first free assembly inHet Hof("the court", off theGroenmarkt) to declare their independence from Spain and appoint William I of Orange as the ruler of the fledgling Dutch state.
In 1618/1619, an important church meeting took place, called the synod of Dordrecht, settling a theological dispute between the orthodox Calvinists (founded by the French Jean Calvin) and the liberal Arminians (founded by the Dutch Jacobus Arminius) that had brought the country on the brink of civil war. The Arminians were defeated, resulting in the formulation of the Dordrecht Confession of Faith, on 21 April 1632.
From 1780 to 1787, Dordrecht was home to the Patriots faction which intended to remove the hereditary Stadtholder position held by the House of Orange-Nassau. The Netherlands was after all a republic de jure. Soon after, more cities followed and William V fled from Holland. But his brother-in-law, King Frederick William II of Prussia, came to the aid of William V and on 18 september 1787, Dordrecht capitulated to Prussian troops. The Patriots were defeated and Willem V was restored in his position as Stadtholder. Eight years later, the French revolutionary troops entered the country, helped depose the House of Orange-Nassau and proclaimed the Batavian Republic.
Dordrecht traded primarily in wine, wood, and cereals. However, from the 18th century, trade started to diminish to the profit of Rotterdam. Nowadays, the economy of Dordrecht is based on the wood industry, the steel industry, and ship building.
Attractions
Dordrecht has a relatively well preserved historical centre, with many houses dating back to the 17th century. Apart from the white neoclassicalStadhuis(town hall),Het Hof, and the usual churches, there aren't really specific buildings that need to be mentioned. The best way to visit the city is to stroll through its narrow streets looking at the handsome merchant houses along the canals (and ignore the modern eye-sores in some streets). TheGrote Markt(town square) was completely destroyed and replaced by soulless social housing, making it the least attractive town square in the whole Low Countries.
The main museum in town is theDordrechts Museum, which holds works by local artists, such as Albert Cuyp (1620-1691) and Jan van Goyen (1596-1656). TheSimon van Gijn Museum, the home of a wealthy banker and collector, is also interesting.
Have a nice day!