The ‘Wolwevershaven’

The history of the Dordts Patrician House is inextricably linked to the Dordrecht harbor area. It is one of the most beautiful buildings on the 17th-century Wolwevershaven. Around the harbor, new trade and industry emerged, giving rise to houses of merchants, including the Dordts Patrician House. It’s delightful to stroll around, heading towards the house.

Thanks to digital 3D reconstruction, visitors can use their phones to look around the harbor from several viewpoints (‘hotspots’). They see how Wolwevershaven appeared at different moments in history. Walking along the harbor becomes literally walking through the past. One can observe how an area of city walls and sandbanks evolved into a thriving harbor with impressive residential and warehouse buildings.

The digital reconstruction is linked to background information. On-site, at the hotspots, this information can be accessed via ‘tags.’ How old is a particular facade, and who lived here? Which paintings were created here, and what events took place? If interested, users can click for more background information. This also makes the invisible past ‘behind’ the visible accessible. This interactive virtual experience of the past is currently unique in the Netherlands.

Download the app here (Apple App Store / Google Play Store).

About the Dordts Patricianhouse

Front view
Maas room
In our museum in Dordrecht, you can discover how affluent citizens lived at the end of the 18th century. The style rooms on the ground floor are furnished in the style of Louis XVI. The highlight of the museum is the round Maas room with a view of the busiest three-river junction in Europe.

The atmospheric basement often hosts exhibitions of contemporary art. In this space with its historical beams and unique views, two historical films are also shown, so that those interested in our national history can also get their money's worth.

As can be read in the many positive Google reviews, our museum in Dordrecht offers a "one stop shop" for a fun and educational afternoon where there is also something to experience for your (grand)children! While you enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea, our passionate volunteers are happy to tell you more about this special building, which until recently was still used as a residence.

Outside of museum opening hours, you can also come to us for wedding photos, photo shoots, meetings, and private dining.