Dordrecht

Dordrecht was granted city rights in 1220, earlier than anywhere else in Holland, and it grew rich on river trade because everything moving between the sea and the German rivers had to pass it. That geography is still the best thing about it: at the Groothoofdspoort, the old water gate, three rivers converge and heavy barge traffic goes by continuously. Behind it the old harbours cut into the town, lined with merchant houses and warehouses, so the water sits between the buildings rather than at the edge of them. The Grote Kerk has a heavy unfinished tower with four clock faces and a visible lean, and a long stair to the top of it.

What you actually see

• The Groothoofdspoort - the water gate at the meeting of three rivers, with barges passing all day.
• The old harbours - Wolwevershaven and Wijnhaven, water cut in between the warehouses.
• The Grote Kerk tower - unfinished, visibly out of true, and open to climb.
• The merchant streets - the Voorstraat and the lanes behind it, long and largely intact.

When to go

Late spring and summer for the harbours and terraces, and for the waterbus from Rotterdam, which is the right way to arrive. The tower climb is seasonal and weather dependent. Weekdays are quiet to the point of sleepy, and the town wakes up mainly for its periodic harbour and steam events.

Honest expectations

Dordrecht is often skipped for Rotterdam next door and can feel underused, with shuttered shops on some streets. There is no single unmissable sight, which suits some visitors and frustrates others. The tower stair is steep and narrow. Wind off the rivers keeps the quaysides cold outside high summer.

Nearby

Kinderdijk is a short waterbus ride, and the Biesbosch wetlands lie south of the city.