Easy hikes and walks around Eemhaven

Schiedam's Old Town Hall is located on the Grote Markt. Built in 1538, it was rebuilt in 1606 after a fire in 1604, and given its current gables in 1637. The double staircase dates from 1717-1718. In 1782, it was modernized by then-city architect Rutger van Bol'es. The last meeting of the city council was held here in January 1973. One section of the town hall houses a restaurant, while the other is used for weddings, meetings, and other representative functions. Professor Pieter van Vollenhoven opened the restored Town Hall on October 22, 2004. The restoration took eighteen months and was made possible by a Kanjer grant from the National Heritage Agency. The restoration of the old town hall addressed both the interior and exterior. The paintwork, ceilings, and furnishings of various rooms have been renovated. The exterior facade and the turret have also been restored. A restaurant is located in the basement of the old town hall. The old town hall is also used as a wedding venue.

What was once called "Hemaplein" (Hema Square) and is now also called "Veetplein" (food square) by many Schiedam residents on market day, is officially called "Het Land van Belofte" (The Promised Land). This name refers to a Biblical story about the Promised Land. This land of milk and honey was discovered by two of Moses' 12 spies: Joshua and Caleb. A gable stone above the passage to the courtyard of the Sebastiaanshof, bearing the inscription "HET LANT VAN BELOFTE" (THE LANDSCAPE OF PROMISE), depicts these two spies with a large bunch of grapes. They took this bunch with them as proof of the great fertility of the discovered area and reported that the land overflowed with milk and honey. On Fridays during the fresh produce market, there is still an abundance of produce, so the name actually fits this square perfectly. Sources: https://indebuurt.nl/schiedam/genieten-van/straatnaam-verklaard-daarom-heet-land-van-belofte-zo~71898/ and https://www.facebook.com/literairgezelschapschiedam/photos/wat-een-tijdlang-het-hemaplein-heette-en-tegenwoordig-door-menig-schiedammer-op-/951601490421854/

This statue is the first of four statues commemorating Schiedam's drinking past. Later followed the sack carrier (1987), the distiller (1992) and the cooper (1995). This statue was also commissioned by the Schiedam Brandersknecht committee. The costs, approximately 70,000 guilders, were raised by distillers from all over the Netherlands. (source: https://standbeelden.vanderkrogt.net/object.php?record=ZH60af

The Appelmarkt Bridge over the Lange Haven between the Appelmarkt and the Vismarkt is one of Schiedam's three monumental double cast-iron drawbridges, built around 1860. When a boat passes through the harbor, this bridge is manually raised by two bridge keepers. Source: https://www.sdam.nl/zien-doen/ct/molens-en-monumenten/info/appelmarktbrug

The monument, which includes two wrought-iron Art Deco entrance gates recovered from a meadow outside Schiedam, was designed by Schiedam native Sjef van Duin. The monument is a tribute to the former owners and the thousands of employees who, over the nearly 75 years of the company's existence, have brought honor to the city of Schiedam with their striking ships and steel structures. Sources: https://werf-gusto.com/monument-werf-gusto-2018/ https://historischeverenigingschiedam.nl/nieuws/geschiedenis-van-werf-gusto/

In July 2025, it will be exactly 120 years since Werf Gusto opened its doors. In 1901, August Smulders, his father, and his sons Henri and Frans, set their sights on a plot of land in the Nieuw-Mathenesse district on the Schiedam side, bordering the Maas River. Within ten years, this successful shipyard was established at this location. On July 13, 2018, it was exactly 40 years since Werf Gusto had to close its doors, leaving deep wounds for thousands of Schiedam residents. To mark the occasion, a monument was unveiled on that day at the head of the Maasdijk in Schiedam-Zuid. Source: https://werf-gusto.com/monument-werf-gusto-2018/

The statue "The Shipbuilder" (1995) was created by sculptor Ineke van Dijk. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ineke_van_Dijk

There is such a special tree in the Plantage. This world tree is an Oriental Plane and is called “De Plantage Plataan” because of its location in the park. This plantain was planted around 1870.  The world tree community of the Plantage, together with the tree protector, prevents the tree from being damaged.