Hoek van Holland
Encyclopedia
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. It is situated on the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
coast, on the north bank of the Nieuwe Waterweg
Nieuwe Waterweg
The Nieuwe Waterweg is a ship canal in the Netherlands from het Scheur west of the town of Maassluis to the North Sea at Hook of Holland...
ship canal. The town is administered by the municipality of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
as a district of that city. The district of Hoek van Holland covers an area of 16.7 km2 (of which 13.92 km2 is land). On 1 January 1999 it had an estimated population of 9,400.
Nearby towns include Monster
Monster, Netherlands
Monster is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 10 km south-west of The Hague.The village of "Monster" has a population of around 11,580....
, 's-Gravenzande
's-Gravenzande
s-Gravenzande is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 12 km southwest of The Hague. Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of 20.77 km² .In 2001, the town of 's-Gravenzande had 15241 inhabitants...
, Naaldwijk
Naaldwijk
Naaldwijk is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about 10 km southwest of The Hague.Naaldwijk lies in the heart of Westland. The largest economic sector is greenhouse horticulture...
and Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
to the northeast and Maassluis
Maassluis
Maassluis is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² .It received city rights in 1811...
to the southeast. On the other side of the river is the Europoort
Europoort
Europoort is an area of the Port of Rotterdam and the adjoining industrial area in the Netherlands. Being situated at the mouth of the rivers Rhine and Meuse with the hinterland consisting of the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and partly France, Europoort is by certain measurements the world's...
and the Maasvlakte
Maasvlakte
The Maasvlakte is part of Europoort, a harbour and industrial area near the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.-Creation:It was created in the 1960s by reclaiming land from the North Sea through dykes and sand suppletion. The sand for the suppletion was largely taken from the North Sea and the...
. The wide sandy beach, one section of which is designated for use by naturists, runs for approximately 18 kilometres to Scheveningen and for most of this distance is backed by extensive sand dunes through which there are foot and cycle paths.
On the north side of the Nieuwe Waterweg, to the west of the town, is a pier part of which is accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
The Berghaven is a small harbour on the Nieuwe Waterweg where the Rotterdam and Europort pilots
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
are based. This small harbour is only for the use of the pilot service, government vessels and the Hoek van Holland lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
.
During World War II this was one of the most important places for the Germans to hold because of the harbour.
Railways
There are two railway stations, Hoek van Holland StrandHoek van Holland Strand railway station
Hoek van Holland Strand is a railway station in Hoek van Holland, the Netherlands. The railway station consists of two tracks on a bay platform, and is the final station on the Schiedam–Hoek van Holland railway, the rail connection between Hoek van Holland and Rotterdam. The railway station was...
, which is at the end of the line and closest to the beach and Hoek van Holland Haven, which is close to the town centre, adjacent to the ferry terminal and the small harbour, the Berghaven. The railway line connects Hoek van Holland to Rotterdam
Rotterdam Centraal railway station
Rotterdam Centraal is the main railway station of the city Rotterdam in the Netherlands.-History:The station opened June 3, 1847 as the Delftsche Poort railway station. The station building designed by Sybold van Ravesteyn opened in 1957 and closed on September 2, 2007...
via Maassluis
Maassluis railway station
The railway station of Maassluis in the Netherlands is located on the Schiedam–Hoek van Holland railway. It was opened on 17 August 1891. The building was replaced by the current building in 1980.-Train services:The following services call at Maasluis:...
, Vlaardingen
Vlaardingen Centrum railway station
Vlaardingen Centrum is a railway station in Vlaardingen in the Netherlands. The station is located on the Schiedam–Hoek van Holland railway. It was opened on 17 August 1891.-Train services:The following services call at Vlaardingen Centrum:...
and Schiedam
Schiedam Centrum railway station
Schiedam Centrum is a railway station and metro station in Schiedam, just to the west of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The station is located on the railway line between Den Haag and Rotterdam Centraal, and forms the beginning of the railway line towards Hoek van Holland...
, the trains running every half hour during the day.
Ferry
The ferryFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
terminal is operated by Stena Line
Stena Line Holland BV
Stena Line Holland BV is a subsidiary of Stena Line that operates ferry routes between Harwich and Killingholme on the east coast of England and Hoek van Holland and Europort in the Netherlands. The head office is in Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands...
with the passenger terminal and access for passenger cars being next to Hoek van Holland Haven Station and the freight entrance being to the east of the town.
There has been a ferry service operating from Hoek van Holland since 1893 with only the two World Wars interrupting the service. Currently two routes are being operated: one, a day and night freight and passenger service, to Harwich
Harwich International Port
Harwich International Port is a North Sea seaport in Essex, England. It lies on the south bank of the River Stour one mile upstream from the town of Harwich, opposite Port of Felixstowe...
and the other, a night, freight only service to Killingholme
Killingholme
Killingholme is an area of Lincolnshire, comprising the villages of North Killingholme and South Killingholme. It is the site of two oil refineries, the Humber Refinery and Lindsey Oil Refinery, and an liquid petroleum gas storage facility .It is also a fast expanding port, handling RORO ferries...
. From 1 March 2009 the Harwich service will be departing at 2:30 pm and 10:45 pm and the Killingholme service at 9:15 pm.
A local ferry operated by RET
Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram
Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram is the main public transport operator in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It currently operates 28 bus lines, 9 tram lines and five metro/light rail lines in Rotterdam and the surrounding municipalities....
links Hook of Holland with the Maasvlakte
Maasvlakte
The Maasvlakte is part of Europoort, a harbour and industrial area near the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands.-Creation:It was created in the 1960s by reclaiming land from the North Sea through dykes and sand suppletion. The sand for the suppletion was largely taken from the North Sea and the...
part of the Port of Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
.
Motorways
The nearest motorways are the A20A20 motorway (Netherlands)
The A20 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. It is approximately 39 kilometers in length.The A20 is entirely located in the Dutch province South Holland and connects the N213 road from the Westland municipality with the cities of Rotterdam and Gouda, where it connects to the A12 motorway at...
(10 kilometres) which goes to Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and the south and the A4
A4 motorway (Netherlands)
The A4 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands from Amsterdam to the Belgian border near Zandvliet. Some parts of the motorway are still not completed. The completed route as of 2006 is divided into three parts: from Amsterdam via The Hague to Delft, from Vlaardingen to Pernis, and finally from...
(17 kilometres) which goes to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.