Voorhaven (Outer Harbor), Rotterdam

The Voorhaven, or the “outer harbor,” is exactly what its name suggests. The harbor was dug in 1389 as part of the construction of the Delfshavense Schie, the waterway linking Overschie with the Nieuwe Maas. At the time, it served as the outer harbor for Delft, which was then an inland city completely separate from Rotterdam.

The term “outer harbor” refers to a harbor located in front of the main canal, lock, or inner harbor. Delfshaven’s Voorhaven is thus one of the oldest surviving examples of this sort in the Netherlands.

Originally, the Voorhaven lay outside the dykes, between the Schieland's High Sea Dike and the Nieuwe Maas. The nearby Aelbrechtskolk served as the lock controlling access farther inland. Because of its open connection with the river, the harbor was once affected by the tides.

That changed in 1875, when the Ruigeplaatsluis lock opened, and the Voorhaven became largely free from tidal influence.

For centuries, the harbor also had a direct link to the Nieuwe Maas. This was closed in 1968 with the construction of the Westzeedijk. Since then, boats have reached the Nieuwe Maas by a more indirect route, passing through the Achterhaven, Coolhaven, and the Parksluizen.

Today, the Voorhaven remains one of the defining features of historic Delfshaven, preserving the shape and atmosphere of the old harbor that first gave the district its purpose more than six centuries ago.