Hof van Nederland

Former monastery where the Dutch revolt against Spain began

The Hof is a tucked-away complex of red-brick monastery buildings just behind the Voorstraat. It is famous less for what it looks like than for what happened in it: the First Free States Assembly of 1572, when the rebellious towns of Holland declared their loyalty to William of Orange rather than to the Spanish crown. The museum inside, opened in 2015, tells that story and the wider story of the Dutch Republic with films, interactive displays and a few original artefacts including portraits of the men who attended.

Even without the museum, the cloister courtyard is worth a few minutes — a quiet medieval space hidden behind a working town. The complex is also home to the regional archive and a small chapel that is sometimes open. The museum is part of a combined ticket with the Dordrechts Museum and Huis Van Gijn.

things to do museum sight
A story
In July 1572, twelve rebel cities met in this Augustinian monastery to recognise William of Orange as their leader against Philip II of Spain. The meeting — the First Free States Assembly — is the moment Dutch independence is conventionally dated from.

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