Nieuwe Haven is the long, slightly L-shaped canal that runs along the southern edge of the old town, lined on both sides with tall narrow houses, the occasional warehouse and a row of historic boats moored against the quay. It is the canal that gives Dordrecht its postcard look — slow water, gabled facades, a couple of low bridges — and it is the cleanest single walk you can take to absorb the character of the city.
The eastern end runs past the Huis Van Gijn and the Hofstraat; the western end opens up into the wider river. Several of the moored vessels are listed monuments, including old herring luggers and steam tugs maintained by volunteers and occasionally open for tours. In summer evenings the quay benches fill with locals drinking and eating chips from the kiosk on the corner.