Voorburg brings together several historical themes: a 17th-century garden design, Roman remains, a fully operational mill and specific visiting hours at the Oude Kerk. The historic centre was founded in the Middle Ages on a beach ridge—a raised sand ridge running parallel to the coastline. If you are looking for a hotel in Voorburg, this guide can help you tailor your stay to your cultural interests. The places and activities mentioned differ in their access arrangements and opening times.
Hofwijck and Garden Design
The buitenplaats Hofwijck was designed around 1640 by Constantijn Huygens together with the architect Jacob van Campen. Its garden is shaped like a human body; this design concept is considered a unique feature of Dutch garden design. Its period of origin, collaborative planning and garden layout give the site a distinctive cultural and historical perspective: this is not just a historic building, but also the idea of creating a garden according to a striking concept. For those interested in garden design, Hofwijck therefore offers a tangible point of reference for Voorburg’s history.
Roman History and Historic Buildings
The Notarishuis on Herenstraat is one of the oldest buildings in Voorburg’s Huygenskwartier. It showcases the Roman history of Forum Hadriani and also houses a VVV visitor information centre with maps, city walks and cycling tours. This combination of a local historic site and practical visitor information can help you organise your interests for a stay.
Roman remains can also be found in Arentsburgh Park: roads, houses, a bathhouse and a city wall have been documented. The different types of finds offer different insights into the Roman context. This makes it possible to explore the city’s history not only through historic buildings, but also through archaeological traces.
Molen De Vlieger offers a different kind of cultural experience. Built in 1621, the mill is fully operational and now set up as a museum. A guided tour explains how it works, the miller’s life and the polder landscape. A visit therefore combines technical aspects with the miller’s daily life and the surrounding landscape—three distinct themes in one experience.
Parkland and Landscape
Arentsburgh-Hoekenburg Park was created in 1924, when two separate buitenplaatsen were combined into a landscaped garden. Its defining features include winding paths, ponds, lawns and specimen trees. The park is freely accessible. Its design offers a different historical perspective from the Roman remains in Arentsburgh Park: here, the focus is on the development of a landscaped garden. Keeping these themes distinct can help you choose whether to spend your time on landscape history or archaeological history.
Church Visits, Opening Times and Routes
The Oude Kerk Voorburg can be visited Monday to Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The church tower can be climbed on Open Monument Day between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. These are two different opportunities to plan around: visiting the church during the stated weekday time slot, and climbing the tower under the specified event conditions.
The routes also offer practical guidance without requiring you to assume walking times or distances. The Landgoedwandelen route starts at Voorburg NS railway station, where there is also a route-start sign. The cycling route along the castles runs from Voorburg through Leidschendam and Rijswijk to The Hague and can be ridden year-round. As another option, the Beeldenroute Voorburg starts at Stationsplein or Huygenstraverse and ends at Waterspoorpark, alongside the The Hague–Leiden railway line.
There are several themes to choose from: historic gardens, Roman remains, mill technology, a church visit or routes with named starting and finishing points. If you want to include the church opening hours or tower climb in your travel plans, check the details before your visit.
Discover more destinations: Leidschendam
For the broader travel overview: Leidschendam-Voorburg.
