In the north of Rijswijk lies the Rijswijkse Landgoederenzone, a green area of around 200 hectares set within an urban landscape. It includes seven former country estates—De Voorde, Overvoorde, Steenvoorde, Te Werve, Ter Nieuburch, Den Burch and Welgelegen—as well as the parks Kruisvaarderspark, Julianapark and Rijswijkse Bos. The zone is part of Hollandse Duinen National Park and the province’s “Landgoederen” cultural and heritage route.
Green spaces with their own character
In the south, the Stadsparkzone encompasses more than 160 hectares of green space. Wilhelminapark is a large recreation area with ponds, meadows and gently rolling hills. Those interested in historic parkland will find more specific details in Hofrust Park: an old wrought-iron entrance gate, a country house, a tea pavilion, old trees and a rectangular pond. The park also contains a monument commemorating the Second World War.
In Cromvliet Park, groups of shrubs and trees, winding paths and lawns shape the landscape. It is also home to the country house of the same name, dating from the 17th century and restored in 1994. Together, these places illustrate different facets of Rijswijk’s green spaces, from ponds and meadows to a historic country house and its parkland.
Walking among country estates and monuments
The “Landgoedwandelen: Rijswijk” route is 6.5 kilometres long. It runs past some of the country estates and country houses around the historic centre. The route starts at Museum Rijswijk in the Tollenshuis, Herenstraat 67, 2282 BR Rijswijk. The municipality also lists another walking route through the Landgoederenzone under the name “Wandelroute Rijswijk: Landgoed, Stad en waterwerk”.
In the old centre, the “Monumentenwandeling Oud-Rijswijk” focuses on several municipal and national listed buildings. The “Architectuur in Leeuwendaal” tour takes a different approach, showcasing examples of Art Nouveau, De Stijl and the Amsterdam School. It also explains the development of the neighbourhood, which was laid out in the English landscape style between 1900 and 1940. When choosing a tour, you can therefore focus either on historic listed buildings or on different architectural movements.
There is also a cycling tour that explores the history of the country estates. The “Fietstocht langs de Rijswijks landgoederen” visits surviving estates; as they are privately owned, they can only be viewed from the outside. The history of the different estates is explained along the route. This sets the tour apart from a visit focused on entering the buildings themselves: here, the external views and historical commentary go hand in hand.
Museum, church and observatory
Museum Rijswijk collects, preserves and presents the city’s history. Its main themes include Rijswijk artists, art created in Rijswijk, the Peace of Rijswijk and the poet Tollens, who lived in the building that now houses the museum. The events calendar also features recurring highlights: the Paper Biennale is held there in even-numbered years, and the Textile Biennale in odd-numbered years.
The Oude Kerk is Rijswijk’s oldest building and was the centre of the village for centuries. Together with the museum and the monuments in the old centre, it brings the town’s history to life; the Monumentenwandeling offers a dedicated tour of these sights. If you are particularly interested in architecture, Leeuwendaal complements these historic stops with examples of different styles and an account of the neighbourhood’s development.
Public evenings at Sterrenwacht Rijswijk include astronomy presentations in the reception room, a guided tour and observations in the dome and on the roof terrace. Visitors can look through the dome’s large telescope; in clear weather, stars can be observed from the roof terrace. Visitor arrangements may change, so check the latest information about public evenings before your visit. For local orientation, NS-station Rijswijk is at Pyramideplein 5, 2283 CK Rijswijk.
Discover more destinations: Rijswijk, Rijswijk, Vlist, Zoetermeer, Teylingen, Bergambacht, Zoeterwoude, Schoonhoven.
For the full travel overview: South Holland.
