Cycle route over former island Feijenoord
Rotterdam, Feijenoord, Ridderkerk
Fijenoord, as it was once spelled, once began as a soggy, remote island in the Maas, wedged between river branches and creeks such as the Zwanengat. In the 17th and 18th century it had a grim character. There stood a plague house where plague patients were kept in quarantine. Before that it even served as a gallows field outside the city gates of Rotterdam. The location made it extremely suitable for all matters the city preferred to keep at a distance. But precisely that isolated location later turned out to be the perfect spot for a new kind of activity: the rise of steam shipping. In 1825 the visionary engineer Gerhard Roentgen came with an ambitious plan. He established a shipyard on the abandoned site for the Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij. And so the ‘Etablissement Fijenoord’ was born, located in the former plague house. At first it was intended for the repair of steamships, but the yard quickly grew into an innovative machine factory where steam boilers, ship engines and even complete ships were built. The name Fijenoord became synonymous with technical progress and Rotterdam developed as an important harbour and industrial city. During the 19th and early 20th century thousands of people worked at the yard. Whole generations grew up around the rhythm of the dock, the sound of rivet hammers, steam whistles and the launch of proud ships. With the scaling up and the merger into Wilton-Fijenoord in 1929, the centre of production shifted to Schiedam. The yard activities on the island slowly declined, until the closure in the 1970s. What remained was an industrial landscape full of character, recognisable by factory halls, railway tracks and harbour quays. Today, Feijenoord - now spelled with an 'e' - is a lively urban neighbourhood with a tough past. Between modern houses, creative workplaces and the water, traces of the shipbuilding can still be discovered. Old sheds have been transformed into studios and businesses, and in some places you still see the original bricks of the factories. Anyone cycling here is literally pedalling through the history of Rotterdam: from quarantine area to breeding ground of steam technology, and from dock to dynamic residential district. Photo: Shipyard Fijenoord in 1955 ©National Archives
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: , 3072 AM Rotterdam | 46.7 KM | |
|
From
18
to
13
|
644 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head north | 42 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto 3e Katendrechtsehoofd | 326 M | ||
| Turn right | 5 M | ||
| Continue straight | 5 M | ||
| Continue straight | 46 M | ||
| Take the ferry Veerdienst Charlois – Katendrecht | 138 M | ||
| Continue slight left onto Ponserpad | 65 M | ||
| Turn left onto Charloisse Hoofd | 17 M | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M | ||
|
From
13
to
58
|
755 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Maastunnel | 21 M | ||
| Continue slight left onto Maastunnel | 13 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Maastunnel | 2 M | ||
| Go straight onto Maastunnel | 37 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Maastunnel | 3 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Maastunnel | 584 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Maastunnel | 4 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Maastunnel | 42 M | ||
| Continue left onto Maastunnel | 21 M | ||
| Turn left onto Parkkade | 8 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Parkkade | 20 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
|
From
58
to
14
|
1109 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head north on Parkhaven | 32 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Baden Powelllaan | 501 M | ||
| Turn right onto Baden Powelllaan | 29 M | ||
| Turn left | 15 M | ||
| Turn left onto Droogleever Fortuynplein | 532 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
59
|
1133 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Westzeedijk | 428 M | ||
| Keep left onto Westzeedijk | 549 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Westzeedijk | 37 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Westzeedijk | 119 M | ||
| You are now at section 59 | 0 M | ||
|
From
59
to
71
|
893 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Spanjaardstraat | 200 M | ||
| Turn right onto 3e Schansstraat | 160 M | ||
| Turn left onto Voorhaven | 421 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schiedamseweg | 69 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Lage Erfbrug | 43 M | ||
| You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
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From
71
to
35
|
486 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head northeast on Nieuwe Binnenweg | 8 M | ||
| Continue onto Nieuwe Binnenweg | 478 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
36
|
1047 M | 1 KM | |
| Head east on Nieuwe Binnenweg | 66 M | ||
| Turn left onto Heemraadssingel | 981 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
75
|
990 M | 1 KM | |
| Head east on Beukelsdijk | 990 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
|
From
75
to
70
|
947 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northeast on Stationsplein | 12 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kruisplein | 736 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 86 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Westersingel | 113 M | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
|
From
70
to
69
|
652 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head northeast on Museumpark | 298 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hartmansstraat | 109 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 13 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westblaak | 232 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
37
|
789 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northeast on Churchillplein | 432 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Blaak | 112 M | ||
| Continue straight | 41 M | ||
| Continue onto Overblaak | 184 M | ||
| Continue straight | 20 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
68
|
364 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast | 20 M | ||
| Turn right onto Koestraat | 145 M | ||
| Turn right onto Haringvliet | 56 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Haringvliet | 61 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oudehoofdplein | 52 M | ||
| Continue straight | 30 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
|
From
68
to
21
|
427 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Maasboulevard | 427 M | ||
| You are now at section 21 | 0 M | ||
|
From
21
to
74
|
1170 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Maasboulevard | 163 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Maasboulevard | 928 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Maasboulevard | 79 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
67
|
464 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Maasboulevard | 464 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
75
|
1094 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head south on Oude Plantagedreef | 870 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nesserdijk | 16 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Nesserdijk | 208 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
|
From
75
to
66
|
1902 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head southwest on Nesserdijk | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 66 | 0 M | ||
|
From
66
to
63
|
2642 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Toepad | 392 M | ||
| Turn right | 2.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
64
|
2439 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head southeast | 178 M | ||
| Turn left onto Van Hoochstratenweg | 92 M | ||
| Turn right onto Cranendonckweg | 117 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kasteelweg | 103 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kasteelweg | 31 M | ||
| Turn right onto Benedenstraat | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Benedenrijweg | 125 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beverwaardseweg | 49 M | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
|
From
64
to
21
|
2542 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head east on Benedenrijweg | 324 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 35 M | ||
| Turn right onto Benedenrijweg | 86 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pontonweg | 317 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pontonweg | 46 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Pontonweg | 36 M | ||
| Turn left onto Ringdijk | 879 M | ||
| Turn left | 484 M | ||
| Continue onto Ringdijk | 264 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Ringdijk | 32 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Ringdijk | 39 M | ||
| You are now at section 21 | 0 M | ||
|
From
21
to
50
|
981 M | 1 KM | |
| Head east on Ringdijk | 981 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
57
|
2083 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head south on Ringdijk | 108 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Ringdijk | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
51
|
1026 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Sint Jorisstraat | 137 M | ||
| Turn left onto Verlengde Kerkweg | 177 M | ||
| Turn right onto Ridderstraat | 90 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 209 M | ||
| Turn right onto Burgemeester De Gaaij Fortmanstraat | 66 M | ||
| Turn left onto Lagendijk | 347 M | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M | ||
|
From
51
to
43
|
1027 M | 1 KM | |
| Head north on Burgemeester de Zeeuwstraat | 745 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 31 M | ||
| Turn left | 37 M | ||
| Turn right onto Olmenlaan | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Olmenlaan | 27 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Olmenlaan | 180 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
42
|
3045 M | 3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Prunuslaan | 244 M | ||
| Turn left onto Goudenregenlaan | 76 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Goudenregenlaan | 93 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Populierenlaan | 14 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Populierenlaan | 669 M | ||
| Turn right | 167 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westpad | 769 M | ||
| Turn left onto Krommeweg | 595 M | ||
| Turn right | 418 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
47
|
3630 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head north on IJsselmondse Randweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kreekhuizenplein | 45 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kreekhuizenplein | 199 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sluiskreek | 164 M | ||
| Turn right onto Smeetslandseweg | 509 M | ||
| Turn left onto Olympiaweg | 22 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Olympiaweg | 452 M | ||
| Turn right onto Groenezoom | 33 M | ||
| You are now at section 47 | 0 M | ||
|
From
47
to
62
|
1866 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head north on Colosseumweg | 91 M | ||
| Continue onto Colosseumweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right onto 2e Rosestraat | 90 M | ||
| You are now at section 62 | 0 M | ||
|
From
62
to
73
|
1514 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Varkenoordseviaduct | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn left | 53 M | ||
| Turn right onto Stadionweg | 90 M | ||
| Keep left onto Stadionweg | 41 M | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
24
|
3325 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head north on Stadionweg | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto Hoendiep | 209 M | ||
| Turn left onto Boterdiep | 79 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 87 M | ||
| Continue onto Piet Smitkade | 643 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 36 M | ||
| Continue onto Jan Linssenstraat | 135 M | ||
| Turn right onto Korte Stadionweg | 678 M | ||
| Turn right onto Persoonshaven | 763 M | ||
| Turn right onto Persoonsdam | 214 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nijverheidstraat | 475 M | ||
| You are now at section 24 | 0 M | ||
|
From
24
to
72
|
2387 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head north on Piekstraat | 528 M | ||
| Turn right onto Feijenoorddijk | 109 M | ||
| Turn right onto Spiekmanstraat | 121 M | ||
| Turn left onto Feijenoordkade | 236 M | ||
| Turn right onto Feijenoordhaven | 266 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 364 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nassaubrug | 418 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oranjeboomstraat | 183 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Nassaukade | 162 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
|
From
72
to
61
|
591 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Koninginnebrug | 32 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Stieltjesstraat | 559 M | ||
| You are now at section 61 | 0 M | ||
|
From
61
to
16
|
1206 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Wilhelminakade | 274 M | ||
| Turn left onto Posthumalaan | 932 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
18
|
1481 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head west on Maashaven Noordzijde; Maashaven N.z. | 921 M | ||
| Continue onto Maashavenkade | 493 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto 3e Katendrechtsehoofd | 67 M | ||
| You are now at section 18 | 0 M |