Rijswijk is a city in the province South Holland in the Netherlands. It is a small city, which evolved around a tiny city core. The name is derived of 'rijshout', a type of wood which grew in the area and the word 'wijc', which was used for settlement in medieval times.

Understand

Rijswijk has a population of about 46.000 and has few touristic attractions, but is one of the older townships in the country. It is a suburb of The Hague and is attached to it, but it has kept its independence in many ways. The inhabitants will remind everybody of the fact that it is not The Hague.

Rijswijk was built in the Dutch coastal area, which used to be classified with the river delta. The coastal line was situated through Rijswijk at 3700BC, but gradually moved west over time. The oldest traces of inhabitants date back to 3500BC; in the new stone age. The 'Oude Kerk' (translated as 'Old Church') has played a part in the coming to be of the current village centre. Around 1200AD the Oude Kerk was built on a Roman predecessor. Around 1500AD the current church, which is still present, came to be. The village pump was built in 1831. Until then a bucket was used to get water from the old city well.

• 1 VVV Rijswijk (tourist information office), Herenstraat 67 (Rijswijk Museum). Tu-Su 11.00-17.00. (updated Jun 2016)

Get in

By plane

• Closest airports are Rotterdam or Amsterdam. Then follow-up with train/tram/car as shown below.

By train

• A "Sprinter" train goes twice every hour between Rotterdam (Central) and The Hague (Central), stopping at Rijswijk (among others). However the train station is a 35-minute walk from the Rijswijk old town, with not much in between for tourists. Tram or bus are more direct. Bus line 23 provides a direct connection from the station to the old town, as well as coming from Voorburg station.

By bus

• Regional buses from Delft, Rotterdam, The Hague and municipality Westland stop in Rijswijk.
• City buses from The Hague, Delft and Leidschendam-Voorburg stop in Rijswijk (lines 22 and 23).

By tram

• Trams from The Hague, Delft and Leidschendam-Voorburg stop in Rijswijk (lines 1, 15 and 17).

By car

• The township Rijswijk is reachable from highways:
  • A4 (Amsterdam and Leiden (direction South) en Delft (direction North))
  • A13 (Delft and Rotterdam (direction north)). The highway A13 changes just before the Hoornbrug into a normal road, leading into Rijswijk.
• From Leidschendam Voorburg, a traveller can choose almost any road leading south-west to get to Rijswijk, because they are adjecent to each other.
• From the central part of neighbouring The Hague, between the Rijswijkseweg and the Loevesteijnlaan, one travels south-east to get to Rijswijk.

By boat

The 'Haagse Salonboot' offers the possibility to travel from and to Rijswijk from The Hague or Delft with an antique salonboat.

Get around

The sights of most interest to tourists, are along and around Herenstraat in the old town. The extensive public transport services are better suited for travelling to other areas of the region than use within town.

See

Rijswijk is a beautiful Dutch town. It's a great place to have a drink in the tiny city core and see the great sites it has to offer.

• Old Church. Dates from the 15th century AD, built on an old Roman Chapel from around 1200AD. 
• Sint-Bonifatiuskerk Rijswijk. A Neogothic Roman Catholic church, used from 1897. 
• Old City pump and Well. The well, used from 1550AD until 1929. 
• City Pump. The pump, a replacement for the bucket, used to get water from the old city well, was built in 1831. 
• Museum Rijswijk, Herenstraat 67, ☏ +31 70-3903617, fax: +31 70-3368880, musryszh@xs4all.nl. Tu–Sa 11–17, Su 14-17, M closed. €1.60 CJP, 65+ and children til 12 years; €2.30 Adults; free for MJK and Friends of Museum Rijswijk. 

Do

• Rijswijkse Golfclub (Golf club), Delftweg 59, 2289 AL Rijswijk, ☏ +31 70 395 4864. (updated Jul 2019)

Sleep

• The Grand Winston Hotel, Generaal Eisenhowerplein 1, Tel: +31 70 - 4141 500
• Bastion Hotel Den Haag/Rijswijk, Polakweg 12, Tel: +31 70 - 3070169
• Hotel Pension Margaretha, Geestbrugweg 18, Tel: +31 70 - 3994563

Go next

• Delft — Arguably the country's most picturesque canal-lined town. Home of the famous Delft Blue pottery (or Delftware), and the home of Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer.
• The Hague — The seat of the Dutch parliament and government, and home to Scheveningen, the most popular seaside resort of the Netherlands.