Dordrecht

The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk church (or Grotekerk) in Dordrecht, the Netherlands. Construction began in the 13th century, but completion was delayed until the late 15th century due to various sieges, fires, and floods.

Old port on the River Merwede on an island in the Maas, South Holland province, the Netherlands, 19 km/12 mi southeast of Rotterdam; population (1997) 117,300. It has shipbuilding yards and makes heavy machinery, plastics, and chemicals. It is intersected by canals and has many attractive old thoroughfares and gabled houses.

Rotterdam has now attracted much of the traffic which once made Dordrecht one of the richest and most important trading town of Holland and a member of the Hanseatic League.