Groothoofdspoort

The Groothoofd is located at the Three Rivers Point; the busiest river junction in Europe. The Beneden-Merwede, the Oude Maas and the Noord converge here. The Groothoofdspoort, traditionally Dordrecht's most important city gate, can still be seen from the water. The old, late Gothic city gate was built around 1440-1450 and was enclosed in 1617-1618 by a new Renaissance gate, which defines the current image. In 1692, the turret was replaced by the current dome. On the land side of the gate is the city coat of arms of Dordrecht, on the water side an image of the Dordrecht city virgin. Bellevue was built around 1840 and is connected to the Groothoofdspoort. Its present appearance is determined by the changes made at the end of the nineteenth century under the direction of architect H.W. Veth and at the beginning of the twentieth century to a design by C.J.J. Tenenti Jr. The building is located on a remnant of an old dike body and has an additional lower floor on the river side. The monument has a catering destination and has been completely renovated and partially rebuilt.

• Year built: 1440 - 1450 (gate)
• Style of architecture: Late Gothic and Renaissance
• Original function: City gate