Kraek den Code children's walk in the centre of Dordrecht
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Scavenger hunt Kraek den Code

In this treasure hunt, you will look for images, pictures and letters on monuments, the old buildings of the city. Sometimes they are hidden in facades and walls, so look around you!

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Dordrecht is the oldest city in Holland and is almost a thousand years old. In the streets where we now walk, the footsteps of kings, noblewomen, rich merchants and even pirates once sounded. Horses pulled carts full of wine, wood, grain and fish over the bumpy cobbles.

This scavenger hunt starts at the Grote Kerk and ends at the Groothoofd Dordrecht. Along the way, you can answer all sorts of questions and fill in the route map. You can download this route map or collect it from VVV Dordrecht. If you answer all the questions correctly, you can crack the code of the city. Good luck!

TIP: first carefully read all the "did you know thats" on the road map to answer all the questions correctly.

Download the route
1

Great Church

Lange Geldersekade 2

The Great Church took literally centuries to complete. The oldest part is almost 650 years old, but remains of an even much older chapel have been found under the building. Walk around the church and count the human heads and lions you see in the wall.
Question: what are there fewer of, people or lions?

Grote Kerk Dordrecht
2

Bever-Schaep House

Korte Engelenburgerkade 18

This is House Beaver-Schaep. Under the roof you can see the coat of arms of the family that lived there around 1650. The gentleman's name was Van Beveren, the lady bore the surname Schaep. These animals are also symbols for Dordrecht. The beaver refers to De Biesbosch and the sheep to a famous Dordrecht story. The family coat of arms shows the male sheep, a ram.
Question: What color is the bow on the family crest that the ram and beaver are holding?

Bever-Schaep House
3

Catharijnepoort

At Hooikade 1

The Catharijnepoort was one of the gates in the old city wall of Dordrecht. The wall had to protect the city from invaders. Weapons were also used for this purpose. Near the gate there are still two of them. Do you see them?
Question: What is the name of this weapon?

 

Catharijnepoort
4

House of Gijn

Nieuwe Haven 30

You are standing in front of Huis Van Gijn, the home of the important Dordrecht resident Simon van Gijn. The house became a museum after his death, because that is what Mr. Van Gijn wanted. His gigantic collection of drawings, glass, silver and model ships is now on display in the house.
Question: What was Simon van Gijn's profession?
You will find the answer somewhere on the facade.

On the right side of Huis van Gijn you can see the garden wall. In the wall are four stones with pictures bricked in. These stones come from other, even older houses.
Question: What is the name of the fish on one of the stones?
Write the name in the way they did in the year 1710

Van Gijn House
5

Straatman

t.o. Kuipershaven 169-182

In the harbor stands the hoist of Schroevendok L. Straatman. Mechanics used it to hoist ships out of the water to tinker with the propellers. Besides repair, new construction and boiler making, the company L. Straatman did even more, according to the billboard.
Question: the company was also a ...?

Schroevendok Straatman
6

Stokholm warehouse

Wolwevershaven 30

Dordrecht bag carriers lugged heavy sacks of grain up the steps of this warehouse.
The facade reads "Stokholm. It is the capital of Sweden and the birthplace of the merchant who had the warehouse built. Under the top hatch are letters written.
Question: Which seven letters are written there?

Stokholm warehouse
7

Damiate Bridge

Close to Kuipershaven 18

Dordovans used to call the Damiate Bridge "gallows bridge. From the
bridge you could see criminals hanging from the gallows on the other side of the river. Somewhere around the Damiate Bridge you can read the height of the water.
Question: what is the name of this instrument?

Damiate Bridge
8

Oldenborgh warehouse

Kuipershaven 17-18

You are now in front of Van Oldenborgh warehouse. If you look up you can see the old hoisting installation above the attic. Barrels were lifted up with it. The name Kuipershaven still refers to the makers of these wooden barrels.
Question: How many shutters on the warehouse do you count?
Write out your answer in full.

Oldenborgh warehouse
9

Groothoofdspoort

Boomstraat / Palingstraat 37

This is the three-river point, the busiest water crossroads in Europe. Centuries ago, Emperor Charles the Fifth, the Duke of Alva and Napoleon Bonaparte stepped ashore here. Not so long ago, King WillemAlexander and Queen Máxima also arrived at the Groothoofd during King's Day. On the front of the gate, in the middle, you can see the patroness of Dordrecht. Around the patroness are shields and place names.
Question: Which place begins with an A?

If all goes well, you now have all the clues to crack the code.

Groothoofdspoort

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