Peace and quiet at Schiedam's Lange Haven by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

Schiedam is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, located between Rotterdam and Vlaardingen, originally on the Schie and later on the Nieuwe Maas. Known worldwide for its jenever production, historic city centre with historic harbours and the tallest classical windmills in the world, the history of the city of Schiedam dates back to the 13th century.

Near the mouth of the Schie river, a dam was built around probably 1230 by the lord of Wassenaar and/or lord Dirk Bokel of Mathenesse craft to protect the polder land from the sea water. In 1247, Aleid van Holland received the eastern part of the dam (and the polder) as a bridal gift on her marriage to Jan van Avesnes. In 1275, city rights were granted by Lady Aleid of Holland, sister of Count Willem II of Holland.

The eighteenth century was Schiedam's Golden Age: the stagnant liquor imports from France enabled the rise of Schiedam's gin distillery. From dozens of distilleries and distilleries, Schiedam gin was exported all over the world. The industry has now largely disappeared, but six classic windmills still define the townscape.

The Lange Haven is a harbour with a length of about 550 metres in the centre of the South Holland town of Schiedam, and it forms the connection between the Schiedamse Schie near the Beursbrug and the Buitenhaven near the Koemarktbrug. Halfway along the Lange Haven is the Appelmarktbrug, a cast-iron drawbridge built around 1860. At the end of the Lange Haven is the Koemarktbrug.

Along the Lange Haven are several dozen national monuments including the Korenbeurs, the Jenevermuseum, the Sint-Jan-de-Doperkerk or Havenkerk, the Huis Nolet, the patrician house Gatenburgh at Lange Haven 107, and the merchant's house at Lange Haven 141.