Go off the beaten track and make a day trip to the Silver Museum in Schoonhoven. This little city is also known as Silver city and lies on the banks of the River Lek. Visit the only Silver Museum in Holland. Go shopping for jewelry in this friendly well preserved medieval city.
History of the Silver Museum in Schoonhoven
Since the Middle Ages Schoonhoven is the Dutch center for the education of silversmiths and goldsmiths. Nowadays you can follow an officially recognized four-year study at the College of Education of Silversmiths and Goldsmiths. So it is not a surprise that you find a lot of jewelry shops in Schoonhoven. In the Silver Museum, there are permanent and temporary exhibitions and workshops. One day a month it is possible to get the taxation of the value of your silver objects in the Silver Museum.
The museum shows an overview of Dutch silver
The permanent exhibition “From ore to end product” shows historical and contemporary silver, history, technology, hallmarks, and a jewelry store from the 1920s. The museum is in possession of the historical collection of Van Kempen and Begeer, parts are included in the permanent collection.
How to get there:
Address: Silver Museum, Nederlands Silver Museum, Kazerneplein 4, 2871 CZ Schoonhoven
Opening hours: Tuesday till Sunday from 11.00 till 17.00 hours
Tickets can be bought online or at the museum
Travel information:
By car and bike: plan you’re route by Google Maps »
By public transport: From Utrecht Central Station the intercity to Gouda and from there by bus to Schoonhoven (52 minutes). Get off at the Schoonhoven Noord bus stop. From there it is a 9-minute walk to Kazerneplein.
The craft of gold and silversmith is practiced in the museum
Young gold and silversmiths work in their own silversmith’s shop. Visitors can apply the techniques of a goldsmith themselves in the SilverLab. The museum organizes several temporary exhibitions and events every year.
Collection of the Silver Museum in Schoonhoven
Things to do near the Silver Museum in Schoonhoven
- Visit the weekly market on Wednesdays and enjoy the music from the carillon.
- Walk around the village and enjoy the architecture. Many a building dates back to the Middle Ages.
- If you want to do some serious jewelry shopping in Holland Schoonhoven is the place to go. Here you get the best Dutch quality for the best price.
- Do not miss the “Veerpoort”. At this gate, you have a nice view of the River Lek. Pick a terrace on the riverside.
Things you Must See around The Silver Museum of Schoonhoven
- Take the bus to the nineteen windmills at Kinderdijk.
- Visit the fortified village of Nieuwpoort.
- Must see the oldest city in Holland: Dordrecht.
