Dordrecht City Hall

The City Hall in Dordrecht is a renaissance building decorated in neoclassic style on the Stadhuisplein and over one of the city harbors; the Voorstraat haven. It is the seat of the city's government, which first received city rights in 1220, and today it is still the place where residents often hold their civic wedding ceremonies.


The picturesque town hall was built in 1383 by Flamish merchants as a cloth hall, rebuilt in 1544 and given a fashionable neoclassic facade in 1635-43, in order to match the prestigious Amsterdam City Hall built in the same period. The 17th century look of the building was preserved during several restorations, but in 1835 a wooden tower was added to the top of the building.