If you’ve ever wondered how beach days worked before changing cabins and windbreaks, here’s your answer. From January 2026, Museum Rotterdam is putting a replica “badkoets” back on the sand in Hoek van Holland, to help collect local stories, memories, photos, and objects linked to the area’s beach and bathing culture.
Image: Hoek van Holland beach scene with multiple badkoetsen lined up on the sand. Photo: Museum Rotterdam.
What is a badkoets?
A badkoets was a 19th and early 20th-century beach wagon pulled by a horse, used to take people into the sea with a bit of privacy. Hoek van Holland once had dozens of them, but Museum Rotterdam says only one original has survived, and it was added to the museum’s collection in 2023. That original is currently being restored for a future presentation in the planned new city museum.
Why this matters for Rotterdam
Hoek van Holland is part of Rotterdam, but it has its own coastal identity and layered history, from tourism and watersports to wartime stories. This project is essentially Museum Rotterdam building a future exhibition with the people who actually lived it, one conversation and keepsake at a time.
Where to see the badkoets in Hoek van Holland
The replica will “tour” Hoek van Holland and pop up at several familiar spots, including Welzijn op de Hoek, the local library, and beach access points such as the Rechtestraat strandopgang and the Hoek van Holland Strand metro area. The idea is simple: you walk up, take a look, and if you’ve got a memory or an old photo album at home, the museum would love to hear from you.
There will also be activities around the badkoets, including children’s workshops on Wednesday afternoons, starting from 7 January at Welzijn op de Hoek.
For the latest details, be sure to visit the official Museum Rotterdam website.
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