IN APRIL 2026 | The replica of Museum Rotterdam’s historic bathing carriage, known in Dutch as a badkoets, will spend the whole of April at Bibliotheek Hoek van Holland. The installation comes with a free public programme focused on local beach culture, inviting both children and adults to explore stories, memories and objects linked to Hoek van Holland’s seaside past.
Image: The replica badkoets of Museum Rotterdam stands outside Bibliotheek Hoek van Holland during its April programme on local beach culture.
The badkoets has already appeared at earlier locations in Hoek van Holland and now continues its local tour at the library on Prins Hendrikstraat. Once used as a changing cabin for beachgoers, the carriage now serves as a way to spark conversations about how people experienced the beach, bathing culture and seaside life in the area.
A month of beach culture
Throughout April, Bibliotheek Hoek van Holland will host a programme built around strandcultuur, or beach culture, with free activities for different age groups. The focus is on both fun and local history, using the badkoets as a starting point for stories about the sea, the beach and older customs around bathing and leisure.
Children will be able to listen to sea-themed stories, make crafts and design their own beachwear inspired by the badkoets and historical images. Adults can attend a talk on bathing culture in Hoek van Holland, the development of swimwear over time and the role the bathing carriage once played in beach life. Workshops will also be part of the programme, with room to watch, take part, discover and make things yourself.
Sharing stories for a future museum exhibition
Museum Rotterdam and Bibliotheek Rotterdam are also asking residents and visitors to contribute their own stories, photographs and objects connected to local beach and bathing culture. The idea is to build a richer picture of Hoek van Holland’s seaside history together.
That material will eventually become part of an exhibition in Rotterdam’s future city museum. So if the sight of the badkoets brings back memories, this is exactly the moment to share them.
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Why this matters in Hoek van Holland
This is one of those smaller local projects that says a lot about how Rotterdam’s history is being collected right now. Instead of waiting for stories to arrive in a museum display case, Museum Rotterdam is taking the object into the neighbourhood and asking people to help shape what comes next.
In Hoek van Holland, that makes particular sense. Beach culture here is not some side note to the city. It is part of how generations of people have spent summers, marked family time and connected the edge of Rotterdam to the sea.
How to get there
Bibliotheek Hoek van Holland is at Prins Hendrikstraat 398, 3151 AW Hoek van Holland. If you are travelling from Rotterdam, the easiest route is usually by metro to Hoek van Holland Haven or Hoek van Holland Strand, depending on your starting point, followed by a short walk or local cycle ride through the centre of Hoek van Holland. The library sits close to the village centre, making it an easy stop if you are already heading towards the beach or exploring the area.
The library is open daily from 09:00 to 21:00. Staff are present on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 to 17:00, and on Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00. On Monday, Thursday and Sunday, the location operates as self-service only.
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