museum
Louwman Museum
World's oldest private car collection spanning from 1886 to modern day with over 275 rare and iconic automobiles.
11 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeNetherlandsSouth Holland
Zoetermeer
South Holland, Netherlands · Europe
About Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer works well as a base: 10 minutes from Benthuizen, 16km from Erasmusbrug.
Zoetermeer is in South Holland, Netherlands, with about 120,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Benthuizen, about 4 km away.
Zoetermeer (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌzutərˈmeːr] ) is a city in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.05 km2 (14.31 sq mi) of which 2.60 km2 (1.00 sq mi) is water. A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 2023 this had grown toRead more
126,998, making it the fourth largest population centre in the province of South Holland, after Rotterdam, The Hague and Leiden. While now a city in its own right, Zoetermeer started out as a suburb of The Hague and is still a part of the Greater The Hague urban area.
The name Zoetermeer (Dutch for "freshwater lake") refers to the former lake north of the town (reclaimed in 1614). Because the name literally translates as "sweet lake" local residents have dubbed Zoetermeer "Sweet Lake City".
Where to Stay in Zoetermeer
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Zoetermeer?
Within an hour or so of Zoetermeer: Louwman Museum (11 km), Delft Markt (11 km), Madurodam (14 km), Cube Houses Rotterdam (15 km).
Are there any good drives near Zoetermeer?
The nearest famous roads are Brouwersdam, Houtribdijk and Afsluitdijk.
Where is Zoetermeer?
Zoetermeer is in South Holland, Netherlands, about 4 km from Benthuizen.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 115,845
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Netherlands
- Region
- South Holland
- Timezone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Coordinates
- 52.0575, 4.4931
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Netherlands
Watch for cyclists. They generally have priority.
Full driving guide for NetherlandsTags
Worth the detour from Zoetermeer
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
Delft Markt
The cobbled heart of Vermeer's Delft, framed by the New Church tower and Renaissance town hall above the famous blue pottery.
11 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Madurodam
A miniature Netherlands in 1:25 scale, with tiny canals, windmills and airports, on the edge of The Hague.
14 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Cube Houses Rotterdam
Piet Blom's tilted yellow cube houses are the quirky landmark of Rotterdam's bold post-war architecture scene.
15 km · about 30 min drive
bridge
Erasmusbrug
Rotterdam's swan-necked cable-stayed bridge soars over the Maas, a striking modern icon glowing over the river at night.
16 km · about 20 min drive
beach
Scheveningen Beach
The Hague's grand seaside resort with a long sandy strand, a historic pier and a Belle Epoque Kurhaus hotel.
16 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Kinderdijk Windmills
UNESCO World Heritage site featuring 19 iconic 18th-century windmills in a quintessential Dutch polder landscape.
21 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Keukenhof Gardens
The world's largest flower garden, displaying roughly seven million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths each spring.
24 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Zoetermeer
- 16 kmErasmusbrugRotterdam's swan-necked cable-stayed bridge soars over the Maas, a striking modern icon glowing over the river at night.
- 55 kmBrouwersdamDelta Works dam carrying the N57 between two Zeeland islands, with the North Sea on one side, the Grevelingen lagoon on the other, and kitesurfers filling the sky.
- 64 kmZeeland BridgeElegant 5 km bridge over the Oosterschelde estuary, the longest in the Netherlands when opened in 1965. Its endless procession of arches makes one of the country's most photogenic drives.
- 74 kmOosterscheldekeringThe colossal storm-surge barrier crossing the Oosterschelde, the showpiece of Holland's Delta Works flood defences.
Driving in Netherlands
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€2.04/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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