Maarssen-Village

The atmospheric center of Maarssen, with its canals and centuries-old canal houses, resembles Amsterdam on a smaller scale. The name likely comes from 'Marsua', meaning marsh. This is a reference to the marshy peat soils that lay behind the river. By the 9th century, people were already living on the higher – and thus dry – riverbank. The small village that gradually emerged grew significantly in the 17th century when wealthy Amsterdam merchants began building their country estates here. It is notable that many Jews lived in Maarssen in the 17th and 18th centuries. They were allowed to work in Utrecht but could not live there. Since Maarssen was the nearest village, they settled here. Only the Jewish cemetery outside the village (not open to visitors) and the Jodenkerksteeg remind us of their presence. Due to its favorable location along the Vecht and close to Utrecht – and later to the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal – Maarssen has become an important industrial village. Today, the industry thankfully concentrates along the canal, and we only find beautiful houses, nice shops, and cozy restaurants along the Vecht. You can moor for free at the quay anywhere in the village. If there is no space, you can cruise a little further to the quay of Goudestein, located just outside the village.

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