Spijkenisse Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Spijkenisse

Town centre of Spijkenisse

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in South Holland

Area

• Total

30.27 km² (11.69 sq mi)

• Land

26.12 km² (10.08 sq mi)

• Water

4.15 km² (1.60 sq mi)

Elevation

−1 m (−3.3 ft)

Population

• Total

72,500

Demonym(s)

Spijkenissenaar

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

3200–3209

Area code

0181

Spijkenisse (Dutch pronunciation: [spɛikəˈnɪsə]) is a large town in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. It is home to about 72,500 people. Since 2015, Spijkenisse has been part of the Nissewaard municipality. The town is also part of the bigger Greater Rotterdam area.

Discovering Spijkenisse's Past
Getting Around Spijkenisse
Neighborhoods of Spijkenisse
Schools in Spijkenisse
- Primary Schools
- Secondary Schools
Famous People from Spijkenisse
- Sports Stars from Spijkenisse
Spijkenisse's Global Connections
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Spijkenisse's Past

Topographic map of Spijkenisse, as 2014

People have lived in the Spijkenisse area for thousands of years. Early inhabitants fished in the Maas River. They also hunted in the nearby swampy areas for food.

The name Spickenisse was first mentioned in 1231. It combines two old words. Spieke means "spit" (a narrow piece of land). Nesse means "nose." So, the name means "pointy nose." This describes the town's location on land sticking out into the river.

Spijkenisse began as a small village. People farmed and fished there. It was located on a creek along the Oude Maas river. The town first belonged to the Lord of Putten. In 1459, the area, including Spijkenisse, went to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. After the Dutch declaration of independence in 1581, the region came under the control of the States of Holland and West Friesland.

In the 1500s, floods caused damage to the village. Fires in the 1600s and 1700s also slowed its growth. In the 1900s, Spijkenisse grew a lot. It became a big part of the Greater Rotterdam area. Today, Spijkenisse includes smaller communities. These are Hekelingen, Den Hoek, and Beerenplaat.

Getting Around Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse is connected to Rotterdam by the Rotterdam Metro. Metro lines C and D serve the town. There are three metro stations: Spijkenisse Centrum, Heemraadlaan, and De Akkers. The metro system is run by RET.

On November 2, 2020, a metro train went past the end of the tracks. Luckily, a sculpture called "Whale tails" stopped it. This prevented the train from falling 10 meters.

Bus services are also available. EBS operates several bus lines. There is also one Connexxion line that goes to Ouddorp.

In 2011, Spijkenisse built seven special bridges. These bridges look like the fictional designs on euro banknotes. They were designed by Robin Stam.

Spijkenisse Centrum metro station
The metro train stopped by the "Whale tails" sculpture
A local bus service
One of the Eurobridges, designed to look like the 20 euro banknote bridge

Neighborhoods of Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse has many different neighborhoods. Each one has its own unique feel.

De Akkers
Centrum
De Elementen
De Hoek
Gildenwijk
Groenewoud
Hoogwerf
Maaswijk
Schenkel
Schiekamp
Sterrenkwartier
Vierambachten
Vogelenzang
Vriesland
Waterland

Schools in Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse has many schools for children of all ages.

Primary Schools

Here are some of the primary schools in Spijkenisse, grouped by their type:

Roman Catholic	Protestant	Public	Calvinist
De Akkers	Het Anker	Annie MG Schmidt	De Morgenster
De Klinker	Het Baken	De Vuurvogel
De Maasoever	De Bron
Monseigneur Bekkersschool	De Duif	De Vogelenzang
De Wegwijzer	De Hoeksteen	De Krullevaar
Paus Johannes	De Marimba	De Meander (until 2012)
	De Rank	De Montessori
	De Schakel	Jan Campert
		De Piramide
		De Toermalijn
		De Veenvlinder

Secondary Schools

After primary school, students can attend one of these secondary schools:

Roman Catholic	Christian	Public
MAVO Charles de Foucauld	PENTA college CSG Scala Molenwatering	OSG My College
	PENTA College CSG Scala Rietvelden	OSG De Ring van Putten
	PENTA college CSG De Oude Maas

Famous People from Spijkenisse

Emiel Mellaard, a famous long jumper from Spijkenisse

Many talented people have come from Spijkenisse. Here are a few:

Jan Campert (1902–1943) was a writer and journalist.
Marleen de Pater-van der Meer (1950–2015) was a Dutch politician.
Jan Bechtum (born 1958) is a Dutch guitarist and composer.
Erik de Jong (born 1961), known as Spinvis, is a Dutch musician.
Rolf Habben Jansen (born 1966) is the current CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, a big shipping company.
Medy van der Laan (born 1968) was a Dutch politician.
Björn Franken (born 1983), known as Vato Gonzalez, is a DJ and producer.
Nick van de Wall (born 1987), known as Afrojack, is a world-famous DJ and producer.
Duncan Laurence (born 1994) is a singer who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
Fabiënne Nicole Groeneveld (born 1999) is a businesswoman and model who won Miss Universe Indonesia 2023.

Sports Stars from Spijkenisse

Spijkenisse has also produced several athletes:

Bram Groeneweg (1905–1988) was a long-distance runner who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.
Emiel Mellaard (born 1966) is a retired Dutch long jump record holder.
Joeri de Groot (born 1977) is a Dutch rower who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Patrick van Luijk (born 1984) is a Dutch sprinter.
Martijn Barto (born 1984) is a Dutch professional footballer.
Djenairo Daniels is also a professional footballer.