Historic Vlaardingen church tower gets safety upgrade for public climbs
Residents and visitors of Vlaardingen can soon climb the iconic Grote Kerk tower more safely. The municipality is installing handrails, safety barriers, and reinforced floor hatches to improve accessibility, preserving a piece of local history while enhancing the experience for climbers.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Grote Kerk tower, Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland |
| Height | 51.8 meters (up to the weather vane) |
| Renovation Focus | Handrails, safety barriers, reinforced floor hatches |
| Historical Significance | Built in 1746, survived wars and lightning strikes, cultural landmark |
| Accessibility Improvements | Initiated by Council Member Tom Vleeschhouwer, supported by Alderman Koen Kegel |
| Future Climbs | Organized by City Tours Vlaardingen and ServiceTeam Vlaardingen |
| Carillon | Named ‘Oranjebeiaard’, played weekly by carilloneur Bas de Vroome |
The municipality of Vlaardingen owns and manages the Grote Kerk tower, a historic landmark in the city. As the governing body, it is responsible for preserving cultural heritage sites and ensuring public access to them in a safe and sustainable manner.
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Tower of Grote Kerk to be more accessible for climbing
Those who wish to climb the tower of the Grote Kerk on the Markt will soon be able to do so more comfortably. The municipality is preparing for a renovation of the tower. In a few months, sturdy handrails will be installed for support. Safety barriers will also be placed, and floor hatches will be reinforced. The spiral staircase upwards remains a challenging climb, but the view over Vlaardingen and the surrounding area is worth it. And you follow in the footsteps of historical tower watchers.
Council member Tom Vleeschhouwer submitted an amendment during the budget meeting in November 2025 for the renovation and improved accessibility of the church tower for the public. Alderman Koen Kegel (among others for real estate): “The municipality has been the owner of the church tower since 1800. The tower is an icon of Vlaardingen, and we want to allow more people to enjoy a climb and the beautiful, expansive view from the tower balcony through these improvements.”
From leaning tower to rock in the surf
The current church tower was put into use on July 5, 1746. Previously, Vlaardingen had a ‘leaning tower’ for a time. Unlike that of Pisa, the demolition of this Vlaardingen church tower proved inevitable in 1743, as it had sunk more than a meter and the beams were rotten. The construction of a new tower started immediately, along with an expansion of the Grote Kerk. The current tower, which is 51.8 meters high up to the weather vane, proved to be a rock in the surf. It survived wars and lightning strikes and is to this day the center of celebrations and commemorations.
Looking out to sea
At the foot of the tower, children and women gathered for centuries to hear the ‘tower watcher’ announce that a Vlaardingen fishing ship had returned. The tower has peepholes and a window for the tower watcher, who could look out to sea past Monster with a monocular telescope on a clear day. Tricks were devised for recognizing a ship. First, the way the sails were adjusted or colorful bindings helped, later numbers on the bow of the ship were useful for identification.
A ball up!
The tower watchers introduced a signaling system: by hoisting large colored balls on a stick on the tower balcony, they indicated that a ship was approaching Vlaardingen. The tower watcher then went downstairs to inform the shipowner and the family. But by then, the balls had already done their job: at the base of the tower, children and women who wanted to hear which ship was arriving were standing. If the tower watcher said the name, the children ran in all directions, because whoever could report first that the ship of a man, father, brother, or nephew had arrived, received a few cents. The children's cry of "A ball up! A ball up!" brought joy, partly because an approaching ship meant work and income for the people of Vlaardingen.
In earlier times, there was also a fire watchman on the tower. He sounded the alarm with horn signals if necessary. He did this from the tower balcony, on the side of the tower where the fire was.
Carillon
The municipal council of Vlaardingen purchased a carillon for the tower in 1948, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Queen Wilhelmina's reign. The carillon was named ‘Oranjebeiaard’. Carilloneur Bas de Vroome plays the carillon every Wednesday from 12:00 to 12:45.
Looking forward to new climbs
Prior to the work, alderman Koen Kegel, council member Tom Vleeschhouwer, and main contractor Rawand Osman gathered at the base of the tower with Wiese Hagestein of City Tours Vlaardingen and Arjan Romers of the ServiceTeam Vlaardingen. The city guides organize tower climbs, often in combination with a city walk. When the renovation is complete, you can look forward to new tower climbs on www.vlaardingendoen.nl or www.serviceteam-vlaardingen.nl.
Photo caption: Prior to the work, alderman Koen Kegel, council member Tom Vleeschhouwer, and main contractor Rawand Osman gathered at the base of the tower with Wiese Hagestein of City Tours Vlaardingen and Arjan Romers of the ServiceTeam Vlaardingen. The city guides organize tower climbs, often in combination with a city walk. They look forward to organizing new tower climbs once the work is complete. From left to right: Koen Kegel, Wiese Hagestein, Rawand Oskam, Tom Vleeschhouwer, and Arjan Romers.