The Gouwe is a
channelized river in
South Holland
South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...
, the Netherlands. It runs in a north–south direction from the
Oude Rijn to the
Hollandse IJssel
The Hollandse (or Hollandsche) IJssel (; "Holland IJssel", as opposed to the 'regular' or Gelderland IJssel) is a branch of the Rhine delta that flows westward from Nieuwegein on river Lek through IJsselstein, Gouda and Capelle aan den IJssel t ...
.
From
Alphen aan den Rijn
Alphen aan den Rijn (; en, "Alphen upon Rhine" or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the r ...
, where the Gouwe begins at the Gouw Locks, it flows through
Boskoop
Boskoop () is a town in the province of South Holland. It was a separate municipality until it merged into Alphen aan den Rijn in 2014. The town had a population of 15,050 in 2012 and covers an area of of which is water. It's the world's bigges ...
and
Waddinxveen
Waddinxveen () is a town and municipality along the Gouwe (river), Gouwe river in the western Netherlands in the province of South Holland near Gouda, South Holland, Gouda. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which ...
to
Gouda. Here it splits into the old stream through the city and into the Gouwe Canal on the city's west side.
The Gouwe was historically part of the primary (and prescribed) shipping route in Holland, connecting
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...
with
Haarlem
Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is situated at the northern edge of the Randstad, one of the most populated metropoli ...
and later on
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
. These cities, together with the Counts of Holland who collected
toll
Toll may refer to:
Transportation
* Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway
** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use
** Road toll (historic), the historic practice of charging for road use
** Shadow toll, ...
at Gouda and
Spaarndam
Spaarndam is a small village in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands, on the Spaarne river and the IJ lake. The oldest part of the village, on the western side of the Spaarne, belongs to the municipality of Haarlem; the newer part o ...
, maintained this arrangement to the dissatisfaction of the cities
Delft
Delft () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, ...
and
Leiden
Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...
which were bypassed by this route.
Today the Gouwe is still an important shipping route. At the Oude Rijn, river travel can be continued north over the
Aar Canal. It also functions as the main water outlet for the
Rijnland The name ''Rijnland'' (alternative historical spellings: ''Rhijnland'', ''Rhynland'', ''Rynland''; Latin ''Rhenolandia'') means "Rhineland" in Dutch. When referring to the Rhine in Germany, "Rijnland" has the same meaning as "Rhineland" in English o ...
region.
Three striking
vertical lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck.
The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swin ...
s cross the Gouwe at Alphen aan den Rijn, Boskoop, and Waddinxveen.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gouwe (River)
Rivers of South Holland
Rivers of the Netherlands