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Geographically an excellent location.

 

In particular because it is close to the main motorways. To the west there is the Amsterdam-Utrecht motorway, linked to the Oudenrijn Junction with connections to The Hague, Rotterdam, Arnhem and ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

 

But also its position with respect to Schiphol Airport, its location on the Amsterdam-Rhine canal and the railway line Amsterdam-Utrecht is particularly attractive.

 

Maarssen.........a fascinating village with a population of some 40,000. And with a multi-sided structure.
The charming old village centre with attractive shopping-streets and a number of picturesque canals along the river Vecht. On the other hand there is Maarssenbroek, the modern district with new buildings.

Maarssenbroek, a district which has the characteristics of a city. Contradictions, probably - yet connected in a special way.

Contrasts also in other ways: history, scenic beauty and the rural character on the one side, and industrious activities of internationally oriented enterprises at the industrial estates elsewhere on the other. Or the magnificent manors along the river Vecht, reminiscent of the past, combined with modern houses, showing us how we will live tomorrow.

 

Maarssen......a village on the move.
Some thirty years ago a plan was developed for a completely new district. The idea was to set up a community in which living, working, shopping and recreation would fit in with the characteristics of Old-Maarssen. A development plan, called Maarssenbroek, was set up for a site of about 400 hectares. A gigantic and ambitious project.

Maarssenbroek has a different approach compared to other local development plans. In general new districts are set up around an existing centre having facilities for education, shops, recreation etc. allready avaible.

 

In Maarssen the situation was different:
The Maarssenbroek polder was an entity in itself because it is separated from the existing ‘old village’ by the Amsterdam-Rhine canal and the railway line. For a long time only one bridge connected the old centre and the new building district. The opening of the Zuilen Circular Road around Maarssen resulted in the construction of a second bridge. The original situation meant that - simultaneously with the dwellings - shops, schools and public facilities had to be built.

All this made the local authorities decide to choose an integrated approach for the execution of the plan: the preparing of the building site, construction of roads, the laying of the sewer system and the building of houses remained in one hand - the Combinatie Stede-Ontwikkeling (Urban Development Sandicate).

In practice this approach worked well. It allowed working at an accelerated pace according to stringent planning.

The Maarssenbroek development plan, adopted in Juni 1968, was intended to provide eventually for the growing population of the surrounding municipalities. In order to protect as far as possible the rural character of the area of the river Vecht, the villages were not allowed to expand too much. According to the report ‘With a View to Utrecht’s Future’ the expansion was planned for the end of the eighties. The fact that it was put forward to the beginning of the seventies was mainly due to the housing shortage in the city of Utrecht.

In 1972 the local authorities contracted the Urban Development Syndicate for fifty per cent of the housing programme on the development site. In total it would comprise more than nine thousand houses, all of which have now been completed.

Over the years Maarssenbroek has acquired quite a number of facilities: not only schools, community centres, churches and a new railway station, but also a recreational swimming pool (with artificial waves), indoor and outdoor sports accommodation, parks, tennis courts, offices and public facilities, like a library, a new police station, a new main post office, and a modern hotel that combines business efficiency, hospitality, leisure pursuits and accessibillity.

The magnificent shopping and office building complex, called Bisonspoor, the building of which started in 1980, deserves a special mention. The entire complex comprises eight stories: the ground and first floor are used by shops and the service industry and also for recreational purposes. The higher floors are let as office accommodation. A car park is also provided for as part of the complex.

To the casual observer Maarssenbroek appears to be separated from Maarssen but in reality the old past and the modern present have merged.

 

Maarssen........ more than just living.
From time immemorial trade and industry have always been able to find this village. It started at the time of the ships of the North European Hanse marchants who, bound for Utrecht, sailed up the river Vecht to Maarssen. Due to shallow waters they could not go any further, and this resulted in a lively trade in Maarssen.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth century the scene is one of great activity. The number of merchants and craftsmen settling there grows rapidly.

In the nineteenth and twentieth century however, the industrialization is well in progress also as a result of the construction of the Amsterdam-Utrecht railway line and the construction of the present Amsterdam-Rhine canal.

Craftsmen expand their businesses or settle in Maarssen. Some firms transfer their activities, bringing along so many employees that streets and dwellings have to be built specially to provide for their housing.

Employment is a matter of great concern to the municipal council of Maarssen. In developing the Maarssenbroek project the object was that people should be able to live as well as work in this area. So the building sites were not only intended for housing and additional facilities. Sites were also sold to project developers for the construction of office and business accommodation.