Since this summer, Gouda has gained a Time Trip, a kind of google streetview of the past. Near the IJssel riverbank, you can look around in the Disaster Year of 1672. And at the Hoornburg it goes back to 1200, the time of the motte castle. A new layer is now added to that: Gouda in 1350 full of wooden houses and beer barrels. A good moment for the festive inauguration of Time Travel with alderman of culture Thierry van Vugt and poet Chris Bellekom.


Time travel is not really possible. But you can in Virtual Reality. From behind your PC you can look into the past. Or, even more exciting, on the spot with your own phone. What has disappeared becomes visible again. And while looking around, you can read about what you see, who lived, worked or travelled here. For the ultimate experience, use the VR viewers: the somewhat strange-looking poles near the Hoornbrug and Het IJsselhuis. So the Time Trip is a website, app and VR viewer all in one! This is unique for the Netherlands.

Goudse Tijdreis is an initiative the Archeologische Vereniging Golda and Stichting Verborgen Stad and is widely supported by Gouda heritage parties. The project has been made possible by the Province of South Holland (Erfgoedlijn Oude Hollandse Waterlinie) and Gouda750.

The motto of the celebration of 750 years of city rights is 'Pass on Gouda'. And that is exactly what this project wants: to make the past accessible in a contemporary way. For as many people as possible, including the youngest generation. And it continues to grow. New time layers and new places will be added to the Time Travel in the coming years.

Want to take a look around yourself? Surf to canals5D.nl and go to Gouda on the map. Or download the app Canals5D for both iOS and Android.

The linking of space (3D), time (4D) and information (5D) is called 5D reconstruction. This is the very latest, most technically advanced and accessible way to discover history.