Goedereede was an important medieval trading town with its own city walls and a unique charm. Goedereede literally means ‘safe harbour’ and, according to archaeological excavations, the town’s harbour was already an important site as far back as Roman times.

Goedereede was formerly used as a place to ship goods and received city rights in 1312. In the centuries that followed, water, storms and fires destroyed the town on several occasions. The town went into a long decline, losing trade to better-sited ports.

The only Dutch Pope Adrian VI (1522-1523) was priest in Goedereede and is commemorated with a statue (PiP5).