Voorburg is a town and former municipality in the west part of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Together with the town Leidschendam and the village Stompwijk, it merged into the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg in 2002. Situated adjacent to the city of The Hague, it is often regarded as one of its suburbs.
The Old Church
Voorburg is considered to be one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands (being founded by the Romans as the town Forum Hadriani). It celebrated its 2000th year of existence in 1988.
Forum Hadriani was situated along the Fossa Corbulonis, a canal connecting the Rhine and the Meuse, excavated in 47 AD by the Roman general Corbulo. This waterway is known as the Rhine-Schie canal. The section from Leiden to Leidschendam-Voorburg is more commonly known as the canal Vliet, which is still a dominant landmark of the current municipalities.
Famous inhabitants of Voorburg include the 17th century author and poet Constantijn Huygens, who spent many years building his small country house Hofwijck with adjacent geometrically shaped gardens alongside the Vliet. His son, the famous astronomer and mathematician Christiaan Huygens, spent several years in his father’s country house in Voorburg. The house, located next to the main railway station, now functions as a museum.
country house Hofwijck
Here is a photographic impression of the city of Voorburg.