Prince Hendrik Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz

Getting around

Regulated Fares and Timed Travel

Travel costs were fixed by regulation, such as three stuivers for the Delft-Rotterdam summer trip, and hourglasses were used on boats to ensure ships did not pause too long at stops. Children up to age two traveled for free, while those up to twelve paid half price.

Daily life

Keeping food fresh using ventilated cupboards

To keep food fresh without refrigeration, families used a spinde, a cupboard with ventilation grilles that allowed air to circulate. Alternatively, families stored food in cellars or relied on daily consumption, as items like bread were essential staples.

What people wore

Festive winter skating layers

During winter, people of all classes went ice skating and wore extra layers of wool under their everyday clothes. These layers were intentionally visible to add a touch of festivity to the otherwise drab winter landscape.

Music

Popular egg dance at festivals

In the 17th century, the egg dance was a popular folk tradition where dancers skillfully moved eggs out of a chalk circle using only their feet to the sound of a fiddle and bagpipe.

At the table

Bread as the Dietary Cornerstone

Bread was the essential element of the diet, sometimes eaten as sop—a mixture of bread and vegetables—or as sweet treats like poffertjes and oliekoecken. Poor families often relied on dense, dark rye bread as their primary source of calories.