Holland
Rotterdam
State
Country
Netherlands
Continent
Europe
Size
324 KM2
Population
630,000
Spending Budget
$160 - $360
Famous For
- The city is known for its trendy nightlife, sophisticated shopping avenues and its innovative architecture.
Best Time to Visit
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
History
In the 17th century, when the discovery of the sea route to the Indies gave an enormous impetus to Dutch commerce and shipping, Rotterdam expanded its harbours and accommodations along the Meuse. Transit trade grew more important, and between 1866 and 1872 the New Waterway was dug from Rotterdam to the North Sea to accommodate larger oceangoing steamships. In 1877 the city was connected with the southern Netherlands by a railroad crossing the Meuse River. Simultaneously a traffic bridge was constructed across the Meuse river, opening up its southern bank. Holland’s most modern city began as a fishing village in the 13th century. It was developing into an industrial and trading power when German bombers destroyed the city centre and harbour in 1940. During World War 2, with heavy bombarding and air raids the city was literally turned into ashes. The present day hip artistic city, like a phoenix, rose from its own ashes. Rotterdam’s unique architecture now brings many visitors to cycle around this urbane, cosmopolitan city. Old Dutch-style houses can still be found in historic Delfshaven, from where the pilgrims set sail in 1620. Cultural offerings ranging from the summer carnival to classical music can compete with those of Amsterdam.
Present Day
With an estimated population of approximately 630,000, the city features some fantastic architecture like the modern cube buildings and the Euromast Tower. It also has a wonderful variety of museums, eateries and fun activities to enjoy. Rotterdam’s economy is still almost completely based on shipping. The port lies at the heart of the densely populated and industrialized triangle of London, Paris, and the German Ruhr district and at the mouths of two important rivers (the Rhine and the Meuse). The amount of sea-transported goods that pass through Rotterdam’s harbour and that of its outport, Europort, is the largest in the world in terms of capacity, with much of its cargoes consisting of crude oil or petroleum products. Rotterdam is also one of the largest grain and general-cargo harbours on the continent. Europort is an area of the ports in Rotterdam and is considered one of the busiest ports in the world and a major trade entry point into Europe. The port is huge beyond belief and is a fascinating place to visit, to understand its importance and the role it plays in the cities and countries economy. A boat tour is the perfect way to see the fantastic harbours and ports of Rotterdam. Cherry on the cake is the magnificent culinary options which the city offers. From the ambience of the dining space to the presentation of food to the superb mix of herbs and spices the city has everything to suit every palate. For starters Restaurant Kite is known for its delicious Afghani food and the cosy ambience. FG Food Lab is known for its unique experiments with food and exquisite presentation.
Future
As one of the world’s leading ports, Rotterdam harbours the ambition of being the ‘smartest port’. The Port of Rotterdam Authority is embracing the energy transition, digitisation and innovations as an opportunity for making logistics chains that pass through Rotterdam more efficient, more reliable and hence more competitive. If it were up to Rotterdam, autonomous ships would be docking in the port by 2030. Daan Roosegaarde, who has worked on numerous visionary ideas including glow-in-the-dark roads and a smog-purifying tower, said that there will be more and more built projects popping up over the city in the next 10 to 15 years, a mix of both government-funded schemes and bottom-up developments. "Rotterdam is, in my opinion, the city with the most courage and curiosity to explore the new world," he said. "They have a strong emphasis on creative industry and new thinking," he added. "They show some guts and are willing to invest in new ideas, not just out of enthusiasm, but because it is super necessary to keep the city healthy and future proofed.
Markthal
The Markthal is a stunning piece of architecture that was constructed in 2009 and serves as both an office building and a marketplace. The design of the structure is quite unique with a large semi-circular grey façade and a large windowed section facing out to the surrounding courtyard. At a historical location at the Binnenrotte, next to Blaak Station and the largest weekly open air fresh food and hardware market in Rotterdam, the first covered market of the Netherlands was realised. Unique is not only its shape and size, but especially the way the different functions are combined. The combination of an apartment building covering a fresh food market with food shops, restaurants, a supermarket and an underground parking is found nowhere else in the world.
Rotterdam Zoo
The Rotterdam Zoo which is also known as Diergaarde Blijdorp has a life of its own. The zoo has its own Botanical Garden and Oceanium and also operates breeding programs for endangered species of animals. The zoo is split into several different themed areas including a Chinese garden, a Malayan Forest, Mongolian Steppes and a crocodile river.
Euromast
The Euromast, with a height of 606ft along with its antenna, is the tallest structure in the city. It was built in 1960 as an observation station to provide a panoramic view of the cityscape. The tower features a restaurant, a conference room for business meetings, a hotel suite and of course the observation deck.
Erasmus Bridge
Erasmus Bridge is a monumental bridge spanning the Nieuwe Maas distributary of the Rhine and runs from the confluence of the Noord and Lek rivers. In the centre of the bridge there is a bascule section that opens to allow larger ships passage through the waters. The Central Station is another building which has a unique architecture. Inaugurated in 2014 the iconic building has a triangular shape that points towards the sky at a protruding angle.
Church Of Saint Laurence
Memories of architectural grandeur of the medieval era survives with The Church Of Saint Laurence. The church was constructed in 1449 and has quite beautifully decorated arches, high vaulted ceilings and a variety of stone reliefs with rich religious decoration.
Europort
Europort is an area of the ports in Rotterdam and is considered one of the busiest ports in the world and a major trade entry point into Europe. The port is huge beyond belief and is a fascinating place to visit, to understand its importance and the role it plays in the cities and countries economy. A boat tour is the perfect way to see the fantastic harbours and ports of Rotterdam.
Maritime Museum
The Maritime Museum is one of the largest of its type in the world with a huge collection of cartography, maritime memorabilia and art. The museum is located in central Rotterdam near the Markthal and the Cube houses. This really is a place full of interesting objects relating to the maritime world. The Museum Boymans van Beuningen contains a fine display of sculptures, paintings and decorative arts from many different artists and countries including works from Van Gough, Dali and Rembrandt. Notable pieces include the “Tower of Babel” by Pieter Bruegel, and “Couple with their heads full of Clouds” by Dali.
Grande Dame
The SS Rotterdam is a large ocean liner that was originally known as the Grande Dame and constructed in the 1950’s. The cube house is as you would expect – A set of houses that are cuboid fashion. This bizarre and eccentric housing block was designed by Piet Blom and the cubes that it is formed from are tilted at a 45 degree angle.