About Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM CITY CENTER:

Centraalstation
Weena, Hofplein

Coolsingel
Beursplein
Churchillplein, City Hall

Blaak
Grotemarkt
Hoge Straat, Library, Grote Kerk

CENTRAL HARBOURS:

Kop van Zuid

Wijnhaven
Oude Haven

The tallest buildings in Rotterdam

The Cube houses, Het Witte Huis, The Old Harbour

Walk of fame
Havenmuseum

The Maritime Quartiers

PARKS:

Het Park

About Rotterdam:

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands. It also has the world’s second largest and busiest harbour and Europe’s largest  (beaten by Shanghai in 2004). The city was bombed heavily by Luftwaffe during WWII, so most old buildings were destroyed. But instead of rebuilding the city center as it was, very modern buildings with innovative architecture have been constructed,  and the last 4 decades many skyscrapers have arised. Especially the last 5 years construction has been frequent. So the city feels more like an American city then a European, but there are many streets with older buildings in the outskirts. It has a very impressive skyline, containing most of Netherland’s tallest buildings, spread out over the center and the harbour. Rotterdam’s harbour is so important because it is situated in the large channel Nieuwe Maas where several important rivers meet. The name comes from a small river called Rotte. Rotterdam is also a multicultural city, more then 50% has roots in other countries and currently (2012) they have a muslim mayor. The city has, just like Amsterdam, many museums and a vibrant nightlife. Rotterdam is part of the Randstad area that include Amsterdam, and the city has grown together with The Hague, Delft and Schiedam.

My point of view:

I visited Rotterdam for one day as part of my Amsterdam trip. It takes only about one hour by train from Amsterdam. It is a very cool city to visit if you like modern architecture, it is almost like a “European Dubai”.  It was very hot the day I visited Rotterdam, and there were no clouds in the sky. Some streets can feel a bit stiff and there are not many trees, they are also narrow so you don’t get much protection from the sun, but there are nice pubs in the harbor and you can find more picturesque districts such as Delfshaven. Rotterdam also have a very nice park, just next to the Euromast TV tower that offers nice views.
Unfortunately it is also one of the two most criminal cities in Holland, and after dark you can recognize there are many gangs in the city but daytime it feels pretty safe. Rotterdam has a good infrastructure wih biking lanes, large roads, red trams and a metro. Anyway, the city has a lot to offer, so more then one day could be needed.

I also visited Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht (see main page).

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