Rotterdam
Rotterdam is a city of many faces: a tough port city, a trendy nightlife city, a sophisticated shopping city, and a hip artistic city. Above all, Rotterdam is the architecture city of Holland that stimulates innovation. Its skyline is always changing. There are many things to do amid around Rotterdam’s skyscrapers. You can go shopping, enjoy some excellent food, and visit a range of museums and attractions in and around the city center.
The best-known museums in town and two of Holland’s most sophisticated museums, Boijmans van Beuningen and Kunsthal, are located on in the Museumpark in Rotterdam. Elsewhere in the city you will find even more museums and exciting attractions, such as the Scheepvaartmuseum shipping museum, Hotel New York, Spido and Steamship Rotterdam. If the cultural offering doesn’t convince you, the huge and varied shop offering will.
Cosmopolitan Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second largest city in Holland and unlike any other Dutch city. With its impressive skyline, Rotterdam is also called ‘the Manhattan on the Meuse’. Rotterdam’s skyline is completely unmatched and the city’s tightly woven high-rises look amazing from any distance. For a truly speculator spectacular view, head over to the Euromast. From the tower’s 96 meter high observation deck, the Euromast offers you a stunning view
Rotterdam’s international port is Europe’s biggest harbour and among the world’s top five biggest harbours.
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, and the world’s largest seaport outside of East Asia. It now stretches over a distance of 40 kilometres.
Rotterdam is an architectural and cultural metropole with countless attractions, festivals and museums. The city has a lively, young urban culture and an unmatched selection of shops, restaurants and cafes.
Rotterdam used to be a labourers’ city, which has lived on in its way of thinking characterized by honesty and hard work.
Architecture
Rotterdam lost most of its pre-20th century architecture during World War II, when German airstrikes levelled the city. Afterwards, Rotterdam was rebuilt according to contemporary design standards leading to its current ultra-modern urban layout. Today, there are dozens of incredible buildings inside Rotterdam and the city has the highest concentration of skyscrapers in the Netherlands.
There are many architectural masterpieces in Rotterdam including the city’s famous innovative Cube Houses. Architect Piet Blom tilted the cube of a conventional house 45 degrees, and rested it upon a hexagon-shaped pylon.
Furthermore, the 18 gigantic windmills also known as The Mill Network near Kinderdijk are collectively recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their cultural and historical significance.
Most of these mills were built in the17th century in order to drain waterlogged land and prevent flooding. Kinderdijk is located 25 km east of Rotterdam. You can reach the site by bus or boat.
HOW TO GET TO ROTTERDAM
- By Train: Rotterdam is connected by an international rail to neighboring countries. If you are travelling from Antwerp, Brussels or Paris, you can take the high speed train which takes around half hour, 1 and a half hour and around 2 and a half hour respectively to reach Rotterdam. Train is also available from Amsterdam, Gouda, Leiden, The Hague and flushing among other cities. The rail link is preferred for a cross Europe tour and is a budget friendly way to reach Rotterdam.
- By Air: Rotterdam The Hague Airport is located around 7 kilometers from the city center and is connected to major European cities including Italy, France, Germany and United Kingdom. You can opt for a Tinker Taxi at the airport to take you to the hotel.
- By Boat: If you are travelling from the United Kingdom, ferries are available with overnight as well as day journeys and provide a bus shuttle service to take you to the city center.
- By Car: Major highways connect Rotterdam to cities like Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Gouda and you can park on the street by using a Chip card sold at various points on the highway. Rotterdam is located 73 kilometers from Amsterdam (a little more than an hour’s journey), 27 kilometers from The Hague (30 minutes’ journey time) and 61 kilometers from Utrecht (around 1-hour journey time).
- By Bus: Eurolines bus service connects Rotterdam with neighboring cities like Berlin (12 hours’ journey time), Brussels (around 3 hours’ journey time), Frankfurt (8 hours’ journey time) and Paris (around 7 hours’ journey time) among other cities.
- Other bus service: Megabus connect the city to London (9 hours away) and Cologne (6 hours away) among other cities including Paris and Frankfurt.
Public transport in Rotterdam
It is easy to travel by metro or tram in Rotterdam. The water taxi is a special means of transport, taking you at high speed to over 50 spots in Rotterdam and the surrounding area.
