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Travel Destination Guide - Rotterdam
Rotterdam (Netherlands) 
Rotterdam Information
Slideshow of Photos
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Over the years, Rotterdam has become the most important city in the Netherlands for modern architecture. Because of the bombing in 1940, the whole city centre was destroyed; architects and city planners had the opportunity to build a city according to modern views and ideas. Today, Rotterdam's Europoort is one of the world's largest, a massive complex of piers, warehouses, and refineries stretching for 48 km (30 mi), an awe-inspiring sight from a boat after dark.
Art lovers appreciate Rotterdam for its extensive art; philosophers recall it as the city of Erasmus. Representative of the city's adventuresome modern architecture is the Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge), an extraordinary, single-span pylon bridge over the Maas River, nicknamed "the swan." This forms the main link with the Kop van Zuid, Rotterdam's phenomenal ongoing development project in former docklands on the south bank.
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Rotterdam has a good variety of attractions. Well-known examples are Tropicana, Rotterdam Zoo, the Euromast and Spido Harbor Tours.
You will also find many interesting attractions in the immediate surroundings of Rotterdam! These include Windkracht 4, Het Keringhuis and Stork Village Het Liesvelt just to name a few.
The Euromast - At 185 metres high the Euromast is the place to go for the best view in town. The new super fast automatic lifts take you up to the platforms for a panoramic view over the whole of Rotterdam.
Reconstruction of "The Delft" - A great opportunity to observe, up close, the reconstruction of an 18th century wooden sailing vessel, The Delft. It's not far from Delfshaven where the original was built, right on the banks of the Maas and Rotterdam's Schiehaven harbour front.
Nieuwe Luxor Theatre - The Luxor Theatres is housed in a stunning modern building in the up and coming Kop van Zuid area. The programming is characterised by a long series of large-scale musical and cabaret productions. These will be interspersed with more modest concerts, operas, operettas and dance. It also has a repertoire catering for virtually every taste.
Spido Harbour Cruise - Get an up close view of the world's largest port, by taking a 75 minutes harbour cruise. See the shipyards, docks and quays up close and be a part of the heavy traffic of seagoing vessels and inland sailing ships on a river that brought glory to Rotterdam.
Water Taxis - The water links the southern and northern banks of the river Maas. Two regular services run from Wilhelminakade (near hotel New York on Kop van Zuid) to Veerhaven and Leuvehaven. The classical dark-blue wooden boats sail every day of the year. There is always a water taxi available to take you across the water.
Weena - The foundation of the New Skyline of Rotterdam is at Weena. In a very short time of both sides of the 60 meter wide boulevard, which stretches from Hofplein to Central Station, has turned into hyper-modern high-rise buildings. This sight reminds of big American cities. The Weena is the new and high-grade business centre of Rotterdam.
Museum Park - The Museum Park is a modern garden where various open-air shows are organised. Next to the square with apple trees, you will find a romantic garden, the Rose garden, and you can walk across a hundred-metre-long bridge. Around the Museum Park there are various cultural institutions, such as the Kunsthal (Art Gallery) and the Boymans van Beuningen Museum, as well as the university complex Hoboken.
Kop van Zuid - The Kop van Zuid is the new quarter of Rotterdam, through which the River Maas flows.
On the 125-hectare plot, 5,300 dwellings will be built over the next 15 years, as well as 400.000 m2 of office space, 35.000 m2 of space for businesses and 60.000 m2 of recreational space. On Wilhelminakade a business centre with buildings higher than 100 meters will arise. The departures hall and the head office of the Holland Amerika Line (where Hotel New York is also located) will be saved.
Rotterdam Suitability ProfileSun Snow Beaches History/Culture Romance Peace & Quiet Hustle & Bustle | Activity & Adventure Famous Landmarks Water Sports Natural Beauty Art & Architecture Family Entertainment Good Nightlife | Safari Plenty of Restaurants All Inclusive Hotels Luxury Accommodation Plenty of Shops |
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Population: 16.407.500
Languages: Dutch, Frisian (both official)
Currency: euro Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Netherlands - Amsterdam
Country Dialling Code: +31
Voltage: 230V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
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The Netherlands is easy to travel in and the locals are friendly and speak excellent English, but many towns are still surrounded by canals and castle walls, the endlessly flat landscape which inspired the nation's early artists still stretches unbroken to the horizons, and the dykes still occasionally threaten to give way.
This country of tulips, windmills and bicycles stretches out over a predominantly flat landscape of reclaimed land. Sophisticated urban centres and sleepy rural towns are contained within the expansive vistas broken here and there by canals, castle walls and dikes. Europe's most densely populated region is located within an area of the Netherlands called the Randstad. This urban hub is spread in a circle from Amsterdam, and includes The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht and the smaller towns of Haarlem, Leiden and Delft. The metropolitan centres buzz with the activity of seasonal festivals, cultural activities, vibrant art scenes and excellent pubs and restaurants.
The cultural heritage that flavours much of Dutch life can be traced back through time. During the 1600s the Netherlands dominated the world both economically and culturally. The Dutch East India Company established trading links with the East and West Indies bringing back an abundance of merchandise and cultural influences. The Golden Age reached its zenith in the artworks of the Dutch Masters - Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Jan Vermeer. Today their paintings hang from the walls of the cities' numerous museums and galleries.
Most people travelling to the Netherlands head for the unique experience of its capital city, Amsterdam. The other parts are largely unaffected by tourism, particularly the areas outside the Randstad. The southern parts of the country are transformed by undulating landscapes of shifting sands and heath moors, best experienced within the Hoge Veluwe National Park. Still south, tucked between the German and Belgian borders, lies the historical city of Maastricht.
Since the collapse of Napoleon's empire in 1814, the Netherlands has taken a neutral stance throughout most of the world's conflicts, including the First World War in which it took no part. In spite of this independent stance it still suffered severely in World War II during the Nazi invasion of 1940. Its neutral political position, combined with its tradition of liberalism and tolerance has made the Netherlands the logical choice for the establishment of the International Court of Justice, which is situated in The Hague. |
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Local Area Weather
Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS |
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Partly Cloudy |
21°C
Feels like: 21°C |
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