Rotterdam, NY, The Netherlands

Rotterdam, NY, The Netherlands

Rotterdam, NY The Netherlands

Rotterdam may not be the most beautiful Dutch city, but it is vibrant, down-to-earth, and cosmopolitan. Stepping out of Central Station, it’s immediately clear that this is no quaint tulips-and-clogs traditional Dutch town, as the walls of gleaming silver skyscrapers and brightly colored tower blocks rise up on every side of you. After wandering around the city for a while, you will soon discover why. Instead of rebuilding its historic center, this forward-thinking port town employed an army of visionary architects to completely redesign the city after it was flattened by German bombs in May 1940. They did a great job and created a new heart for Rotterdam that is not only modern and functional but also striking and unique. But fans of cozy redbrick houses and canals needn’t worry, as Rotterdam also has plenty of architectural pockets that look ‘typically Dutch’. Although most of these are a little outside the city center, one welcome exception is the Oude Haven, Rotterdam’s oldest port, which is now a popular hangout both day and night. Sitting here, the contrast of Rotterdam couldn’t be clearer; behind the old Dutch ships anchored steadily in the historic harbor, Rotterdam’s modern architecture gleams in the sunlight. Today, Rotterdam has the third-largest harbor in the world, making it the industrial heart of the Netherlands, and with roughly 50% of its citizens claiming a non-Dutch origin, the city is a truly multicultural composition. It is famed for its festive summers, which make up for the long winter.
Recommended airport
Rotterdam (RTM)
Points of interest
  • Windmills at Kinderdijk
  • Kunsthal
  • Oceanium
Nearby destinations
  • Bruinisse a 39.92 km
  • The Hague a 22.38 km
  • Breda a 41.71 km