El-Hil We Alterhal For Travel And Tourism: Rotterdam

Rotterdam The Netherlands

Rotterdam mightn’t be the prettiest city in the Netherlands, but it’s vibrant, down‑to‑earth and cosmopolitan. As soon as you step out of Central Station it’s obvious you’re not in some quaint, tulips‑and‑clogs Dutch town: shiny silver skyscrapers and brightly coloured tower blocks rise up on all sides. Wander around for a bit and you’ll quickly see why. Instead of rebuilding its historic centre, this forward‑thinking port city brought in an army of maverick architects to completely redesign the place after it was flattened by German bombs in May 1940. They did a cracking job, creating a new heart for Rotterdam that’s not only modern and functional, but also striking and one‑of‑a‑kind. Still, anyone fond of cosy red‑brick houses and canals needn’t worry – Rotterdam has plenty of little architectural pockets that look ‘typically Dutch’. Most of these are a bit outside the city centre, but a handy exception is the Oude Haven, the city’s oldest port and now a popular spot day and night. Sitting here, the contrast that defines Rotterdam couldn’t be clearer: behind the old Dutch ships lying quietly in the disused harbour, the city’s modern architecture gleams in the sunlight. These days Rotterdam has the third‑largest harbour in the world, making it the industrial heart of the Netherlands, and with roughly half the population having a non‑Dutch background, it’s a genuinely multicultural city. It’s known for its lively summers, which more than make up for the long winter.

Recommended airport

Rotterdam (RTM)

Points of interest

Nearby destinations