Of all the places we visited in Holland, Rotterdam was the biggest surprise! It’s true, I wasn’t much prepared in what to expect. Rotterdam, the second largest city in the country, is a real gem and uniquely its own! If you are planning a trip to the Netherlands, don’t miss it! It’s only a short trip from Amsterdam (about 45 min and the train system is excellent), however (if you can) don’t plan it as a day trip, Rotterdam deserves more than that! Almost entirely destroyed by bombings during World War II, the city is new, it has wide streets and boulevards and is very organized and efficient. It’s also very modern, hip, interesting and artistic. It resembles a living contemporary art exhibit full of intriguing , one of a kind places. It will not be quite right to describe those places as engineering or architectural marvels, neither as abstract art. What makes Rotterdam unique is the collaboration of engineers, architects and artists taking on challenges and finding solutions as equals. Many times I caught myself wondering which came first: the concept (need) of highly functional, sustainable place or the artistic vision of an object possibly made usable.
Rotterdam’s slogan is “Make it happen”, so walking through the city and seeing the sign, I found myself admiringly nodding “Yes you do, you sure do!”
Come along on this walk thru the city with me and find out about some truly fascinating places!
Places to see and read about:
-Erasmus Bridge #erasmusbridge, #erasmusbrug
-Markthal #markthal
-Cube Houses #cubehouses, #kubuswoningen
-Het park. #hetpark
-Historic Delfshaven #delfshaven
-Central Train Station #centraalstation
-Art Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen #artdepot, ##boijmansvanbeuningen
-Luchtsingel #luchtsingel
-Food halls #foodhallenrotterdam
#rotterdam, #holland, #netherlands, #makeithappen, #europe,#europetravel, #theonedaylist, #onedaylist,