About Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s history began when people began to settle near a dam in the River Rotte, and in 1328, the expanding settlement was granted ‘city rights’

Rotterdam became increasingly important as a trading port, with the use of steam-powered cranes allowing the port to cope with the unloading of a vast number of ships.
Rotterdam has been known for its modern architecture. The destruction of the city during the war gave architects the chance to totally recreate and redesign the city, with new buildings springing up all over the city and in spaces between older buildings that had survived the war.

It is the impact of the war and subsequent redevelopment that has given Rotterdam its character today, with an interesting mix of old and new. Rotterdam is the fourth largest port in the world and a crucial provider to the Dutch economy.

Things to do

While you are enjoying our host city, Rotterdam, you can extend your trip to do one of these activities.

Museums

Boijmans van Beuningen, http://www.boijmans.nl/en/  
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. In 1849 the lawyer Boijmans left his art collection to the city of Rotterdam. A visit to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is a journey through the history of art. Dutch and European masterpieces provide a comprehensive survey of art from the early middle Ages to the 21st century, from Bosch, Rembrandt and Van Gogh to Dalí and Christo.

The Maritime Museum, http://www.maritiemmuseum.nl/website/index.cfm?itm_id=96  
Situated in the bustling heart of Rotterdam, the Maritime Museum Rotterdam is one of the world’s top maritime museums. It was founded in 1874 and is the oldest maritime museum in the Netherlands. The museum is a five minutes' walk from Rotterdam highlights such as the Coolsingel and the Erasmus Bridge.

The Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, http://www.wereldmuseum.com/  
The Wereldmuseum offers, by its outstanding ethnographic collection, a unique place to absorb and experience a variety of cultures. Every year the museum presents two high quality theme exhibitions. These theme exhibitions, comprising masterpieces from museums and private collectors from all over the world, are displayed over a two-storey high exhibition area.

Kunsthal, http://www.kunsthal.nl/en-2-Kunsthal_Rotterdam.html  
The Kunsthal Rotterdam stages some 25 exhibitions a year. The Kunsthal presents culture in the widest sense of the word: old art, new art, design, photography - from elitist to popular. The Kunsthal frequently experiments with themes which in many cases provide the first impulse for an exhibition. This approach has resulted in an exciting and varied exhibition repertoire highlighting Impressionism, lingerie, Leonardo da Vinci, Blackfoot Indians, Jewels of the Orient, Pop-art. More than 3300 square metres of exhibition space are available in the striking building designed by Rotterdam architect Rem Koolhaas - a work of art in its own right, making a visit to the Kunsthal well worth your while.

Netherlands Architecture Institute, http://en.nai.nl/  
The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) is more than a museum of architecture. It is above all a cultural institute which is open to the public and which uses a variety of methods for communicating about the shaping of human space.
The NAI moved into its current premises in 1993. The striking building is situated at the edge of the Museumpark in the center of Rotterdam and was designed by Jo Coenen. The NAI stores important architecture archives and collections, and makes them accessible to the public.

Activities

Euromast, http://www.euromast.nl/en/  
The Euromast was built in 1960 by architect H.A. Maaskant and contractor J.P. van Eesteren in occasion of the first world flower exhibition Floriade.

SS Rotterdam, www.ssrotterdam.net or www.opderotterdam.nl  
The Rotterdam came into service for Holland-America Line in 1959. She is the largest passenger liner ever built in the Netherlands and is numbered among the most successful liners which ever sailed the seven seas. The ship has largely maintained her original character and remains in good condition. The new owners gave her a profound refurbishment so she can be in service as a static liner for many years. Please explore out website for more information about the history of the s.s. Rotterdam.

Football stadium De Kuip, http://www.dekuip.nl/DeKuip/RondleidingenenMuseum.aspx  
When you talk about Rotterdam, then you are talking about Feyenoord, De Kuip and the port of Rotterdam. Feyenoord Tours & Museum brings these big names together with the Kuip - Spido package. The tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours and the boat tour 75 minutes. A visit to the Museum Feyenoord is included in this tour. During the tour you will also receive your Spido voucher, which you can board directl. Transport between the two locations is on your own.

Blijdorp Zoo, http://www.rotterdamzoo.nl/?lang=EN  
With its visitor count of around 1.5 million people a year, Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp) is certainly one of the biggest attractions in the Netherlands. Since the opening of the Oceanium, the zoo has almost doubled in size. May 2011: Rotterdam Zoo was awarded Beste Dutch Zoo by zoover.com

For more in formation and activities, please visit the Rotterdam City Site: http://www.rotterdam.info/cms.php?cmspageid=12&langid=2 

While you are enjoying our host city, Rotterdam, you can extend your trip to do one of these activities.

Other

Floriade - http://www.floriade.com

The Floriade is an exhibition that is organised only every ten years. You are lucky to be in The Netherlands in 2012 so you can visit this beautiful event. This years theme is:

Be part of the theatre in nature! A theatre that you experience intensely, because you don’t just look at it, but you also act yourself and play a leading role together with nature. A theatre in which you learn about nature and from nature, which makes you realise that flowers, plants, trees, vegetables and fruits are important in our daily life. Listen to the most beautiful music. And enjoy the occasional quiet moment.
Dangling your feet in the water. Participate in our natural theatre. We will make sure you will continue to be amazed. Together we will make Floriade 2012 a fascinating world. Spectacular and restful. Informative and playful. (source: www.floriade.com)

Kinderdijk – www.kinderdijk.org  

Kinderdijk is a small village at a distance of only 16 kilometers of Rotterdam and a little bit less than 10 kilometers from the cityborder of the oldest city in Holland, Dordrecht.
Never the less is the village unique for it 19 windmills dating from the 1500s.
One of the windmills is opened for visitors during the tourist season, and at most of the days its operational too.
While visiting the windmill, anyone can get a pretty good idea about the functioning of the windmill and the lifestyle back then. (Source: www.kinderdijk.org)

Delta Werken - http://www.deltawerken.com/English/10.html?setlanguage=en

For the past 2000 years, the inhabitants of the Netherlands have often had to cope with flood disasters. The name 'Netherlands' gives a clue to the problem: 'Nether' means 'low'. It literally means 'The Low Countries'. When a storm develops and the wind stirs up the waves, the Dutch coastal area can become flooded. The last time this happened on a large scale was just over fifty years ago. Almost 2000 people died following the flood disaster of 1953. The following pages describe why this disaster occurred, what exactly happened, and what was done afterwards to prevent it from happening again. (Source: www.deltawerken.com)

Volendam - http://www.world66.com/europe/netherlands/volendam

As a result of its completely insulated location, this village preserved its character for six centuries, also because of the tough vitality of the fishermen. The characteristic small houses, which together with the canals and the drawbridges form the most picturesque spots, present the visitor an atmosphere of geniality and romance. Don’t forget to visit the Volendam museum with the ’Sigarenbandjeshuis’, where cigar rings are on display.
Volendam is a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands, well-known for its old fishing boats and the traditional clothing still worn by some residents. The women's costume of Volendam, with its high, pointed bonnet, is one of the most recognizable of the Dutch traditional costumes, and is often featured on tourist postcards and posters (although there are believed to be fewer than 50 women now wearing the costume as part of their daily lives, most of them elderly). There is a regular ferry connection to Marken, a peninsula close by. Volendam also has features a small museum about its history and clothing style, and visitors can have their pictures taken in traditional Dutch costumes. (Source www.volendamevents.nl)
 

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