Rotterdam
With a population of 600,000, Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands after the capital city of Amsterdam. Although Rotterdam is mainly a commercial city, it is one of the most beautiful and picturesque cities of the country, and is one of the most peaceful and friendly cities of the Netherlands. The city has a lot to offer to the tourists and visitors, like some of the world’s best museums, zoological and botanical gardens; varied cuisine, vibrant nightlife, and of course, the port.
To be very true, Rotterdam is a port city. It is the port of Rotterdam that makes and breaks the city. It is the port that has earned Rotterdam the crown of being one of the most important economic enters of the continent of Europe, and it is the port for which the city was bombed to rubbles during the second world war.
The port of Rotterdam is the largest port of Europe; in fact it was the busiest in the world, until 2002, when it was overtaken by the Asian ports of Shanghai and Singapore. The port of Rotterdam stretches over 40 km s or 25 miles in distance and covers an area of 105 square km s.
Not only today, Rotterdam has a long history of being economically important. During the Second World War, the Germans wanted to capture the city due to its strategic and economic importance. The German air force aerially bombarded the city of Rotterdam on May 14th 1940, almost leveling the city. Although the exact figures are not known, at least 900 to 1000 people were killed and 80,000 were left homeless.
However, Rotterdam has risen from the ashes, and the city, as well as the port has been restored and reconstructed. These days, the port of Rotterdam is the largest of Europe and handles general cargo transshipment as well as highly specialized products from petrochemical industries.
Now, the port of Rotterdam is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. It is one of the most beautiful and picture perfect ports of the whole world. But the city of Rotterdam has much more to offer than just port.
Here is a list of the major tourist attractions of the city of Rotterdam:
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: the major museum of Rotterdam with a huge collection of old, modern, applied art and drawings.
NAi: Netherlands Architecture institute: an impressive collection, and a must visit place for the architecture enthusiast.
Maritime Museum: An extensive exposition about the Rotterdam harbor.
Rotterdam Zoo: one of the best zoos in Europe, and a huge collection of animals in their near-natural environment.
The port city of Rotterdam may not be on the ‘must-visit’ of an average tourist’s list, but it is one the most beautiful and most friendly city of Netherlands. And the lack of tourist concentration has made it much less expensive than a European tourist spot. If you are planning to visit Rotterdam, we ensure you this will be one of the best vacations of your life.