Rotterdam is an industrial and commercial city in the Netherlands and part of the Randstad. There are approximately 600,000 people living in the city.
Understand
The city was known for having the world's largest harbour, but lost the title in 2004 to Shanghai. It is the second largest city in The Netherlands after Amsterdam, which lies approximately 50 miles (80 kilometres) to the north.
The city's street scenery is characterized by the large presence of people from North Africa, Turkey and the former Dutch colonies of Suriname, The Netherlands Antilles and Indonesia.
The people tend to live together harmoniously, despite recent tensions between the native Dutch and Muslim population in The Netherlands.
It may feel difficult to get in touch with the heart of Rotterdam; its natural centre was bombed away during WW2, forcing the city to renew itself completely. The result is a lot of modern architecture (for the architect freaks amongst us a must see!), but also a city that does not really have a heart or a centre. It might be a good idea to discover this city with a local guide. One may also find that visiting this city in spring or summer time is more enjoyable than in winter time, as Holland is a very rainy place and Rotterdam is a city that especially gains a lot of charm when the sun is shining.
When well prepared, Rotterdam is a place one can experience The Netherlands and Europe's mainland like one could never experience it any other place!
Get in
By plane
Rotterdam is served by a small airport ( ) with direct flights from selected cities in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. It would possibly be a better deal if you fly to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport ( ) and take the train to Rotterdam Centraal, which would take about 50 minutes.
RET's city bus 33 runs regularly to the city center and takes you there in about 20 minutes for a fare of EUR 2.70.
By train
Rotterdam is served by an international rail link, operating out of Rotterdam Centraal, from Belgium and France. High-speed trains from Antwerp (Antwerpen-Berchem, 59 min), Brussels (Brussels Midi, 1 h 41 min) and Paris (Paris Nord, 3 h 11 min) are operated by Thalys . Book well in advance to secure the best ticket deals. Beyond that, a slower and cheaper intercity service, operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen , links Rotterdam Centraal to Antwerp (Antwerpen Centraal, 1 h 3 min), Mechelen (Mechelen, 1 h 27 min) and Brussels (Brussels Midi, 1 h 57 min).
Rotterdam is also well served by trains from other parts of the Netherlands, with direct connections to Amsterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, Gouda, Leiden, The Hague, Utrecht and Vlissingen.
For onward travel Rotterdam Centraal is well served by buses, tramways, the underground and taxis.
By car
Rotterdam is easily reached by car. From Amsterdam take the A4 South to The Hague, change to the A13 to Rotterdam. From Utrecht take the A12 and change to the A20 just after Gouda.
Unfortunately Rotterdam has a very unfriendly parking system. On the street it's only possible to pay with a chipping card (Chipknip), buy a parking card at City Store in the City Hall on the Coolsingel (but you also have to pay for parking overhere) and on some parking devices by credit card. There is no option to pay cash.
Some street parking devices accept credit cards. These are recognisable by the credit card logo's (American Express, Visa or Mastercard) on top of the devices. Most are available close to tourist attractions, hotels and the shopping areas.
This chippingcard can be bought at various locations. The nearest location is mentioned on the parking device.
Alternative is parking in a parking garage though they charge higher parking rates. Here you can pay in cash or with credit card.
The best is to park at a Park & Ride (P&R) parking outside the center of Rotterdam, but always nearby public transport. There are four secure Park & Ride sites on the edge of the city (Slinge A15, Hoogvliet A15, Kralingse Zoom A16/E19 and Alexander A20/E25). These parking territories are free. There is a metro station next to each site. The metro will get you into the city centre in a matter of minutes.
By bus
By boat
You can also get to Rotterdam by ferry from the United Kingdom.
Get around
Rotterdam has a tramway and a metro system. However, getting around by bike is still the fastest way to get from A to B within the city. The public transport system in Rotterdam is very well organized. There is a subway, buses and an extensive system of short distance city trains: Trams.
Subway Metros (Dutch name for Subway) depart every 4 minutes at daytime. In the evening they depart every 15 or 30 minutes. The Subway only has two lines but can take you far into the suburbs of the city.
Buses depart less often than trams or metros and bus-stops are not to be found on every street corner. The good thing though: they go a long distance, even into other surrounding cities and towns. If you want to find your way within the city you are best of traveling by Tram. There are plenty of lines and stops all over the city. The Tram allows you to travel quick and easy.
Except for buses on Friday and Saturdaynight there is no public transportation after midnight. A ticket for this bus costs EUR 4.50, but is still cheaper then taxis. A one-way ticket costs EUR 4.50.
For using public transport you need to buy a 'Nationale Strippenkaart'. Every time you take the bus, tram or subway you stamp 1 strip per zone plus 1 extra strip (The city is divided into zones). If you want to be sure just ask the conductor or the driver how much you have to stamp. You can buy your strippenkaart at any news stand, tobacco store, Train or subway station. If you don’t have a strippenkaart and you still want to travel by tram or bus, you can always buy a one way ticket in any tram or bus for EUR 1.60. Just ask the driver or the conductor.
It is not recommended to travel by tramway without a valid ticket. Almost every tram has an attendant. If you cannot show a valid ticket you will be fined EUR 35 plus fare.
Bus
Three companies operate buses in Rotterdam, RET , ARRIVA and Connexxion . These three companies share the same bus stops, but the route numbers are not interchangeable. RET is the larger operator in the city itself, while ARRIVA and Connexxion service areas outside the city.
Tramway
Underground
Water taxi
Rotterdam was built on a number of islands and if you want to travel from shore to shore, the nicest way to go is to take the Water Taxi. This speedboat will escort you over the Maas to the Northern Island and back to the Mainland.
They have more than 250 landing stages. Call Watertaxi Rotterdam at +31 (10) 403 03 03 or check their website.
Taxi
Of course, you can also travel by taxi. But Rotterdam is not very big for taxis. Even if you don’t have a car it is still very easy to get around by bike or public transport. But if you do need a taxi you will have to find yourself a taxi rank or call a taxi companies like the Rotterdamse Taxi Centrale RTC N.V. at +31 (10) 462 60 60 or the Coöperatieve Taxi Onderneming St. Job u.a. at +31 (10) 425 70 00. There is a minimum taxi fare of EUR 2.50, additionally, each kilometer is charged EUR 1.94.
See
Museums
Zoo and botanical garden
Do
The most lively bar area in town is Eendrachtsplein/ Nieuwe Binnenweg. Alternative, easy going and full of friendly, open-minded people. The cafés you should be looking for are Stalles, Parket and Rotown. This is the place to be for the more creative orientated people, musicians, designers and artschool students.
Walk down de Nieuwe Binnenweg and arrive at Café Ari (Nieuwe Binnenweg/ Mathenesserlaan) and Westerpaviljoen (grand café with the best terrace in the city). This is a good place to start the evening. Walk a little bit (3 minutes) down the Binnenweg again and go left at ‘s-Gravendijkwal (you'll see the flashy neon lights of sexclub OQ). Across the street you'll find Jazz Cafe Dizzy. A great place for a quality beer and some live jazz music. You can also eat at almost all places mentioned.
Now walk back the Binnenweg up eastbound. Cross Eendrachtsplein and go to the right towards the Westersingel. Walk 3 minutes and on your left there is the Witte de Withstraat. Some nice café's like De Witte Aap, Mondriaan, Bar P, and De Schouw are located here, along with some good restaurants as well. This is also the most arty street of Rotterdam. Here you'll find Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art , MAMA, showroom for media and moving art and many more. Drinking in style!
If you're into loud music, your best option would be to go to "de Baroeg" (http://www.baroeg.nl) at the "Spinozaweg" in Rotterdam-Lombardijen. Loads of heavy metal acts play here each year. Should you not feel like making your way all the way into sub-urbia, you could also try your luck at the "Rhythem" on Oude Binnenweg. Here you're quite likely to find the "long-haired scum" drinking their social-security money away.
One notable exception is Now&Wow, an extremely trendy disco situated in the old grainsilos at subway station "Maashaven". Check out their website at http://www.now-wow.com
If you're more into alternative cinema go to Lantaren/ Venster Cinema (Gouvernestraat 133). Here you'll get European, Asian and latin american cinema in a nice atmosphere.
The other option is Cinerama (Westblaak 18) which shows a combination of art/house films and commercial Hollywood flicks.
Buy
Dutch cheese is very famous, you can get some in Albert Heijn grocery stores or wider variety at the marketplace.
A shop where you can't buy anything, but get nice stuff anyway is the give-away shop at Hang 4, open Thursdays 12:00-13:30 and Tuesdays 17:00-22:00.
Eat
The area around metrostation Blaak, called "Oude haven" (Old Harbour), is not only worth seeing but has also a lot of pubs and restaurants.
This café at the Nieuwe Binneweg offers pizza's for € 4,-- on Mondays and Tuesdays. The atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxed and friendly.
The menu furthermore features salads, sandwiches, tapas and more... The owner also owns Club Vibes, around the corner.
Nieuwe Binnenweg 9, tel: 010 4361655
This is 'the' place in town for creative people. Or it used to be, because lots of people now go to the next-door café's Stalles and Parket.
Rotown has a restaurant with decent food for a decent price. The daily changing menu (meat, fish and vegeterian) costs around € 9,-- and usually you'll get something nice. After eating you can go watch a band or drink your drink in the café.
Nieuwe Binnenweg 19, tel: 010 4362669
Very nice old-looking bar. They also serve food for a reasonable price and most of the food is home made. Try the grilled beef with Spanish pepper and garlic! Or have one of their great sandwiches or salads. Wanna have a nice Belgium beer that gets u all fuzzy? They have a awesome Belgium beer called “la Chouffe”(the midget) on draft…Very tasty!!! In weekend open till 2:00. A good start for the evening.
Oude Binnenweg 115
Drink
A small bar next to Parket. They serve a large variety of single malt whiskys. It's pretty small, but very cosy.
Nieuwe Binnenweg 11a
Just before you feel like going to Will’ns en Wetens (see further down this page), you have to go to Café de Consul. Nobody can say no! Sometimes there is way too loud heavy metal music, really wasted people, and a Belgian beer on draft. Take a look upstairs and make a wicked dance in the Volcano-bar, order a nice cold bottle of Hertog-Jan beer (without the headache), and find a nice boy or girl who is willing to take you home, or who just wants to share a taxi. Unfortunately the funky-alternative beer-garden in the back has been closed as a result of bureaucracy from the CityCouncil. Hopefully it will open up again next season. Don’t cause too much trouble, they have bouncers! Open till 4:00!
Westersingel 28
Forgot your name, can hardly walk, and had so much beer that you can’t see the difference between your socks and underpants? No worries! When all bars are closed you can always go to the Will’ns en Wetens. You don’t want to be around there when you're sober, you don’t want to be around there when you hate drunk people and maybe even under the influence of other products, but you DO wanna be around when you like burping, like whiskey (40 kinds), like weird conversations, and like Heineken! Open till the last person walks out.
Nieuwe Binnenweg 111-A
Rotterdammers like to read their newspaper here. For a solid breakfast (Dutch “wentelteefjes”), good lunch, or a fast meeting Westerpaviljoen is a perfect place. Hang out on their huge and fantastic terrace, drink a nice glass of Amstel or Hoegaarden White beer. Open till 2:00 in the weekend.
Nieuwe Binnenweg 136
Le Vagabond is the oldest, but best bar of the Binnenweg. It attracts a mixed crowd of musicians, journalists, students and travellers. The atmosphere is very laid back during the afternoon, but at night there are various activities being organised. Thursdays and saturdays there are DJ's who organise HipHop and Britpop parties which are definitely worth a visit if you want to party it up. Every sunday there is live music by a great variety of bands.
Nice looking bar with modern solid patio. Crowd can be sort of posh sometimes, but don’t let that scare you to much. Right next to the market (Thuesday and Thursday), and they won some prices with their sandwiches. In weekends open till 2:00.
Meent 46-48
A fairly recently opened bar. It's located on Mauritsstraat (not to be confused with Mauritsweg!). On Thursday through Saturday this place offers live music. Most of the bands you'll find here are new yet-to-be-discovered-soon type of bands. You may be charged a small cover charge, but most of the time it is worth it.
Located on Lijnbaan. This Irish pub is in many ways quite typical. On Friday and Saturday nights the place is quite often overflowing with a decent mixture of the average going-out-partying type of young men and ladies. Tuesday nights they host a pub quiz with prizes to be won. On most other nights it's a bit more quiet and you can meet some interesting characters in there. Thursday through Saturday this place hosts live music which can be anything between really good and sheer crap. If you're lucky there might be a jam session on Sunday nigths which usually is enjoyable. Under the new management it has lost its original atmosphere and it's more of a Dutch pub now.
Muzikantencentrum Dynamo is a place which rents out rehearsal rooms and a studio to musicians. It also has a bar that operates as late as the bar staff decide to make it. It is located a bit of the beaten track and is one of Rotterdam's secrets (over 95% of the locals don't even know about it!). It's location won't be disclosed here, but if you're lucky enough you might find someone who can take you there.
Smoke
Let's be honest, most people (especially youngsters from the USA and Canada) don't go to the Netherlands for its fine architecture or the historical value, no matter what they tell their parents. As everywhere in Holland, the posession and use of cannabis (hash and weed) is legal in Rotterdam. In fact, since most tourists only visit Amsterdam and never come to Rotterdam you can get a lot better stuff for a lot less money in Rotterdam. Some prime places to go for good quality weed are:
Actually a headshop. They also sell loads of paraphernalia like pipes, bongs etc. Great as a gift!
Located on two sides of the Bergweg/Noordsingel-cross, this coffeeshop is part of a really good franchise. Good quality at reasonable prices.
Ditto
Since the mid '90-ies the sale of alcohol and cannabis in the same place has been made illegal. The natural solution? Split your coffeeshop and pub into two seperate entities, with only one door.
One word of warning: since Rotterdam isn't such a tourist city as Amsterdam, the local police could give someone smoking in public a hard time. Never forget: smoking in public is forbidden, even in Holland!
Sleep
Budget
Hostel
Hotel
Mid-range
Splurge
Get out
Stay in touch
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Rotterdam () is, in terms of population, the second largest municipality in the Netherlands after the capital, Amsterdam, and the largest city in the province of Zuid-Holland (South Holland). The city has the largest port of Europe. It became the world's busiest port in 1962, until it was first overtaken by Singapore, and then by Shanghai since the 1990s. It is situated on the banks of the river Nieuwe Maas ("New Meuse"), one of the streams in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse rivers. The name "Rotterdam" derives from the city's origin at a dam in a small tributary river, the Rotte.
Municipality
On 1 January 2006 (source: Statistics Netherlands), the municipality covered an area of 304.22 km² (206.44 km² land) with a population of 588,500. The population of the Greater Rotterdam Metropolitan area Rijnmond ("Mouth of the Rhine") is about 1.2 million. In 1965, the municipal population reached its peak at 731,000, but by 1984, it had decreased to 555,000 as a result of suburbanization.
Rotterdam consists of 11 submunicipalities: Charlois (including Heijplaat), Delfshaven, Feijenoord, Hillegersberg-Schiebroek, Hoek van Holland, Hoogvliet, IJsselmonde, Kralingen-Crooswijk, Noord, Overschie, and Prins Alexander (with around 85,000 inhabitants the most populous submunicipality). Two other areas, Centrum (“Center”) and Pernis, do not have official submunicipality status.
Rotterdam lies in the Zuidvleugel (“South Wing”) of the Randstad (“Ring City”) conurbation, with 7.5 million inhabitants the sixth largest metropolitan area in Europe (after Moscow, London, the Ruhr Area, Istanbul, and Paris). The Zuidvleugel includes Leiden, The Hague, Zoetermeer, Delft, Vlaardingen, Schiedam, Capelle aan den IJssel, Spijkenisse and Dordrecht, and has a population of around 3.5 million.
Port
Rotterdam has the largest port in Europe, with the rivers Meuse and Rhine providing excellent access to the upstream hinterland, reaching to Basel, Switzerland and into France. Since 2004, Asian ports like Singapore and Shanghai have taken over its world leading position. In 2004, Rotterdam was the seventh largest port in the world in terms of containers (TEU) handled.
The port's main activities are petrochemical industry and general cargo transshipment handling. The harbour functions as an important transit point for bulk and other goods between the European continent and overseas. From Rotterdam goods are transported by ship, river barge, train or road. Since 2000, the Betuweroute, a fast cargo railway from Rotterdam to Germany, has been under construction.
In 1872, the Nieuwe Waterweg ("New Waterway") opened, a ship canal constructed to keep the city and port of Rotterdam accessible to seafaring vessels as the natural Meuse-Rhine branches silted up. The canal proper measures approximately from the western tips of its protruding dams to the Maeslantkering (“Maeslant Barrier”). Many maps, however, include the Scheur as part of the Nieuwe Waterweg, leading to a length of approximately .
In the first half of the twentieth century, the port's center of gravity shifted westward towards the North Sea. Covering , the port of Rotterdam now stretches over a distance of . It consists of the city center's historic harbor area, including Delfshaven; the Maashaven/Rijnhaven/Feijenoord complex; the harbors around Nieuw-Mathenesse; Waalhaven; Vondelingenplaat; Eemhaven; Botlek; Europoort, situated along the Calandkanaal, Nieuwe Waterweg and Scheur (the latter two being continuations of the Nieuwe Maas); and the reclaimed Maasvlakte area, which projects into the North Sea.
The construction of a second Maasvlakte received initial political approval in 2004, but was stopped by the Raad van State (the Dutch Council of State, which advises the government and parliament on legislation and governance) in 2005, because the plans did not take enough account of environmental issues. On October 10, 2006, however, approval was acquired to start construction in 2008, aiming for the first ship to anchor in 2013.
History
:For the destruction of the city center in 1940, see Bombing of Rotterdam
Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte (or Rotta, as it was then known, from rot “muddy” + a “water”, thus “muddy water”) dates from at least 900. Around 1150, large floods in the area ended development, leading to the construction of protective dikes and dams, including Schielands Hoge Zeedijk (“Schieland’s High Sea Dike”) along the northern banks of the present-day Nieuwe Maas. A dam was built in the 1260s or 1270s to prevent high water and storm tides from flooding the land through the Rotte’s course. This dam at the Rotte, or “Rotterdam”, was located at the present-day Hoogstraat (“High Street”).
On June 7, 1340, Count Willem IV of Holland granted city rights to Rotterdam, which then had an approximate 2,000 inhabitants. Around 1350, the Rotterdamse Schie was completed, a shipping canal which provided Rotterdam access to the larger towns in the north, allowing it to become a local transshipment center between Holland, England and Germany, and to slowly urbanize.
The port of Rotterdam slowly but steadily grew into a port of importance, becoming the seat of one of the six chambers of the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC), or the Dutch East India Company.
The greatest spurt of growth, both in port activity and population, followed after the already mentioned completion of the Nieuwe Waterweg in 1872. The city and harbor started to expand on the South bank of the river. Delivering evidence of its rapid growth and success is the skyscraper in the French Chateau style, the White House, or Witte Huis, built in the American spirit of office buildings in 1898; its height is 45 m, it was at the time of completion the tallest office building in Europe.
The German army invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. It had planned only one day for this conquest, but it forced the Dutch army to capitulate on May 14, 1940 with the Bombing of Rotterdam by the German Luftwaffe, and threats to bomb other cities. The heart of the city was almost completely destroyed, 800 people were killed, about 80,000 others were made homeless. Ossip Zadkine later captured the event strikingly with his statue Stad zonder hart (City without a heart). The statue is now located near the Leuvehaven, not far from the Erasmusbrug in the north of the city. From the 1950s through the 1970s, the city was rebuilt. It remained quite windy and open until the city councils from the 1980s on began developing an active architectural policy. Daring and new styles of apartments, office buildings and recreation facilities resulted in a more 'livable' city center with a new skyline. In the 1990s, a new business center on the south bank of the river, the Kop van Zuid has been built. The City Hall survived the bombing campaign.
Demographics
With 55% of the inhabitants earning a low income, Rotterdam has its fair share of typical urban problems, such as dilapidated inner city areas.
Ethnic make-up of the city
Figures are from 2006:
In the Netherlands, Rotterdam has the highest percentage of foreigners from non-industrialised nations. Nearly half the population are not native to the Netherlands or have at least one parent born outside the country. Recent figures show that Muslim comprise close to 20 percent of the city's population. The city is home to one of the largest Cape Verdean communities in the world, as well as the largest Dutch Antillean community.
Historical population
Geography
Rotterdam is divided into a northern and a southern part by the river Nieuwe Maas, connected by (from west to east): the Beneluxtunnel; the Maastunnel; the Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge); a subway tunnel; the Willemsspoortunnel (Willems railway tunnel); the Willemsbrug (Willems Bridge); the Koninginnebrug ("Queen's Bridge"); and the Van Brienenoordbrug (Van Brienenoord Bridge). The former railway lift bridge "De Hef" ("the Lift") is preserved as a monument in lifted position between the Noordereiland ("Northern Island") and the south of Rotterdam.
The city center is located on the northern bank of the Nieuwe Maas, although recent urban development has extended the center to parts of southern Rotterdam known as De Kop van Zuid ("the Head of South", i.e. the northern part of southern Rotterdam). From its inland core, Rotterdam reaches the North Sea by a swath of predominantly harbor area.
Built mostly behind dikes, large parts of the Rotterdam territory are below sea level. For instance, the Prins Alexander Polder in the northeast of Rotterdam well extends 6 meters below sea level, or rather below Normaal Amsterdams Peil (NAP) or Amsterdam Ordnance Datum. The lowest point in the Netherlands ( below NAP) is situated just to the east of Rotterdam, in the municipality of Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel.
The Rotte river no longer joins the Nieuwe Maas directly. Since the early 1980s, when the construction of Rotterdam’s second subway line interfered with the Rotte’s course, its waters have been pumped through a pipe into the Nieuwe Maas via the Boerengat.
Education
Rotterdam has one major university, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, named after one of the city's famous former inhabitants, Desiderius Erasmus. Many of the departments are world renowned. The 'Woudestein' campus houses (among others) the Rotterdam School of Management, which is a top ranked MBA school. In Financial Times' 2005 rankings it placed 29th globally and 7th in Europe. In the 2006 rankings of European Masters of Management, the school reached a second place with the CEMS Master in Management and a thirteenth place with its RSM Master in Management. The university is also home to Europe's largest student association, STAR Study Association RSM Erasmus University.
The 'Hoboken' campus of EUR houses the Sophia (children) and Dijkzigt (general) hospitals, as well as the Medical Department of the University. These are known collectively as Erasmus MC (Erasmus Medisch Centrum in Dutch / Erasmus Medical Center in English). Erasmus Medical Center holds the 3rd worldwide ranking in medical research, behind the American institutions Harvard and Johns Hopkins. As a combined medical treatment and research center it is particularly noted for its patient cohort studies in which large numbers of patients are followed for long periods of time.
There are also three Hogescholen in Rotterdam. These schools award their students a Bachelor's degree and postgraduate or Master's degree. The three Hogescholen are Hogeschool Rotterdam, Hogeschool INHOLLAND and Hogeschool voor Muziek en Dans.
Museums
Rotterdam has many museums.
Well known museums are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Historisch Museum (Historical museum), the Volkenkundig Museum (foreign peoples and cultures), the KunstHal (design by Rem Koolhaas),the center for contemporary art Witte de With,the Maritiem Museum and the Brandweermuseum (Fire brigade museum).
Other museums include the tax museum, the nature historical museum, historical museum the Dubbelde Palmboom and the Schielandhuis. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf 'De Delft' the reconstruction of Ship of the Line 'De Delft' can be visited.
Culture
Alongside Porto, Rotterdam was European Capital of Culture in 2001. The city has its own orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with its world famous musical director Valery Gergiev, a large congress and concert building called De Doelen, plus many theatres (including the new Luxor theatre) and movie theatres. The Ahoy complex in the south of the city is used for pop concerts, exhibitions, tennis tournaments and other activities. A major zoo called "Diergaarde Blijdorp" is situated at the northwest side of Rotterdam, complete with a walkthrough sea aquarium called "Oceanium".
The city is home to the Rotterdam Academy of Fine Arts.
Rotterdam is currently going through somewhat of a renaissance, with some urban renewal projects featuring ambitious architecture, an increasingly sparkling nightlife, and a host of summer festivals celebrating the city's multicultural population and identity, such as the Caribbean-inspired 'Summer Carnival', the Dance Parade, Rotterdam 666, the Metropolis pop festival and the World Harbor days. There are also the International Film Festival in January, the Poetry International Festival in June, the North Sea Jazz Festival in July, the Valery Gergiev Festival in September, September in Rotterdam and the World of the Witte de With. In June 1970, The Holland Pop Festival (which featured Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, Canned Heat, It's a Beautiful Day, and Santana) was held and filmed at the Stamping Grounds in Rotterdam.
The self-image of the city is that of a no-nonsense workers' city. In that sense, there is a healthy competition with Amsterdam, which is often viewed as the cultural capital of the Netherlands. There is a saying: "Amsterdam to party, Den Haag (The Hague) to live, Rotterdam to work". Another one, more popular by Rotterdammers, is "In Rotterdam the money is earned, in The Hague it's divided, and in Amsterdam it's spilled".
Rotterdam has had a rich hiphop scene since the early 1980s. It is also the home of Gabber, a type of music popular in the mid-1990s, with hard beats and samples. Bands like Neophyte and Rotterdam Terror Corps (RTC) started in Rotterdam.
Architecture and skyline
In 1898, the 45 meter high-rise office building, the White House, was completed, at that time the tallest office building in Europe.
In the first decades of the 20th century, some influential architecture in the modern style was built in Rotterdam. Notable are the Van Nelle fabriek (1929) a monument of modern factory design by Brinkman en Van der Vlugt, the Jugenstil clubhouse of the Royal Maas Yacht Club designed by Hooijkaas jr. en Brinkman (1909), and Feyenoord's football stadium de Kuip (1936) also by Brinkman en Van der Vlugt. The architect J. J. P. Oud was a famous Rotterdammer in those days.
During the early stages of World War II the center of Rotterdam was bombed by the Germans, destroying much of the older buildings in the center of the city. After initial crisis re-construction the center of Rotterdam has become the site of ambitious new architecture.
Rotterdam is also famous for its Kubuswoningen or cube houses built by architect Piet Blom in 1984. In addition to that there are many international well known architects based in Rotterdam like O.M.A (Rem Koolhaas), MVRDV and Neutelings & Riedijk to name a few.
Rotterdam houses several of the tallest structures in the Netherlands.
Rotterdam has a reputation in being a platform for the architectural discourse and education; the Berlage Institute a postgraduate laboratory of architecture, and the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute), which is open to the public and has various and very good exhibitions on architecture and urban planning issues.
Rotterdam is standing in the best European SkylineTop together with Frankfurt, Warsaw and Paris.
More highrise projects are started in this city. (overview tower development in Rotterdam)
Sports
Rotterdam is the home of three Eredivisie ("Honorary Division", or Dutch Premier League) football clubs: Feyenoord, Sparta and Excelsior. Rotterdam also has one Hoofdklasse (main class) club, PVV DOTO.
Feyenoord, founded in 1908 and the dominant of the three, has won nine national titles since the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands, the last in 1999. It won the European Cup as the first Dutch club in 1970, and won the World Cup for club teams in the same year. In 1974, they were the first Dutch club to win the UEFA Cup and in 2002, Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup again.
Seating 51,480, its stadium, called "Stadion Feijenoord" but popularly known as De Kuip ("the Tub"), is the largest in the country. De Kuip, located in the southeast of the city, has hosted many international football games, including the final of Euro 2000.
Sparta, founded in 1888 and situated in the northwest of Rotterdam, won the national title in 1959; Excelsior (founded 1902), in the northeast, has never won any.
Rotterdam has its own annual international marathon, which offers one of the fastest courses in the world. From 1985 until 1998, the world record was set in Rotterdam, first by Carlos Lopes and later in 1988 by Belayneh Dinsamo. The marathon starts and ends on the Coolsingel in the heart of Rotterdam.
Since 1972 Rotterdam hosts the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, part of the ATP Tour.
Members of the student rowing club Skadi were part of the "Holland Acht" winning a gold medal at the olympics in 1996.
In field hockey, Rotterdam has the largest hockey club in the Netherlands, HC Rotterdam, with its own stadium in the north of the city and nearly 2,400 members. The first men's and women's teams both play on the highest level in the Dutch Hoofdklasse.
Since 1986, the city has selected its best sportsman, woman and team at the Rotterdam Sports Awards Election, held in December.
Motor cycle speedway was staged in the Feyenoord Stadium after the second world war. The team which raced in a Dutch league was known as the Feyenoord Tigers. The team included Dutch riders and some English and Australian riders.
Shopping
Well-known streets in Rotterdam are the shopping center the Lijnbaan (the first set of pedestrian streets of the country, opened in 1953), the Hoogstraat, the Coolsingel with the city hall, and the Weena, which runs from the Central Station to the Hofplein (square). A modern shopping venue is the Beurstraverse ("Stock Exchange Traverse"), better known by the informal name "Koopgoot" ("Buying/Shopping Gutter", after its low-lying position, crossing Rotterdam's main street Coolsingel below street level).
The main shopping venue in the south of Rotterdam is Zuidplein, which lies close to Ahoy' Rotterdam, an accommodation center for shows, exhibitions, sporting events, concerts and congresses. Another prominent shopping center, called Alexandrium (sometimes still called by its former name "Oosterhof"), lies in the east of Rotterdam. It includes a large kitchen and furniture center.
Commerce and industry
Rotterdam is home to the Dutch half of Unilever, and Mittal Steel Company N.V., the world's largest steel company.
Rotterdam has the largest harbour of Europe. The Port of Rotterdam has a strong relationship with the Port of Shanghai, the only port in the world exceeding the port of Rotterdam in terms of containers and oil shipped.
The Erasmus University has a strong focus on research and education in management and economics. The University is located on the east side of the city and is surrounded by numerous multinational firms. On Brainpark I, Brainpark II, Brainpark III and 'Het Rivium' you can find offices from Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, AIG, KPMG, CMG,Sodexho, Coca Cola Company, Cap Gemini, Ernst and Young etc. In the center of the city you find the above mentioned Unilever offices, but also Robeco, Fortis (including Mees Pierson and Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen) ABN AMRO, ING (Nationale Nederlanden) and the Rotterdam WTC.
Yearly events
Transportation
Rotterdam is well connected in international, national, regional and local public transport systems.
Airport
Although much smaller than the international hub Schiphol airport, Rotterdam Airport (formerly known as "Zestienhoven") is the third largest airport in the country, just behind Eindhoven Airport. Located north of the city, it has shown a very strong growth over the past five years, mostly caused by the growth of the low-cost carrier market. Environmental regulations make further growth uncertain.
Train
Rotterdam is well connected to the Netherlands railroad system, and has several international connections. The train system hosts:
Four trainlines
The four operating trainlines serve seven railway stations within the city boundaries (Rotterdam Centraal, Rotterdam Blaak, Rotterdam Alexander, Rotterdam Noord, Rotterdam Zuid, Rotterdam Lombardijen, Rotterdam Stadion (next to De Kuip, only open for events).
Main connections
Light Rail
To bridge the gap between national train services and local public transportation the Netherlands Randstad is currently developing a regional lightrail system called Randstad Rail. First trains were scheduled for September 2006, but some derailings ceased traffic over the largest part of this track. Current estimates are April 2007 for a complete schedule.
Metro
In 1968 Rotterdam was the first Dutch city to open a metro system. Currently the system consists of two main lines, each of which has some variants.
:The eastern parts of the Caland Line have some level crossings (with priority), and could therefore be called light rail instead of metro; however, they are integrated in the system; these parts have overhead wires, while the rest has a third rail, the vehicles can handle both.
See also: List of Rotterdam metro stations, List of rapid transit systems.
Tram
Rotterdam offers 10 tramlines with a total length of 93.4 kilometers.
Bus
Rotterdam offers 38 buslines with a total length of 432.7 kilometers.
Fast Ferry
Every half hour a fast ferry goes from Rotterdam to Dordrecht and visa versa. The trip takes an hour, inclusive stops along the way. The ferry can carry about 130 passengers and there is space for 60 bicycles. The stops are:
Miscellaneous
Beaches
During the summer of 2003 and 2005, there was an artificial beach at the Boompjeskade along the Nieuwe Maas, between the Erasmus Bridge and the Willems Bridge. Swimming was not possible, digging pits was limited to the height of the layer of sand, ca. 50 cm. Alternatively people go the beach of Hoek van Holland or Nesselande.
Famous Rotterdammers
:See also :Category:People from Rotterdam|People from Rotterdam
See also: List of mayors of Rotterdam
Town twinning
Rotterdam participates in international town twinning.
Sister Cities
Partner Cities
Sister Ports
External links
