Rotterdam
Rotterdam is definitely a city for architecture and food lovers alike. The second largest city in the Netherlands is also home to Europe’s largest port.
I was lucky to have the opportunity to work here for 3 weeks in the spring of 2009. A wonderful experience and where I first fell in love with the Netherlands. There is such a variety of architecture and with the new Markthal (Food Hall), there is something to please every food lover.
Rotterdam Cube Houses
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is definitely a city for architecture and food lovers alike. The second largest city in the Netherlands is also Europe’s largest port and is a city that should not be missed.
I was lucky to have the opportunity to work here for 3 weeks in 2009. A wonderful experience and it is where I fell in love with The Netherlands. There is such a variety of architecture and with the new Markthal (Food Hall) there is surely something to please every food lover.
Rotterdam Port
Rotterdam was practically destroyed in WW II and since that time, many architects have left their print on the city. The city dates back to the 13th century when the first dam was built in the 1260’s. It was granted city rights in 1340 by Count Willem IV of Holland. About 10 years after, a shipping canal was built and beginnings of Rotterdam port was built. This allowed for the transport of goods between The Netherlands, England and Germany. Rotterdam port is now the largest port in Europe.
The best place to see the Rotterdam skyline is from the port or upon a boat. From here you are able to see the modern skyscrapers and get a different perspective of the city, so it is definitely worth the time to walk down to the port and take a cruise.
Rotterdam was slowly rebuilt from 1950 through the 70’s. In the 80’s, the city council approved various styles of architecture for apartments, office buildings and recreation facilities. It is a very diverse and interesting city and it continues to grow and surprise me. In the 10 years between my visits, a new, amazing food hall was built. The art on the walls and ceilings is breathtaking and the view out the huge wall of windows is fantastic. As I said, Rotterdam is unquestionably a city for architecture and food lovers.
Rotterdam Markthal for Food Lovers
We were lucky to be at the Food Hall at lunch time but the choices were overwhelming. After walking around admiring the sights and smells, I finally settled on mussels while Alex, chose schnitzel, which we enjoyed on the upper deck so we could get a great view of the hall. What a phenomenal experience.
Rotterdam Centraal Station
The Food Hall is not the only major change in the last 10 years, in fact, the office I was working at was next to Rotterdam Centraal Station which has changed substantially in the 10 years between visits. Back in 2009, this was a fairly small station with the tram depot in front of the rail station. The trams would be coming and going from every direction and it was very dangerous. My colleague was almost hit by one as he tried to avoid another coming in the other direction. I was happy to see this has been cleaned up and is now a safe space and Rotterdam Station is impressive.
Rotterdam Architecture
Rotterdam Centraal Station and the Markthal are 2 very recent modern architectural buildings but take the time to walk around Rotterdam and take the boat cruise to really experience all Rotterdam has to offer. The Cube Houses above were built in the early eighties and designed by architect Piet Blom. The cubes represented trees in a forest and it was planned to be a relaxing place to live. Erasmus Bridge, also above, is dramatic, even more so from a boat deck.
The architecture is so diverse and interesting. Every day, I saw something new. View the photos below for a sampling of the great architecture.
With so many other great cities to visit in Holland, Rotterdam is often overlooked by tourists but it is well worth the detour and is a fantastic day trip if staying in Amsterdam. Easy to get to by train, and very walkable once there. Definitely add this to your itinerary and enjoy the architecture and the cuisine.
