Exploring Rotterdam: A Guide to Its Must-See Attractions, Rotterdam, Netherlands

On our last visit to The Netherlands back in 2023 when we were touring Western Europe by train we had planned to visit the city of Rotterdam but we were coming to the end of our travels and to be honest we were somewhat citied out. We decided instead of visiting Rotterdam to take a day off and watch the Coronation of King Charles III on Dutch TV!

Returning to the country on this revisit we had, therefore, spotlighted the city as one of our “must-do’s”.

I would normally give you a brief history of the city but on this occasion I’ll keep this quite brief because there was an awful lot to see in Rotterdam and I don’t want my post to be too long and lose your attention!

1. Is the second largest city in The Netherlands after Amsterdam having developed from it’s beginnings as a small fishing village on the banks of the River Rote in 1250

2. It lies 19 miles away from the North Sea and is connected to this major trading waterway via The New Waterway Canal . This makes it the largest port in Europe and currently one of the largest in the world as a whole. A large percentage of the city’s economy is still based upon shipbuilding.

3. It was a major target for the Germans during World War II and as a result had to be rebuilt after the war had ended. This has made it one of the most modern cities in The Netherlands characterised by its modern architecture and impressive harbour. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).