ON TOUR: ROTTERDAM - Not Just A Port
Rotterdam is the home of the world's largest port and, whilst on the face of it the city may not sound the most exiting cof places to spend a weekend (or indeed weekday) break, it is in fact a clean, vibrant and prosperous metropolis with more than enough to do and see in say a three day visit. Getting there is no problem. VLM from London City and Manchester, KLM Cityhopper from Heathrow, and the little known Dutch operator Trans Travel Airlines has been operating from Birmingham and Gatwick. It is only 50 miles south from Amsterdam and 60 north of Antwerp in Belgium, both connected by train and bus. If you are going by car a ferry runs from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, just 20 miles down a motorway. The active port itself does not intrude and stretches for miles from the city centre, a busy collection of prosperous shopping malls and eating places bordering onto a water complex not unlike London”s St Katherine”s Dock. Rotterdam has a Philharmonic orchestra and a full cultural programme.
The history of Rotterdam is much tied up with the history of Europe and goes back to the 13th century when a settlement was established around a dam on the little river Rotte (seriously). In 1340 it was granted a charter but it was not until the 16th and 17th centuries that it really began to flourish with the Dutch East India Company establishing far flung enterprises. The city and port were completely destroyed during the war and by the end of the sixties Rotterdam”s seaborne passenger business was declining fast. Containerisation came to the rescue, the city's position ideal at the end of the European river, canal and motorway network. Amsterdam, with no short direct access to the North Sea, could not compete.
Rotterdam has almost 30 museums - many different kinds, but each one interesting. The Museumpark even combines five museums dedicated to art and architecture. There is the Boijmans Van Beuningen (art), the Dutch Tax and Customs Museum (odd lot the Dutch - who would want to see tax returns?), the Natuurmuseum Rotterdam (natural history) and the Toy-Toy Museum, just to name a few.
If you are into ships and sailing from an industrial point of view Rotterdam is for you. The outdoor Maritiem Buitenmuseum takes you back a hundred years into this great seaport's history. Over the last 10 years since the museum was founded, its collection has gradually been supplemented by unique objects from the port and the shipping industry. And all of these objects have been returned to working order! The permanent collection gives a peek into the lively world of the docks as they were around a century ago. The beautiful 19th century turret ship "Buffel", restored to its original style, is moored alongside the Maritime Museum indoor exhibition. Also nearby, a short walk along a canal, is the Mariniersmuseum. This location has great symbolic value for the Royal Dutch Navy-Marine Corps, who fought the invading German army in early May 1940.
The Rotterdam museums are also geared towards children. The Museum of Ethnology, for instance, has a special fun-filled exhibition just for youngsters. New in Rotterdam is Villa Zebra, a cultural experience especially for children: a young person art studio, a "kids' caf”" and theatre, and temporary exhibits held throughout the year. And kids who want to know about ships and shipping will have to visit a special children's exhibit known as "Professor Plons" in the Maritime Museum.
Rotterdam has fine public transport facilities and an underground railway network. Outside the city there is plenty to see and do with perhaps the lovely little town of Schiedam with its historic mansions, distilleries and a Baroque city centre the most interesting. No fewer than 175 buildings of Schiedam are listed on the national register of historic buildings, many of them located along a historic 4.5-kilometre walking tour through the city. Schiedam is famous for Dutch gin.
Hotel-wise Rotterdam has a Hilton and Weston, both five-star and the usual Dutch offerings of Golden Tulip and other four-star operations plus many smaller family run properties and guest houses. Don't worry about any language problems if you don't speak Dutch, and the coinage is the Euro. http://www.vvv.rotterdam.nl