NYE in Rotterdam

Christmas has passed and new year’s eve is just around the corner. Even though the Christmas market is still there, the snow is on the streets, the actual question is what to do with NYE in Rotterdam!

Oliebollen

Begin your night with the typical Dutch snack: the oliebol! Throughout the whole country millions of oliebollen are eaten, a fried boll of dough with raisins enjoyed with some powdered sugar on top. In Rotterdam Richard Visser is the Oliebol legend. For the last 9 years he has won the national oliebolcompetition, by making the best oliebollen. This year is the first time he got 3^rd place, but still got a 9.5 out of 10 average. You can get his oliebollen on the intersection of the Heemraadssingel and the Vierambachtsstraat. A little heads up: these oliebollen are extremely popular so make sure you’ll be there early!

The firework show

Throughout the country there will be multiple firework shows at midnight. In Rotterdam however, is the largest of the country! For the seventh year on a row the firework show is located on the Erasmusbrug. From 23.00 onwards ten thousands of visitors will gather on the Boompjeskade. Here you can enjoy a oliebol while a musical countdown is played to midnight.

Boat parade / cruise arrangement

Rotterdam is known as the harbor city, so NYE cannot be celebrated only on land! On the water the new year will start as part of the parade! The boats will be lovely decorated with multiple lights, and they’ll sail on the Maas. The boats will leave from the Willemsbrug at 22.30, they’ll sail to the Erasmusbrug and start as part of the parade at 23.00. You can of course take part of this festivity!

Would you stay even longer on the boat? You can also book your NYE cruise! You’ll start 2015 with the best and most beautiful view of Rotterdam. While sipping your champagne and enjoying your oliebol you can view the show in all luxury that’s needed. With live entertainment and a warm bed within hands reach nothing can go wrong on your NYE.

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Take a look at our website DomicaRotterdam for the apartment you’re looking for!

Christmas in Rotterdam

Christmas Circus Ahoy

For the past 44 years there has been a Christmas circus in Ahoy. This year isn’t any different! There will be a beautiful show with lots of humor, sensation and surprises. As the largest and oldest Christmas circus of the Netherland, they have of course quite a track record. This year promises a very special show. The circus presents you  the very best circus acts of the whole world.

Christmas City Walk

From 20 to the 24^th of December there is a daily (and free) Christmas walk with the Rotterdam guide Eveline van Wanrooij. The walk takes you to the most beautiful and fun places that Rotterdam in Christmas has to offer.

Every day the city walk stats at 15.30 and on the 24^th at 14.30. You can reserve yourself a spot at Rotterdam Info.

Christmas Market

From the 6^th of December till the 4^th of January there is a cozy Christmas market on the Lijnbaan and Binnenwegplein. Here you can enjoy some tasty Christmas treats, or buy some last moment Christmas gifts. It’s a Christmas market that lives and breathes Christmas!

Ice Skating

There is nothing more Dutch than ice skating! That’s also why there are a few skating rinks in the city. And the best? These are also open during Christmas!

The first skating rink is located in Rotterdam Kralingen, at the hockey club Leonidas. They have a 400-meter track and a 800m2 fun track. For only 5 euro’s entrance fee you can skate all day! They are also opened with Christmas, but mind the different closing times!

At Plaswijckpark (Rotterdam- Schiebroek) they have a whole winter wonderland set up. You can either go ice skating at the 100 m2 skating rink, or enjoy one of the many Christmas themed adventures that the park has to offer. For €11.20 p.p. you can have a day fill with winter fun!

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam!

Rotterdam, the first to have...

Metro Rotterdam

Rotterdam was the first city of the Netherlands that got this rapid transit system. The first line, called the North –South line, was officially opened on the 9^th of February 1968 by princess Beatrix and Prince Claus. The line was between Rotterdam Central Station and the shopping center on Zuidplein, and with that it was one of the shortest metro lines of the world; only 5.9 kilometers! It didn’t take long after the opening that the metro line was expanded. Today the original line is 30 kilometers!

The second line opened on the 6^th of May 1982 and traveled between the Capelsebrug and Coolhaven (and was then named the East-West line).

Currently there are 5 different metro lines, named A to E, and offer daily transport for about 175.000 passengers per day.

The Maastunnel

The Maas tunnel is the first ever car tunnel of the Netherlands. It connects the banks of the Maas river. Even though a part of the construction took place during the occupation, the tunnel opened without ceremony on 14 February 1942.

In 1944 the Germans places explosives in the tunnel, so they could blow up the tunnel on any given time. This didn’t happen, probably because the detonator of the explosives was defused by the resistance.  

The tunnel is divided into 4 parts: two ways for the cars, one for the bicycles and one for the pedestrians. Currently there are about 75.000 vehicles that use the tunnel every day.

The Dutch Photo Institute

Even though there was a long discussion about where the Dutch Photo Institute would be placed, Rotterdam was the final answer. Thanks to the photo gallery Perspectief, that divided its attention to photography as art form, the photo archive was already established in the city in 1990. The institute opened 4 years later.

Instead of a traditional photo museum, the institute is a place in which photography has a place in the context of the entire visual culture. This means that not only art photography is in exposition, but the total spectrum of images produced by media film, photography and electronic media. 

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

The Port of Rotterdam

If you say Rotterdam, the port comes to mind immediately. It’s not only that the port has a prominent function within the economy of the city, it also has a rich history!

Rotterdam was founded around 1260 CE, this small town surrounded a dam at the river the Rotte (hence the name Rotterdam). The little port attracted enough business for the city to grow. The port became important for fishery in the 16^th century.

Unlike Amsterdam, the port of Rotterdam wasn’t that popular during the colonial trade. This was because it was too difficult to reach since there wasn’t a direct connection with the ocean. The growth of the port began in the second half of the 19^th century. When the German Ruhr-area began to industrialize, it became of great importance for the Netherlands to optimize the reachability of the port. The Nieuwe Waterweg (the new water road) was the solution.

During the Second World War, the port got bombed as well, but during the reconstruction there were some major investments. It made such a fast growth, that the port had trouble with the amount of ships. This is why the Botlek-area was constructed.

The increasing economical interest in petroleum oils, became the reason for even more growth for the port. The Europoort got constructed, for this a part of the ocean got laid dry. From 1962 till 2004 the port of Rotterdam was the largest of the world.

Currently it’s placed 4^th from the world, after the ports of Sjanghai, Ningbo, and Singapore. Rotterdam has still the largest port of Europe. As I said before, there are multiple possibilities to have a tour through the port. Definitely worth a visit!

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check our website Domica Rotterdam! 

The SS Rotterdam

Water and ships are well known to Rotterdam with its large harbor and one of the best-known ships of the city is the SS Rotterdam, an after war passenger ship. The ship was used for the Holland-America Line (HAL) between 1959 and 2000. Currently it’s completely renovated and is permanently docked as a multifunctional centrum at the 3e Katendrechtse Hoofd in the Maashaven in Rotterdam.

The original plans for the ship were made before the second world war. Back in the day the HAL was still very popular, and they needed a ‘running mate’, but because of the war the plans were canceled and altered in the 50’s.

The design used in the 50’s was based on the knowledge that the HAL wouldn’t last forever. Like more designs of the city, this was again a groundbreaking design in the world of ships. The ship consisted of two classes, which were divided horizontally by walls that could easily be moved. Instead of a traditional chimney the boat got two modern smoke canals, and a streamlined profile. This would be the model for later cruise ship designs.  

Nowadays the ship is property of Westcord Hotels, which also owner of Hotel New York. Just like Hotel New York is there much to do at the ship! For example, there is a large part of the ship you can visit without entrance fee, which makes it accessible to just visit for a drink. In the summer is the Lido terrace opened, where you can lie in a beach chair near the swimming pool, enjoying your drink in the sunshine.

If the weather doesn’t allow that, or you feel more for a fancy dinner, you can also try the 4 different restaurant spaces that have a variety of dinner possibilities, high teas, Friday afternoon drinks or lunch! Next to that you can also visit the ship with an electronic tour, that tells you everything about the history of the ship. Would you love to experience even more? You can also stay the night in one of the 254 suites.

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Take a look at our website Domica Rotterdam. 

A few Well-known Sculptures of Rotterdam

Rotterdam has more than 200 sculptures in the public space. Just like the architecture of the city, most of the sculptures are modern as well. Last Tuesday I wrote about the Sculpture Route on the Westersingel. Today I’ll tell you something about a few of the most popular sculptures the city has to offer!

The Erasmussculpture – Hendrick de Keyser

The oldest sculpture the city has is a statue of Desiderius Erasmus, designed by Hendrick de Keyser. The sculpture was first made of wood, and was cast in bronze in 1622. With that it became the first bronze statue in the Netherlands, as well as the first non-religious statue. For years the sculpture was placed on the big market square, but when it came out unharmed from the bombardment it was transferred secretly to the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen.

After the war the sculpture got its current position at the Grotekerkplein in front of the Sint-Laurenschurch.

The Destroyed City – Ossip Zadkine

The Destroyed City is a sculpture made as memorial for the bombardment on Rotterdam. The story tells that Zadkine got inspiration in the train back from Paris. From the train he saw the completely faded away center in the middle of Rotterdam.

The bronze sculpture is a human figure without an hart. This is symbolic for the heart of the city that has been lost in the bombardment.

The sculpture is given as a present by the management board of the Bijenkorf, but only if the sculpture would stay on its place. On the 15^th of May 1953 the sculpture was revealed at Plein 1940 which is at the Leuvenhaven. Even though the discussion comes up every few years, it still stays put there.

The Stylized Flower – Naum Gabo

A few years later, in 1957, one of the most well-known works of Naum Gabo was revealed in front of the, back then, new Bijenkorf. The sculpture is known as the most important work in his oeuvre. Different from the other sculptures discusses, this is not a statue, nor is it property of the city. The artwork is 26.2 meters high and its maximum width are 4.8 meter and 5.2 meter. The work consists of four steal main ribs, and four inner ribs, which is then again filled with a smaller “inner image”.

The sculpture was property of the Bijenkorf until 2007. Since then it’s property of a real estate consortium.

The Kissing Earth – Olafur Eliasson

Alright, even though the sculpture is not realized yet, it has to be (according to the committee) “a new groundbreaking sculpture”. It had to be a “second Zadkine”. This sculpture The Kissing Earth, will be placed at the new station square. It already got the nickname ‘the balls of Rotterdam’.

The work will consist of two globes that touch each other where Rotterdam is placed, which is a symbol for the optimism of the city. It presents Rotterdam as metropolis, but at the same time the sculpture is very contemporary as well.

However, not everybody is happy with it just yet. A large group would rather see the Zadkine statue at the square, another group thinks it’s a shame to fill up the large space.

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check our website Domica Rotterdam.

 

De Westersingel – The International Sculpture Route

As mentioned before was Rotterdam titled Cultural Capital of 2001 and for this reason did the Westersingel get a more prominent role in cultural Rotterdam. The Sculpture route that is very popular with the tourists starts from a little further than Central Station and leads to the museum park. Would you love to follow the whole route? Take a look at www.openbarekunst.nl/routes  for the international route or any other sculpture routes through the city.

De singel (=Canal) was created because of the ‘Water project’ from the 19^th century. The plan was designed in 1841 by the architect Willem Nicolaas Rose, who worked together with Jan Arent Scholten. This ‘Water project’ had three functions:

·         Drainage of the rainwater and garbage

·         Dumping of garbage

·         Source of drinking water

This plan was made to prevent any cholera outbreaks that haunted Rotterdam in the 19^th century. These canals would help, because they were connected with the Maas so that enough clean water would be able to flow into the city. Between 1870 and 1900 there were mansions built at the canal. These are still to be seen today, because the Westersingel wasn’t hit by the bombardments.

Seen in cultural sense, the canal got interesting in 19898, when it became part of the sculpture route ‘Sculptures in the City’. This was a large open air exposition throughout the whole city. A few of these sculptures are still part of the current route. A few of these remaining sculptures are: De Kringloop van Frans en Marja de Boer Lichtveld and The Long Thin Yellow Legs of Architecture van Coop Himmelb(l)au.

In the year 2000 and 2001 the canal was renovated. They built a terrace where most of the current sculptures are placed on, hence its name: sculpture terrace. At the moment there are 17 sculptures on the Westersingel and is the perfect walking route for a lovely autumn day!

Would you love to live near the Westersingel in Rotterdam? Check our website DomicaRotterdam!

Rotterdam European City of Culture 2001

So Rotterdam has been chosen as European city 2015, which will obviously add to the tourism  of the city. However, it’s not the first time that the city obtains international recognition. This happened before in 2001 when the city, together with the city Porto, were chosen as European City of Culture 2001.

What is this European city of Culture?

This international title European City of Culture (ECOC) can be earned by cities that been through a large growth of cultural worth. Even though cities might have different motivations for obtaining the title, there is an overlapping motivation: the title always improves the international image of the city. This, in the end, will lead to growth of cultural activities which automatically leads to more visitors.

Rotterdam

So what has Rotterdam after having the title in 2001? The direct numbers after this year were 2.3 million visitors that joined the 524 activities that took place in that year. One in five day-visitors in that year came especially because of the title.

Next to that they have much cultural heritage left. Obviously this year didn’t only give a boost to the touristic numbers, but also to the cultural interest in the city. There were more sculptures placed in the public sphere, such as the sculpture route at the Westersingel.

But something also changed on emotional level, according to Bart van Meggelen, intendant during 2001. He says that the title has given the Rotterdammers confidence. The cultural year has worked as a symbolic completion of the reconstruction after the war. Perhaps this was exactly what was needed to become the European city of 2015!

Which Dutch city will follow?

Which Dutch city will be the next in obtaining the title European city of Culture? According to the latest news Leeuwarden(which is in the province Friesland) will be City of Culture in 2018.

Their cultural plan will be from 2014 up to 2019, with 2018 as peak year, in which they will have at least 40 large cultural events.

It’s definitely worth it to keep an eye on the festivities that will take place coming years in Rotterdam and Leewarden!

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check our website Domica Rotterdam

for your dream house! 

Rotterdam in the Spotlights!

Rotterdam is in the international spotlights for the second time this year, by winning the titel of European city of the year 2015. The winning city is picked by The Academy of Urbanism in London and the choice is based on seven criteria: attraction, local character, economy, durability, wellbeing and accessibility.

This is not the first time that the city proves its international popularity. At the beginning of this year, Rotterdam was placed 10^th by the New York Times of the 52 places to visit this year. This is probably because 2014 is an important year for the city. With the (re) opening of popular attractions of the city. For example, the new Central  Station opened on the 14^th of March, the new Market Hal opened last month and in February the Kunsthal reopened its doors.

The Academy of Urbanism consist of more than 500 scientists, politicians, and specialists in the field of urban and regional developments. Its because of this that The Academy doesn’t focus only on the previous year. They investigated the archives and came to the conclusion that the city has developed in a notable way.

According to the jury rapport, they were impressed by the openness of the city, there are only a few places that are inaccessible. Rotterdam characterizes by its young, open and tolerant community that supports innovative architecture, urbanism, and new business models. Next to a strong vision and master plan there is a positive “let’s do it to see what happens” culture, says The Academy.

Ronald Schneider, the alderman of the city, accepted the award. According to him the city “deserved” it. The direct competitors of the title were Aarhus in Denmark and Turin in Italy. Marseille was last year’s winner.

Read next Thursday about Rotterdam Cultural Capital 2001.

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam for more information!

The city by bike

 

Going for a walk is obviously a healthy and fun way to explore the city. The internet and the tourist office of Rotterdam will be able to supply you with all the needed walking routes possible…. But, what’s more Dutch than to go for a bicycle ride?

Rotterdam has a lot of attractions spread out on a large surface, that’s why it’s almost impossible to see them all by foot. Cycling makes it much easier. There are multiple options to spend your day by bike.

1.       Internet/VVV

You can go to the tourist information office, or just look up a route on the internet. You can pick just a route through the center of the city that takes you by all the top attractions, or when you’re less in the mood for the urban ride, you can also go for one of the nature routes.

With the help of Fietsen in Regio Rotterdam you can even build your own route! All you have to do is choose what you want to see during your trip, and the websitedoes the rest!

2.       Cycling route with guide

Naturally, there are also bycicle tours which include a guide! These arrangements are available from 2 hours to a whole day program. Again, you can choose exactly what you want: Do you want to see the inner city? The Old and new buildings of the city? Or are you more interested in the harbors of Rotterdam? The day arrangements are provided with lunch, coffee and a drink at multiple popular places of the city.

Naturally, you can also rent a bike! Look for more information on Rotterdambycycle.

3.       Dinnertour by bike

We wouldn’t be Dutch if we didn’t use the bicycle for everything! We cycle to that one dinner, or to the other bar we are supposed to meet with friends. Now you can also enjoy a 3-course meal at 3 different locations! All you have to do is cycle to the other location in between. You can do this with a guide, who in the meantime tells you some nice facts about the city.

Or you can divide your company in teams and race each other to the next restaurant.

There are so many fun things you can do by bike to explore Rotterdam even further! Did you already think of a pub-crawl by bike? Or maybe even a treasure hunt? The possibilities are endless!

Would you love to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

Feyenoord and De Kuip

Rotterdam is the only city in the Netherlands that has three professional football clubs: Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam and SBV Excelsior. The only other city that has more than one professional football club is Eindhoven (PSV and FC Eindhoven). Even though Sparta Rotterdam (1888) is the oldest professional club of the Netherlands, is Feyenoord of the three clubs, the most well-known. Next to that is Feyenoord part of the original top three clubs of the Netherlands.

Feyenoord was established on the 19^th of july 1908 and has as home base Stadion Feyenoord, or better known as De Kuip (the Tub). It took the club16 years for its first real success. Three years after the promotion to the highest league the club won the Dutch national championship. After this another 13 national championships were won, next to the 11x KNVB cup, the 1 time victory of the Europacup I (The precursor of the Champions League), twice a victory of the UEFA Cup and one time winner of the worldcup. On the UEFA-ranking of the best clubs of Europe Feyenoord is positioned on the 131^st place with 11.862 points. Six other Dutch clubs are higher ranked (PSV, Ajax, FC Twente, AZ, sc Heerenveen and FC Utrecht).  

It’s not the club alone that has an important place in the city, the club stadion has also taken a fixed place in the heart of the citizens in Rotterdam. The construction of the stadion began in 1935 from the designs of the architect Leendert van der Vlugt. However, the real big name behind the construction is Leen van Zandvliet, the chairman of the club in the 1930’s. He wanted a stadium with a ‘loose’ second ring, so that the view of the spectators wouldn’t be hampered. The opening was on the 27^th of March 1937, the official opening took place on 23^rd of that same year.

The Tub was groundbreaking in its architecture. The second tribune that hangs like a balcony above the first ring is the first of its kind. Before that there was no other stadium that had a second ring without pillars in the view. Also the continuous, circular tribune was new. Next to that the use of steel and glass makes the stadium fresh and airy, an effect that they couldn’t achieve with the use of concrete.

The Tub has been on the verge of its destruction. During the Second World War there was a need for steel. Since the main material of the stadium is steel, the Germans wanted to take it apart. According to popular stories the chairman lied about the amount of steel it would yield. This took away the interest in the demolish.

In 1984 the second threat occurred, when the municipalities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam wanted to bring the Olympic games of 1992 to the Netherlands. They made plans for an Olympic stadium that would be placed on the place of the Feyenoord Stadium. These plans were fortunately never realized.

In the 90’s they found carbonation and erosion in the Stadium. Even though demolishing was an option, the choice came on renovation. Because of this the stadium is largely covered and is open for other events as well.

You can, for example, enjoy a guided tour through the Stadium, or you can organize a drink with your company or even a sports clinic. But foremost you can obviously enjoy one of the home games of Feyenoord. 

Would you like to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

The fire limits

That Rotterdam has a seemingly short history is already clear when taken a look at the overpowering modern architecture of the city. However, our city has its roots in the 13^th century. The modern history can be lead back to 1850, when the harbors went through an exponential growth, which was followed by the rest of the city.

In the time the city prepared itself for its 600^th birthday, in 1940, the German bombardments hit the whole center of the city. The fire that came from the bombardment took 4 days to put out and left an almost empty landscape. More than 24.000 houses were destroyed. About 800 people died and 80.000 people became homeless.

The plans for a reconstructions were soon made, but the work only really began properly after the war. The city got the image of a ‘working city’ and developed itself as model for modernity.

The fire limits (De Brandgrens) indicates where the German bombardment had its destroying effect. The city council decided in 2006 to permanently mark the fire limits, to create a place for memorial and to help to tell the history of the city.

In 2010 this project was finally completed. The marking consist of lights in the pavement that light up red at night. The lights are decorated with a burning Rotterdam, a German bomber and the sculpture The Destroyed City by Ossip Zadkine.

Connected with the fire line is an audio tour, that unfortunately is currently only offered in Dutch. However, the route still provides a lovely overview of the city with its modern as well as historic buildings. Would you love to follow this lovely city walk this weekend? Take a look at Brandgrens for the map!

Would you like to live in Rotterdam? Take a look at Domica Rotterdam for more information!

Shopping in Rotterdam and the Koopgoot

The perfect place to go shopping in Rotterdam is definitely the Beurtraverse, or as called by the Dutch: de Koopgoot, which translates into the not so flattering name: “The Shopping Gutter”. The traverse, built in 1991 till 1996, underpasses Rotterdam’s most expensive street the Coolsingel.

The Beginning

The traverse used to be a subway station (the Beurs) and a walking passage, to reduce the amount of people crossing the Coolsingel and improve the traffic. Unfortunately not many people choose this way, so they made plans to expand the Rotterdam gutter into a shopping mall.

And now?

The ‘underground’ shopping mall connects two of the busiest shopping streets of the city: the Hoogstraat and the Lijnbaan. You can enter ‘the gutter’ by either side via the stairs. Midway there is an escalator, but you can also enter one of the large shopping malls such as H&M or the Bijenkorf and exit on the bottom floor. Usually the smaller stores only have a shopping area on the ground floor, this way you can continue shopping without the hassle of the busy traffic at the Coolsingel.

In the summer, childrend can have fun refreshment due to the ‘running’ water fountains that emerge from the ground at the Koopgoot. As far as public transport goes, the subway station is still located in the middle of the gutter, but there are also tramstops at the Lijnbaan side.

The Perfect Shopping Route?

From the Lijnbaan you can enter the Koopgoot, walk the Hoogstraat and end for a drink at the new Markthal! Would you like to have some more exclusive shops? You can better start at the Markthal and make your way to the Van Oldenbarneveltstraat. This street is also near the Koopgoot, but offers a wide selection of luxurious and exclusive shops and restaurants. This is doesn’t mean you can’t go there with a smaller budget; the Oldenbarneveltstraat is very divers in its shops.

Would you like to live near the Koopgoot? Check out Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

The Spido Rotterdam

As third on the list of most popular attractions of Rotterdam is the Spido. The standard  harbor tour takes 75 minutes, but there is much more to it if you want to! The Spido celebrates its 95^th birthday this year, and with that it’s one of the oldest attractions of the city!

From 1931 on the Spido was connected with the touristic Rotterdam. Back in the day there was an airport located in the Waalhaven, this attracted a lot of tourist. The Spido would take on the transport over water. In the war the airport got bombarded, but the Spido stayed. In those days the so called ‘volkvaren’ started up. The Spido took care of bringing employees to their work and would bring them back after.

From 1936 the harbor mail service started. This mail service took care of delivering mail to sailors who were on journey and had a stopover in Rotterdam. That was not the only thing they did for the sailors! They also functioned as a taxi company between the ships and the main land, but they also took care that the sailors were brought back to the ship in time.

As with everything, time changes, and in 2012 the Spido undertook an enormous reorganization that lead to the current Spido Rotterdam. Today this harbor touring doesn’t only include the regular tour, but they have multiple themed tours that are also customizable to the wishes of the customer. This gives way to the perfect business event, but also for the perfect family party or just a day out.

Next to the regular tours there are also day tours to the Tweede Maasvlakte and various fishing tours for saltwater fishing or freshwater fishing. These arrangements are a combination of the boat tour multiple stops at the main land.

If this doesn’t fit your idea of a nice day arrangement, you can also combine the tour with other attractions in Rotterdam, such as the SS Rotterdam. Or you can choose for a high tea arrangement, where the tour is combined with a luxurious high tea.

The Spido shows Rotterdam from a whole different point of view and makes it a memorable day every time again.

Would you like to live in Rotterdam? Check Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

The Euromast

The most populair attractions of Rotterdam are the Zoo Blijdorp (Click here and here for the blogposts on the Zoo), the Spido and the Euromast. Today I’ll tell more about the Euromast!

This beautiful tower has deep roots in the Rotterdam soil. Literally. With it's concrete foundation of 1.900.000 kg it stays stable. This is needed to place the center of gravity as low as possible. Especially since the walls are made of 30 centimeter concrete.

The tower was built because of the Floriade in 1960, a horticultural exhibition, that took place at the park. In that time, the tower was 101 meters tall, and with that it was the tallest building of the city. However, this position didn’t last too longe. With the city building more and more buildings they exceeded the length of the Euromast. In 1970 the tower was extended with the Spacetower, that made the tower another 85 meters higher, and with that gave back the title of tallest building of the city.

The crow’s nest hangs on the 100 meter, and took 5 days to be placed there. When the crow’s nest opened in 1960, two restaurants were located there. The first being De Rottiserie, a first-class restaurant, with silver cutlery and a luxurious ambiance. The second restaurant was the public restaurant that had an all-around view. On the bottom floor there was a café where you could order microwave meals, which was pretty special back then.

In 2004 the Euromast had gotten a bit outdated. There came one restaurant with an international menu and a renewed decoration. Nowadays you can also stay the night on a 100 height. And if that’s not enough, you can also abseil down!

Are you looking for a place near the Euromastpark? Check our website Domica Rotterdam for more information! 

Station Rotterdam Central

With a rapid increase of visitor the Central Station also becomes more important. The attractions Rotterdam has to offer has been visited about 1.5 million times in the first six months of 2014. To compare this with 2013 this is an increase of 3.1%. On the 14^th of March this year, the new station was finally opened by King Willem-Alexander. The aluminum point of the station is already called Station Kapsalon, referring to the Rotterdam Shoarma meal “de Kapsalon” (an aluminum dish with fries, shoarma, cheese, garlic sauce and lettuce).

 

Before the Second World War there wasn’t a Central Station. Rather, there were four different stations in and surrounding the center of the city. Finally, in 1954 there were plans made to build a central station. The architect Sybold van Ravesteyn (yes, this is the same Sybold van Ravesteyn who designed the Rotterdam Zoo) was appointed to design the station. On the 21^st of May 1957 Central Station Rotterdam was officially opened.

Unfortunately, the station didn’t last. Due to the junkies, and the increasing number of visitor, the old station had to go. There was a high demand for more space, since the calculated amount of daily visitors would be on 320.000 in 2025. Therefore they made plans for renewal in 2004, the rebuilt was planned to take 10 years.

During the rebuild, the old building had to be demolished. To artfully say goodbye to the old building the station letters “CENTRAAL STATION” were used to spell out “TRAAN LATEN” which translates into “To shed a tear”. The final closing of the station was on the 2^nd of September 2007. In between the time of the closing of the old station, and the opening of the new, there were bright blue temporary buildings that held a few stores for the travelers.

The new building, luckily, holds more luxury. The new hall is six times larger than the old one, and there are multiple stores that will provide a fine lunch or any groceries needed on the way. The only remains of the old station are the old letters and clock that are again displayed on the front of the station. From the new Central Station you can access the Trams, subway and the trains.

You’ll be surprised by the new ‘entrance’ of the city, it offers you all the luxury needed for your travels and at the same time gives you a wonderful impression of architecture that the city has to offer.

Would you like to live near the station? Check our website Domica Rotterdam for more information!