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.