Rotterdam

Introducing Rotterdam

Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ ‘second city’, was bombed flat during WWII and spent the following decades rebuilding. You won’t find the classic Dutch medieval centre here – it was swept away along with the other rubble and detritus of war. In its place is an architectural aesthetic that’s unique in Europe, a progressive perpetual-motion approach to construction that’s clearly a result of the city’s postwar, postmodern ‘anything goes’ philosophy.

But tradition is strong elsewhere, for Rotterdam is Europe’s busiest port (and second in the world) – a lineage as a shipping nexus that dates back to 1572, when Spaniards being pursued by the rebel Sea Beggars were given shelter in the harbour. Rotterdam became a major port during the conflict, and it remains so to this day.

Rotterdam has a crackling energy, with superb nightlife, a multicultural community, a gritty arts scene, and a clutch of excellent museums. It also has a long-standing rivalry with Amsterdam, reflected in most aspects of culture. When local football team, Feyenoord, meets Ajax of Amsterdam, the fur always flies. And when Rotterdam unleashed its extreme form of techno, gabber, on the world in the early ’90s, one of its most enduring targets was Amsterdam: an early gabber single was memorably titled ‘Amsterdam, Waar Lech Dat Dan?’ (‘Amsterdam, Where the F*** is That?’).

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009