Cities in the Netherlands: Rotterdam

The Dutch city of Rotterdam is located on the banks of the New Maas River, which is one of the branches of the Maas and Rhine delta. This port city is home to approximately 500,000 people.

In the 16th century there was a small fishing village on the site of modern Rotterdam. But after the construction of the port in the 16th century the fishing village became a thriving city.

Rotterdam reached its greatest grandeur in the ΧΙΧ century, when the largest port in the world was built here. For this project a canal was built to connect Rotterdam to the North Sea. And until 2003 Rotterdam held the title of the largest port in the world.

The first place to start is Kölsingel Street, where the town hall is located, which is interesting with its tower and ensemble of bells. And right behind the town hall are the shopping malls. Then Koolsingel Street takes you to the Museum of the City's History and the Maritime Museum.

Well, it is worth a visit to the city district of Blaak, which was built in the avant-garde style. Here you can see houses of unusual colors and shapes.