Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands, is Europe’s largest seaport. With history dating back to 1270, Rotterdam is famed for its outstanding university, maritime heritage, exhilarating culture, and innovative urban architecture.
The city, whose name translates as ‘The Dam on the River Rotte’, boasts such an extensive distribution and transport network (road, rail, and water) that it has earned the nickname ‘Gateway to Europe’, and even, ‘Gateway to the World’. Divided into a northern and southern region by the Nieuwe Maas, the city is located on the northern bank, gazing out to the ‘Head of the South’ at Kop van Zuid.
Rotterdam is a city of thriving culture and exceptional urban architecture. The 2001 European Capital of Culture hosts the International Film Festival, Poetry International Festival, the Caribbean-inspired Summer Carnival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Visitors to Rotterdam will be astonished by its alternative architecture, most notably, the urban forest of the Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge, and Central Station, boasting iconic viewpoints you won’t find anywhere else in Europe. The handsome Oude Haven, with its beautiful blend of old and new, provides a picturesque vista of Rotterdam’s maritime heritage, dating back to 1350.
Explore all of these splendid sightseeing spots and more on a beautiful bike tour of Rotterdam! A dynamic day tour is designed to give you an authentic feel of the city as a whole, from every angle. You’ll discover real Rotterdam, its highlights, its secrets, and its surprises, on a bicycle tour that takes you full circle!