Rotterdam is a city of dreams for the most sophisticated and demanding tourists, whose grand whims and whims are fulfilled, barely appearing in the imagination. To everyone’s heart, the ancient port of Europe finds its own loophole: it presents to lovers of architectural monuments an abundance of futuristic structures and Art Nouveau buildings; adherents of excursion tourism provides access to city attractions; fans of outdoor activities can engage in any water sport in the four lakes; obsessed with buying sends to local shopping areas; connoisseurs of taste give an unforgettable experience in the best restaurants and pastry shops. A visit to Rotterdam is like an immersion in a fairy tale, which you do not want to get rid of.
The center of life of Rotterdam. Old harbor
One of the most ancient ports of Europe has its history since the middle of the XIV century. The Old Harbor is the only place in the city that survived after the bombing during the Great Patriotic War, therefore it is from here that it is best to begin your acquaintance with the life of Rotterdam. Everyone can watch the busy movement of ships on the river and get acquainted with the surroundings during a sea excursion along shipyards, docks and piers. Famous sights of Rotterdam go to the Old Harbor: the legendary “Cubic Houses” and the White House, the first skyscraper in Europe, built in the 19th century and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Vanguard on a large scale. "Cubic houses"
Rotterdam is a city of bright and unexpected architectural structures. But along with futuristic and modern buildings, the most original is the residential complex of 38 houses in the form of cubes, raised above the surface of the earth with the help of supports, rotated at an angle of 54 degrees. The idea of creating the avant-garde sights of Rotterdam arose in the early 70s of the last century. Then the architect Pete Blom developed the first sketches of the “Cubic House”, which consists of several levels. On the first there is a playground, shops and a school, on the second there is a promenade, and on the third there are living quarters. People still live in the complex, and only one cube is used as a museum to show the arrangement and placement of household utensils in houses of such an unusual shape.
Bird's-eye. Euromast
Studying Rotterdam on a map, it is impossible to imagine the unearthly beauty that opens from the mast tower Euromast, the highest observation tower in the Netherlands. The mast was designed by architect Hugh Maaskant in the early 60s of the last century in honor of the famous flower exhibition held in Holland every 10 years. The height of the tower reaches 185 meters, while its diameter is 9 meters, and the wall thickness is only 30 centimeters. There are several observation platforms in the Euromast tower, a luxury European restaurant with fairly high prices, a cafe with a more affordable price level and two elite hotel rooms. The latter are full-fledged sights of Rotterdam, since you can only book a double room from April to September, and the cost of this service is 385 euros.
In the animal world. Bleidorpe Zoo
For an exciting vacation with the whole family, a visit to one of the oldest zoos in the country, which was opened in the city of Rotterdam (Netherlands) in 1857, is the best suited. For more than 150 years, the flow of tourists who want to admire the species diversity of planet Earth and personally see rare animals in their natural habitat that are created on the territory of the zoo has not decreased.
Attraction trip to all parts of the world. Bleidorp Pavilions
Bleijdorp is a favorite Dutch attraction with many interesting pavilions. In the realm of cold and ice, you can meet king penguins and even take a walk on moving ice floes right above the floating birds. The pavilion called "Crocodile River" will discourage exotic fish, turtles, crocodiles and amphibians of Africa. In the Oceanarium you can admire the marine and coastal inhabitants and even see how the sharks are fed in the shark tunnel. The butterfly pavilion will delight you with the brightness of the shades that shimmer on the weightless wings of insects that live in the recreated forests of the Amazon. The Botanical Garden will surprise with the pride of the Netherlands, national collections of primroses and bromeliads, and in the Asian part of the zoo, visitors will be greeted by Indian rhinos, bison, Amur leopards, bantenges, lion-tailed macaques, Asian elephants, speckled cats and crested baboons. Interestingly, Bleijdorp is actively involved in the breeding program of endangered species of birds and animals. The local attractions of Rotterdam are rare okapi animals (artiodactyls of the giraffe family), lowland gorillas and bongos (a mammal of the genus forest antelopes).