Netherlands: Rotterdam

Back to Rotterdam central, trains are arriving and departing here all the time,

 Here is Intercity Brussels

 And Intercity direct

 Rotterdam had 4 different stations before WW2, after the war the new main station was built, but it was demolished and replaced in 2014 by the new and bigger station.

 From the platform, one of the tallest sky scrapers in Rotterdam can be viewed, the building of Gebouw Delftse Poort, which is the main office for Nationale-Nederlanden, a large insurance company in Netherlands.

 Trains moving further west from Rotterdam is using the Willem Rail Tunnel since 1993. Before that, during 110 years, there were an overhead railway over large part of the Rotterdam city centre and the bridge river Nieuwe Maas which had a lift that would regularly be opened for shipping passage.

 Now the city has a modern and spacious station which is capable to receive both local and high speed trains.

 Rotterdam has a large tram system, there is also a historic sightseeing tram service number 10.

 Test site Rotterdam is the office for the architects.

 Rotterdam Hofplein station (in the background) was one of the 4 old stations, and it had train services all the way until 2010.

 Now all trains are using the same station.

 Station Hofplein building has now shops and restaurants.

 The railway is closed but the signs are still there.

 Rotterdam Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk is the only remnant of mediaval city of Rotterdam.

 The original Delftschepoort was built already in 1545. In 2005 the new Delftschepoort was installed.

 It has been one of many gates into the city of Rotterdam. The new gate symbolises a Rotterdam that is still a work in progress.

 Rotterdam is a unusual town not only for Netherlands, but also in general. Destroyed in WW2, it symbolises that it never stays the same, but is always ready for changes.

 One of latest addition to Rotterdam architecture is the Markthal opened 2014.

 Inside there is a food market and the walls are painted with fruits and flowers. The building gives a feeling of an upside down world, which fits Rotterdam very well.

 Another example of an upside down world is the Cube house at Blaak station.

 At a tram stop Oude Plantage, there is a cat that became famous in social media. The cat has it's own web page. Unfortunately when I visited the stop, no cat was present, there was however a message in dutch, later I got translated that if the cat is not there, one can make a phone call to get him there.

 Rotterdam, a mixture of old and new.

 Erasmusbridge and De Rotterdam towers.

 The old railway bridge which was replaced by the tunnel.

 The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe, and the third largest in the world after Shanghai and Singapore.

 1007 is the distance in km from the beginning of the Rhine river up in the Swiss alps.

 The old "SS Rotterdam" ocean liner that sailed to New York in the 50's and 60's. Now it is a hotel and restaurant.

 Holland Amerika Lijn was the company based in Rotterdam, now the old office building is a hotel.

 Just 15 km from Rotterdam, there is a largest park of windmills in Netherlands.

 A system of 19 windmills built in 1740.

 Bikes are allowed to be transported both on trains and boats in Netherlands.

 Rivers Lek and Nieuwe Maas.

One of the ships from Seadrill company.

 Citizens of Rotterdam.