Afairly unique city in Europe, in a sense the most unique, the towering skyline and elegant buildings make Rotterdam more like an American or Australian city than a European city. The place was bombed by Hitler in wartime, and over the ensuing decades, was rebuilt with amazingly diverse nouveau architecture.

A fine city with a very modern, nouveau cityscape, a wide far reaching river through the centre of town, and an enormous uber artsy bridge connecting two water divided districts of the city. The Erasmus Bridge shaped like a harp has been a beacon on the Dutch landscape from day one. Upon completion, it became an instant architectural icon.
The next morning I went on the water taxi along the river in Rotterdam, and then walked to the Euromast. The elevator took me to the top and it spun 360 degrees around. It is a really high tower where I could see the entire city. On my walk I bought fresh herring, mackerel and other goodies and my guide pointed out a corner with two historical cafes — one was called “Café out Of Time,” another simply called “Café.” They were built in the early 1900s just as that area of town was developing.
Rotterdam was badly bombed in the second world war, so unlike the rest of the Netherlands, it is extremely modern in comparison, as the buildings are all fairly new.
The “Kubuswoningen” project was born to revive an area of urban life, and to connect the city to Oudehaven — its first harbour from 1325, which escaped much of World War II damage, and is now surrounded by cafes etc.
One of the touristy things to see aside from the Erasmus bridge (the Dutch are very proud of their bridges), dams and windmills are these really bizarre apartments that are cube shaped and put on stilts at a 45 degree angle. Interestingly, the Kubuswoningen is a series of houses in the shape of cubes. One of the cubes is open to the public, (you have to pay to go in and see one) as a show cube and is called the “Kijk Kubus” — obviously I had to go in!
The cubes are on an angle so there are no vertical walls inside; everything seemed to fit around the angles of the cube. The cool thing is that all the buildings are designed by Rem Koolhaus (the same person who did the Seattle Public Library) so the whole town has a really interesting feel. In that way they were sort of like the Vatican.
Part of the Art City project, the classic and modern art at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen at Museum park is a must see before strolling through the sculpture garden.
Next, I was off to the Maritime Museum. This is a must see for anyone interested in boats and the shipping history. There is just so much to see including a large collection of Holland America memorabilia, beautiful stained glass doors from grandiose ships to figureheads.
Later, I walked about in the main core of town near the shopping malls and sat by the Dizzy Jazz Café with a can of the local Heineken filtering through my liver. It is the most industrialised town I have been to with large buildings and modern designs. Everything just seemed right in place.
The landscape is dotted with strange modern creations of glass and mirrors and huge bridges straddle the river. With the continual modernisation and growth of tourism in Rotterdam, it should be interesting to return and see how things will change in the coming years. As it is, who can beat cubed houses?!

The author is a travel enthusiast