Central Area, Rotterdam

From the Central Station (1957) take the wide street (Weena) which runs east to Hofplein; then turn right into the Coolsingel, and continue beyond Churchillplein into Schiedamsedijk, which passes the Maritime Museum and leads down to the harbor.

Immediately south of Stationsplein (Station Square) is Kruisplein, and from the south end of this square the Westersingel continues south, passing the Boymans-van Beuningen Museum. At the end of the Westersingel turn right into Westzeedijk, which leads to the historic old Delfshaven quarter, 3km/2mi west.

On the west side of Stationsplein in Rotterdam is the massive Groothandelsgebouw (Wholesale Trade Building; 1953), which houses a staff of 6,000.

South of Stationsplein is Schouwburgplein, in which are De Doelen, a concert hall and congress center rebuilt in 1966 after its destruction in 1940, with seating for 2,000 and excellent acoustics (exhibition hall), and the Schouwburg (Municipal Theater), opened in 1988.

To the east of Stationsplein extends a modern shopping district. The main shopping street, 2km/1.25mi long, is the Lijnbaan, laid out in 1953 - the first pedestrian precinct in Europe - with tempting modern shops, covered promenades and displays of modern art.

The main street of the central area of Rotterdam on the right bank of the Maas is the Coolsingel. At the near end of this wide street, on the left, stands the Town Hall (Stadhuis), built between 1914 and 1920 in Dutch Renaissance style, with a handsome tower (beautiful carillon) and a richly decorated interior. In front of it is a statue of the great international lawyer Hugo Grotius, who was Grand Pensionary of Rotterdam from 1576 to 1586. Opposite the Town Hall, in Stadhuisplein, is a war memorial designed by Mari Andriessen. Farther down the Coolsingel, on the left, is the Bijenkorf ("Beehive") department store (by Marcel Breuer, 1958). In front of it can be seen a 26m/85ft high work of sculpture, "Construction" (1957) - popularly known in Rotterdam as "the Thing" - by Naum Gabo, a French sculptor of Russian origin. Opposite the Bijenkorf is the Exchange (Beurs), with the Beursplein on its south side. In this square is the World Trade Center, a high-rise building with a facade of greenish-blue glass.

To the east of the Coolsingel, at Pannekoekstraat 55, is a special attraction for children, the Ontdekhoek ("Discovery Corner"), a "hands-on" museum of technology in which young people between 4 and 14 can gain an understanding of scientific principles by carrying out simple experiments for themselves.

A short distance away from the Ontdekhoek, is the National School Museum, which illustrates, in a series of six classrooms, teaching and learning methods from the time of Charlemagne to the present day.

Near the south end of the Coolsingel, to the left, is a white building, the 17th century Schielandshuis (entrance at Korte Hoogstraat 31). Originally the headquarters of the Dikes Administration, it was badly damaged by fire in 1864 but is now restored to its former splendor. Since 1986 it has housed the town's Historical Museum (local history, art and culture).

From Churchillplein two wide streets go off - the Blaak on the left and the Westblaak on the right. The Blaak joins the Overblaak, in which is a striking example of modern architecture by Piet Blom, the Kijk-Kubus, a block of houses with cube-shaped upper stories. Some of the houses, which are fully furnished, can be visited. The scheme is explained and illustrated by photographs, videos and other illustrative material.Near the Grote Kerk are the "pile dwellings", a modern housing project.Here visitors can experience the sensation of living in one of Piet Blom's cube houses.

In Rotterdam, east of the Cube Houses, beyond the railroad, are Geldersestraat and Geldersekade. On Wijnhaven is the Witte Huis (White House), a 46m/150ft high ten-story office block, the first high-rise building in Europe (1900).

To the southeast of the railroad extends the 3km/2mile long Maasboulevard, which was completed in 1964. From the east end there is a fine view of Rotterdam. To the left is the new Willemsbrug, which crosses the Nieuwe Maas to the southern port installations.

Running south from the Blaak is Leuvehaven, on the site of Rotterdam's first dock, with the gigantic piece of sculpture by the Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine, "The Destroyed City" (1953). This monumental work, with Cubist and Surrealist features, gives powerful expression to an extraordinary intensity of despair.

At Leuvehaven 1 is the plain windowless concrete structure of the Maritime Museum (Maritiem Museum Prins Hendrik), designed by the architect Wilhelm G. Quist. From the entrance lobby visitors enter the very functional main hall, with gangways leading to the upper floors, which connect with one another without dividing walls. The effect is enhanced by the abundance of glass and steel and the exposed pipes carrying services.The museum has a large collection of material on the history of shipping and seafaring since the 17th century. In addition to ship models (including a reconstruction of a 2,000- year-old vessel), maps and atlases there are numerous pictures vividly depicting scenes from seafaring life, as well as film shows and periodic special exhibitions.Attached to the main museum is an open-air museum in the Leuvehaven, with more than 20 ships dating from between 1850 and 1950, including two steam tugs, several sailing ships and above all the "Buffel", a rebuilt ironclad of the Dutch Navy (in service from 1868 to 1896), with a completely equipped upper deck, officers' cabins, etc., as well as exhibitions on 19th century seafaring. On the quay are various pieces of equipment, a ropewalk, cranes and naval workshops.

To the south of the Leuvehaven is Willemsplein, beyond which is Willemskade, starting point of the fascinating "Spido" harbor cruises. To the east of the Nieuwe Leuvebrug, with the Leuvesluis, is the Boeg, a striking naval war memorial.

The Museum of Ethnology (Museum voor Volkenkunde) in Rotterdam offers geographical and ethnographic collections from Africa, Asia and America, ranging from everyday articles and cult objects to modern art.There is a specialty restaurant with Caribbean cuisine which is also open in the evening.

At the far end of Willemskade is the Veerhaven, with a monument to Pieter Caland, the engineer who constructed the Nieuwe Waterweg. Beyond this, by way of Westplein, is Parklaan; No. 14 is the Taxation Museum (Belastingmuseum), with collections illustrating the taxation system of the Netherlands and the history of smuggling.

From the Taxation Museum Parklaan continues to a park on the south side of Westzeedijk, attractively laid out with clumps of trees, green lawns and a number of small lakes. From the outlook terrace on the hill above Parkkade, on the river front, there are fine views of the Nieuwe Maas with its busy shipping traffic. The International Garden Show (Floriade) was held in the park in 1960.

At the northwest corner of the park is the access road to the Maas Tunnel, a 1.5km/1mile long road tunnel (opened 1942) under the Maas, here 800m/880yd wide, which links the city center with the southern suburbs. There is a parallel tunnel for pedestrians and cyclists.

In Rotterdam, at the north entrance to the Maas Tunnel rises the Euromast, erected in 1960 on the occasion of the Floriade. 185m/607ft high, it has two restaurants (views) at a height of 92m/302ft. The top section, the Space Tower, was added in 1970.

The architect Jo Coenen of Eindhoven was the winner of a competition held in 1988 to choose the designer of new premises for the Architectural Institute on a site near the Boymans van Beuningen Museum. this impressive building was opened in 1993; each section is designed differently, to underline its many functions. In addition to collections covering Dutch architecture and municipal architecture since 1800, this international information and advice center issues monthly magazines and literature on specialist subjects and is also used for lectures and conferences. A library and exhibition rooms are open to the general public.

The old district of Delfshaven, which survived the Second World War unscathed, is the birthplace of Admiral Piet Hein. In the Oude Kerk on the Voorhaven are a memorial and a bronze tablet commemorating the last service held here in 1620 by the Pilgrim Fathers before sailing for the New World.