Delfshaven
In the 21st century,  Historic Delfshaven is more than just its history. It has now been discovered by fun-shoppers: where the United East Indies Company once built ships, Piet Heyn drank his beer and the Pilgrim Fathers spent the night before embarking on their voyage to America, you will now find antique shops, art dealers, small shops selling bric à brac, glass, (bridal) fashion, two interesting museums, an imposing church, two theatres and a corn mill. ...

Lloydkwartier
Spending leisure time in the Lloydkwartier means doing so in true Rotterdam style. The Lloydkwartier is a ‘city within the city’, which is reflected in all the entertainment facilities on offer there. From Internet café to ordinary bar and restaurant, from jazz venue to theatre. The recreational possibilities in the area are becoming both numerous and diverse. There is also the Lloyd Multiplein for events and free sports facilities. A number of tourist attractions can be found in the Lloydk...

Kop van Zuid
The Kop van Zuid The Kop van Zuid is one of the most recently developed parts of the city. In this former port area on the South Bank, many office complexes, thousands of dwellings in a variety of styles, stores geared mainly towards design, restaurants, schools and a theatre have already sprung up. The area is actually a great big open-air museum of modern architecture, where pioneering designs can be seen, such as the 

Entrepot area
The Entrepot area is an environment with a rich history. Traditionally, this area was the centre of trade and industry. The Entrepot building 'De Vijf Werelddelen' (The Five Continents) is reminiscent of  more glorious times, with warehouses which were used until recently for storing coffee, tea, sugar and spices. A few years ago, the municipality of Rotterdam decided to incorporate the old port area on the Kop van Zuid into the city centre. The City Marina Rotterdam is one of the grea...

Scheepvaartkwartier
The Shipping Quarter, with its gentlemens’ town houses, is still home to shipping offices, exchanges, warehouses, consulates and government offices. The shipping magnates and harbour barons once settled in this old part of Rotterdam. The monumental and often ornate buildings are typical of this period. They followed strict guidelines: riverside elevations had to be elegant and pointed roofs had to be hidden behind ornate gable walls. This ensured that, when seafarers approached Rotterdam fro...

Leuvehaven
The offices and apartments of today provide no reminders whatsoever of the Leuvehaven as it was some three hundred years ago, when it was the seaport of Rotterdam. The southern boundary of Rotterdam in the 16th century was marked by today’s Blaak. Behind this stronghold lay a muddy area, covered with reeds, and through which a small creek, the Leuve, ran. In 1598, the city administration ordered this branch of the Maas to be dug out. That makes it the oldest excavated harbour in Rotterdam. ...

Oude Haven
The lower reaches of the River Rotte are the birthplace of what has evolved into the world’s biggest port. The Oude Haven is a natural harbour in the Rotte estuary. Traces of habitation on the banks of the Rotte close to the Laurenskerk (St. Laurens Church) date back to around 150 AD. During excavation work for the rail tunnel, coins and earthenware fr...

Events and boat trips
Several annual events take place in the harbour area. Events like the World Port Days underline the special character of Rotterdam at the Maas.  Events: World port days (1,2 and 3 September 2006) On 1, 2 and 3 September, Rotterdam will be buzzing like never before. Because this is when they erupt:  the World Port Days 2006. Visi...