Rotterdam Architecture and Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier

The perfect tour if you wish to learn more about modern architecture and water management. This tour can be done any day of the week.

Rotterdam Architecture

8.30am
Meet and greet with your English-speaking guide / driver in the hotel lobby, from where you will be taken for a 75-minute drive by luxurious private vehicle to architecture city Rotterdam.

Upon arrival, you will be taken on an interesting guided architecture walking tour with a real architect. During the tour, you will get all the ins and outs of the Rotterdam architecture and its amazing sights.

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Erasmus Bridge

Buildings like the Van Nelle Factory and House Sonneveld are examples of the renewed architecture in the period right after the War. In the 80’s and 90’s it received its definite status with the Cube Homes of Piet Blom, the Art Hall Museum (Kunsthal) by Rem Koolhaas and the Netherlands Architecture Institute. With a lot of courage and bravery the city began cleaning up the old harbor areas to living and work areas. Symbol is the Erasmus Bridge from 1996, which attached the harbor area “Kop van Zuid” (Head of South) to the city center.

As Rotterdam keeps op developing, you can nowadays find some spectacular buildings like the Rotterdam by Rem Koolhaas (largest structure in the Netherlands), the Red Apple by KCAP Architects with the famous Dutch interior designer Jan des Bouvrie, Rotterdam Central Station (three architects) and of course the Market Hall, which of course we will visit.

Markthal

The spectacular Markthal is the first indoor market hall in the Netherlands. A highlight of Rotterdam that has received several awards. Stockholm, Barcelona, Valencia, Copenhagen, almost every large city has one: an indoor food market. A lively market hall, which is bursting at the seams with fresh fish, warm bread, tender meat, countless different cheeses and freshly harvested vegetables. A market where shopping is an experience and where you can go to enjoy a drink or grab a bite to eat. Open seven days a week, there will be food, food and more food under a spectacular horse shoe-shaped arch. From fresh fish to specialized poultry, from cappuccino to cheese, from Surinam to Zaandam, from ice cream to biological vegetables it is all there. www.markthal.nl/en/

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The Markthal in Rotterdam

At the Markthal there is leisure time for lunch.

Maeslantkering

1.30pm
Fully refreshed, we continue the tour with a scenic drive to, and guided backstage tour of the Maeslant Storm Surge Barrier (part of the Delta Works), which explains everything about water management.

The Maeslant Barrier is a storm surge barrier on the imaginary dividing line between the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway located at Hoek van Holland and the river Scheur located along the cities of Maassluis and Vlaardingen up to the confluence of the rivers Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas, which automatically closes when needed. It is part of the Delta Works and it is one of largest moving structures on Earth, rivalling the Green Bank Telescope in the USA and the Bagger 288 excavator in Germany.

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Maeslantkering

The main objective of this project was improving the safety against flooding of the Rotterdam harbor, of which the Europoort is an important part, and the surrounding towns and agricultural areas. The tour will be conducted by an engineer. www.keringhuis.nl/english

3.45pm
From here, you will be taken back to your hotel in Amsterdam, where you will have the remainder of the day for your own leisure. You will arrive back around 5pm.