Welcome to Rotterdam! While you may not find canals, windmills, or other typical Dutch characteristics in the city, you’ll quickly realize that Rotterdam has its very own character and culture. We compiled the top seven things that make Rotterdam as remarkable and unique as it is. Check them out!
- Multiculturalism: Rotterdam is a city that celebrates diversity in all its forms. It’s a melting pot of cultures, languages and traditions that come together to create a vibrant and dynamic community. People from all over the world call this city home, making it a truly global community. Whether you are looking for delicious cuisines from all over the world, or simply want to learn about new customs and traditions, you can find it all in Rotterdam.
- Hustle Mentality: A key expression in Rotterdam is Niet lullen, maar poetsen!, which translates to ‘No talking, but getting things done!’ This is illustrated by the City of Rotterdam’s motto: Make it happen.
- Europe’s Largest Port: Rotterdam is a port city, which you can discover while taking a ride in one of the many water taxis. But be careful, the Maas River can be quite bumpy! The port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe and one of the busiest ports in the world. It covers an area of over 40 kilometers and handles millions of tons of cargo each year.
- 010: 010 isn’t just a number is a sentence you’ll see and hear in Rotterdam regularly. 010 is the area code for Rotterdam, while 020 is for Amsterdam. Want to talk like a local? Start referring to these two cities by their area codes.
- Kapsalon: In Rotterdam you’ll find a lot of places where you can buy a Kapsalon. The word Kapsalon literally means hairdresser. But it means something else as well: it is a very famous dish with shoarma, fries, lettuce, tomatoes and lots garlic sauce. The Kapsalon was born in Rotterdam and is very famous for it.
- Soccer: Soccer (or football) is an important sport in the Netherlands, but especially in Rotterdam. Rotterdam has no fewer than three soccer clubs in the national competition (in comparison, the capital city Amsterdam only has one!). The biggest soccer team in Rotterdam is Feyenoord and if they win the final, everyone in Rotterdam jumps into the fountain at Hofplein.
- A Modern City: As mentioned before, Rotterdam isn’t the classic Dutch city with canals, old buildings and windmills. This is because Rotterdam was severely bombed during World War II. This explains the modern architecture in Rotterdam, like the Erasmus bridge and Market Hall.
