After a restful night of sleep at the Hilton we were ready to explore Rotterdam. A tourist information office –with friendly and helpful staff as well as numerous English brochures — is adjacent to the Hilton hotel.
The theme for Rotterdam in 2007 is “City of Architecture” and many different programs are available to spotlight the diverse architecture of this city. With the sun out, we decided to take the Spido Cruises Architecture Harbour Trip. The cruise departs every day at 1:15 pm through September and costs 9 euros/person. During the 75-minute sail, commentary in both Dutch and English highlights Rotterdam’s unique architecture, starting by sailing under the Erasmus Bridge, built in 1996 and nicknamed “The Swan.”
And a nice surprise, Holland America Line’s ms Rotterdam was docked in the cruise pier just across the River Maas.
Some of our favorite sites from the architectural cruise were: The Cube Houses, built from 1978 to 1984;
The Shipping & Transport College, a blue and white checked building resembling a periscope, completed in 2005.