Rotterdam was obliterated during World War II by both Nazi and Allied bombers. Unlike other cities that tried to rebuild its historic buildings, they decided to start on a fresh slate and brought in stunning new designs. There are plenty of skyscrapers here, which gives the city a fairly un-European feel but a very progressive atmosphere - a bit like Dubai from the last generation with all the modern and eye-catching designs.

After my first visit in 2009, I returned for 2 days in early 2025 as the last leg of a trip from Belgium heading northwards, focusing on architecture. It's only a 1.5 hour train ride from Brussels, or less than an hour from Amsterdam. Getting around is also easy since it's a relatively small city and you can use contactless to ride the metro and buses.

On the first day, I did a long walking tour of the Katendrecht, Kop Van Zuid and Leuvehaven areas followed by a visit to Euromast. The next day, I covered the rest of the city centre and headed west to Delfshaven.