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Famous for its skyline, port, architecture and love of
sports, Rotterdam is a very special city. A city to fall in
love with instantly, as Dutch singer and comedian Paul de
Leeuw once sang. This photogenic city, seated on the banks
of the Maas river, is definitely worth a visit, and not just
for its sporting events. So please take some time to check
out your surroundings while attending the 2010 Artistic
Gymnastics World Championships in October! Rotterdam is
the Netherlands’ second-largest city after Amsterdam. Best known for
its port, the third-largest one in the world after Shanghai and
Singapore, it is known as the ‘Gateway to Europe’. The port with its
striking skyline is a major contributor to the Dutch economy. Boat
tours are available and are popular with locals and tourists alike.
In World War II a substantial part of the Rotterdam city centre was
destroyed by bombing, causing a number of historic buildings to be
lost, but creating plenty of space for new buildings. Since the war,
Rotterdam has been given a strikingly modern heart. It is an
open-air museum dedicated to art and architecture, featuring some of
the tallest buildings in Europe as well as a spectacular skyline.
Add a vibrant art scene, good nightlife, highly efficient public
transport, one of the biggest film festivals in the world and an
ethnically diverse population, and you have a great place to live in
and/or visit. Rotterdam prides itself on its love of sport.
Everyone who knows his soccer, knows that Rotterdam is home to
Feyenoord and its famous stadium, De Kuip (‘The Tub’). But the city
also hosts many other sports organisations and events, both famous
and less famous. Annual Rotterdam-hosted sporting events include the
famous marathon, which attracts top runners from all over the world; the ABN-AMRO
World Tennis Tournament; the World Port Baseball Tournament; the Red
Bull Air Race (aviation); and Bavaria City Racing (Formula 1 in the
streets of Rotterdam). In addition, the 2010 edition of the largest
cycling event in the world, the Tour de France, will kick off in
Rotterdam. Gymnastics fans will be pleased to know that Rotterdam
and surroundings are home to many gymnastics clubs. Some of the
country’s best artistic gymnasts and coaches have their roots in
Rotterdam, including ‘Lord of the Rings’ Yuri van Gelder, vault and
floor specialist Jeffrey Wammes, and current national team members
Anthony van Assche, Bart Deurloo and Marlies Rijken. All of them
once trained at S.D.S. Rotterdam, one of the former go-to places of
Dutch gymnastics, led by coach Rob Stout. Places of interest to
tourists visiting Rotterdam include the aforementioned
port, the architecturally astonishing
cubic houses, and the
Kunsthal and
Boymans van Beuningen art museums. Those willing to venture a
bit outside the city proper should look into visiting the
tremendously scenic
windmills of
Kinderdijk or the nearby town of
Dordrecht with its well-preserved old city and pretty canals.
The capital,
Amsterdam, is less than an hour away by train. For more
information on the city of Rotterdam, please visit
www.rotterdam.info. |
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