Walk through the centre of Rotterdam

(4,8 to 8km or 9,5km / 3 to 5mi or 5,9mi) A book with the full text of the walk is now available in bookshops and on line for only €14.95 Map of the walk Numbers <1> through <10> in the book correspond with the numbers on the map. The walk begins top left on the map. Drag on the map!    The walk starts in front of the Central Railway Station. Metro Centraal Station Tram stop lines 4, 7, 8 & 20, 21, 23, 25 <1> The brand new Centraal Station replaced the old one from 1957 and was officially opened in 2014. The public transport terminal designed by architects Jan Benthem, Jeroen van Schooten and Adriaan Geuze is a modern interchange between High Speed Rail, Regional Rail, Metro, Tram and bus and suited for the constantly growing numbers of passengers. The pointed 30 meter high roof covers the huge entrance hall and leads up to the passenger tunnel. The passenger tunnel gives access to the platforms and is lined with shops, restaurants and fast food outlets. The station was officially opened by HM King Willem-Alexander in 2014. Standing with our back to the newly built station, looking right, we see the Groothandelsgebouw. Construction took place from 1948 until 1952. It had to solve the shortage of office space that resulted from the 1940 bombing of the city. The idea of building a multi-company business centre was imported from abroad. This concept reduced the rental costs (because of the shared facilities) for the smaller businesses for whom the building was intended. The architect Maaskant was the senior architect of the building that has a neutral identical facade of concrete elements. The building is built around three inner courts. Deliveries are made through internal roads at different levels. On the roof we see the former cinema Kriterion. The projection screen was placed in front of the window. During the intermission the screen would be rolled up, allowing the audience a view of the city. The walk continues to: Lijnbaan Shopping Mall Schouwburgplein (Theatre Square), Doelen Concert Hall Coolsingel and Beurs Square Town Hall St Laurens Church (1449) Market Hall (2014) Cubic Houses Old Port Boompjes Waterfront Erasmus Bridge Wilhelminakade, The Rotterdam Building, Cruise Terminal, Hotel New York Scheepvaartkwartier (Maritime Quarter) Euromast panoramic Tower The Park Museum Park, Boymans-Van Beuningen Museum, Netherlands Institute for Architecture Read the full text with photos and map in the recently published book Rotterdam Walk                     © Eddy le Couvreur, 2000-2005 last update: 09-07-2015