Rotterdam – Largest Port City in Europe

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands. The international reputation of this 600,000-resident city is founded mainly on its beauti- ful harbour, although it also boasts an impressive skyline and numerous industrial buildings with unique and stunning architecture. The Mainport in Rot- terdam, Europe’s largest port for bulk articles and the most important container harbour on the continent, has suffi cient water depth to accom-modate even the world’s largest ships.Rotterdam is in the commercial heart of Europe. The Meuse and Rhine rivers provide excellent water transport connections. The rail line (Betu- weroute) links the Maasvlakte industrial area that is located in the sea with Germany. Due to the great success that this area has enjoyed, there are already plans for a second Maasvlakte. This area will be constructed further upstream in the sea and will comprise 2,000 hectares. Estimated start of construction: 2008.