hkskyline's 2025 in ROTTERDAM

[hkskyline]

Holland America Line's history goes back to 1872 when they made the first transatlantic sailing to New York. The Netherlands-American Steamship Company was founded the following year. Headquartered in Rotterdam, its primary business was to move immigrants from Europe to the United States at a time when seeking new pastures in the New World was immensely popular. In 1896, the company's name became Holland Amerika Lijn.

The former Holland America Line headquarters in Rotterdam sits at the edge of Kop Van Zuid and dates from 1901. It survived World War II bombings that cleared out much of the city, and was repurposed into a 72-room hotel in 1993.















Heading inside through a fairly low-profile door on the side away and not in the middle of the grand facade, you are quickly transported into a nostalgic era.























More on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/rotterdam.htm

[geomorph]

Thanks especially for the tour of the interiors of the cube houses!

[hkskyline]

While much of the city centre was destroyed in World War II, the historic Stadhuis is one of a few that survived. Built in the 1910s with 4 wings around a centre court, it is possible to go inside the main lobby for a peek.









Further north, the Hofpleinviaduct was once part of the 28.5km railway to The Hague and Scheveningen, the first electrified railway in the country. It attracted residents who wanted to reach the beaches and became quite busy on weekends. The viaduct spanned 1.9km and was made entirely of reinforced concrete, a new concept at the time. There were 2 stations in the area, both of which were destroyed in the war and rebuilt. Hofplein Station was then demolished again in 1990 for a railway tunnel Today, the former train station's roof is a public park.













Lijnbaan opened in 1953 as Europe's first purpose-built pedestrian street with no cars. A marvelous concept at the time, retailers were skeptical to set up shop here worried that their customers cannot arrive in their cars.











More on my website : https://www.globalphotos.org/rotterdam.htm