THE CITY OF ROTTERDAM

For long the world’s largest port, Rotterdam situated where the rivers Rhine and Maas is continuously expanding and developing new facilities to maintain its position amongst the leading ports of the world. Because of its strategic position a wide range of very modern infrastructure and facilities has been established. It is not only the most important commercial city of the country, but also the ´Gateway to Europe’, serving as a centre for the handling and distribution of general cargo, dry and liquid bulk for the hinterland (Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and the former Eastern Bloc countries). Rotterdam is the home base for many important industries, especially in the petrochemical field, pharmaceuticals, banking and insurance, high-tech and science. Because of the strategic position of the largest port in the world a wide range of very modern infrastructure and facilities are established. Modern roads, railways and highly sophisticated public trains and bus facilities make travel easy.

The need to accommodate the ever increasing freight traffic, and specifically extensive container terminals and to maintain access for the worlds biggest tankers and container vessels has led the port of Rotterdam to develop great expertise in the practical application of dredging technology. This expertise covers almost every facet of dredging not only within the confines of the harbours and fairways, but also for the reclamation of new land and the disposal of contaminated dredged material. This makes it the ideal venue for a dredging congress.

Rotterdam is the second largest city of the Netherlands, with approx. 600,000 inhabitants (> 1 million including Greater Rotterdam) of more than 100 nationalities. Rotterdam Erasmus University ranks among the top universities of the world, especially in the medical and economic sciences.

City of architecture

Rotterdam is a city of delightful contrasts. The past, Because of the strategic position of the largest port in the world a wide range of very modern infrastructure and facilities are established present and the future are interrelated in a dynamic townscape. The centre of Rotterdam was badly bombed in 1940 during World War II, but extensive post war reconstruction produced a modern, streamlined metropolis with imposing buildings. Rotterdam is a ‘City of Architecture’, with an imposing skyline along the riverbanks, (Manhattan on the Maas), enhanced by the ‘Willems’ and ‘Erasmus’ bridges.

For those who want to spend some time in this ‘New Rotterdam’, the city offers an array of attractions from shopping and sporting to cultural and gastronomic. A highly sophisticated public metro, tram and bus system makes life easy for the visitor.

For more information: www.rotterdam.info

Accessibility

Rotterdam is just 20 minutes from Rotterdam Airport and only 40 minutes from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport there is a direct train connection (45 minutes) to Rotterdam Central Station (5 minutes from the Centre of the city). Rotterdam Airport offers a fifteen minutes connection to the town centre. Linked to the European high-speed rail network, Rotterdam is within easy reach of Brussels, Paris and London. There is a direct metro connection from the City Centre to the Ahoy’ Rotterdam Exhibition and Conference Centre. Click here for the map of the Rotterdam metro system, and here for a map indicating Ahoy and the area where the contracted hotels are located.