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Quite literally translating to The Park, Het Park is the second-oldest park of Rotterdam, and the oldest within the city centre. Initially purchased by the city to build a new city hall, it was eventually decided to become a public space in 1852. The park was constructed in the style of the English landscape park in 1852. The park was then expanded with the purchase of an estate in 1875, and completed with the terrace on the river in 1898. The north now prominently features the Noorse Zeemanskerk (English: Norse Seamen's Church, Norwegian: Sjømannskirken), given to the city as a construction kit by Norway following its independence in 1914. It was originally located on the western edge of the park, but moved with the construction of the Maastunnel in 1937. Since 2011, the park has been a national monument, and it sees some 1.1 million visitors each year.
The Rotterdam City Hall may appear quite historic compared to the modern outlook of the city, but it was actually only built in 1915 in a lavish style echoing historic city halls in other Dutch cities. Remarkably, the City Hall survived the bombing and is one of the few truly historic buildings in the city. It is nice to walk into the monumental main hall and see the statues. The courtyard is also worth a look. As the City Hall is still in use you are free to enter the public areas and have a look. The other halls will be off limits, unless you can persuade one of the guards to open the showpiece Burgerzaal for you. The City Hall also has a belltower with carillon which is often played, while the roof of the middle tower is made of gold.
There's also a great restaurant halfway up the tower, with good food at a good price.
Erasmus Bridge
A combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge across the Nieuwe Maas built in 1996.
The Maastunnel, built between 1937 and 1942, is the first Dutch tunnel to be built using the 'sunken tube' method, in which prefabricated elements are sunk down into the river to form the tunnel structure. The 1070 m long tunnel allows for both car traffic and pedestrian and cyclist access. The two categories having separate tunnels. Today, the tunnel is a listed monument, having been restored between 2017 and 2020. On site, bikes can be rented to make the journey into Charlois quicker.
Destroyed City
A statue by the Franco-Belarussian sculptor Ossip Zadkine dates from 1953. Zadkine got his inspiration when visiting Rotterdam shortly after the Second World War. The cubist statue depicting a man in agony who just lost his heart (symbol of the bombed city centre) still evokes strong feelings in Rotterdam.
The "Great or Saint Lawrence church" (Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of Rotterdam) is a late-gothic inner city landmark that dates from the year 1449. It is nice to visit its spacious and attractive, but not so elegant interior. Of special interest are the large organ and the elaborate graves of Dutch sea heroes Kortenaer, Witte de With and Van Brakel. All kinds of cultural and musical venues take place here.