Two Sides Of The Netherlands: Amsterdam’s Past Meets Rotterdam’s Future

On a recent trip to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the Netherlands' largest and second-largest cities, I discovered how different they are. Amsterdam delights with its rows of magnificently odd canal homes, while Rotterdam surprises with its mind-bending modern architecture. For travellers, this means that within a short train ride, you can experience two distinct aspects of Dutch life and culture: one tethered to the past and the other leaning more toward the future.

All Eyes On Rotterdam

Rotterdam is no newbie. Its story begins in the late 1200s when a dam was built on the Rotte River. In the 1340s, a canal was built to connect the town to Schie, a tributary of the New Meuse River. As Dutch explorers and traders discovered new trade routes, Rotterdam transformed into a significant port city. Today, it boasts of the largest port in Europe. While the goods passing through may have changed, as have the vessels that carry them, the city's essence as a connector of Europe to the rest of the world endures.

Not just goods, the ebb and flow of people define Rotterdam. Standing by the water's edge in front of the poignant Hotel New York—the former headquarters of the Holland-America Line—my imagination takes me back to the time when thousands embarked from these shores on a long journey to America, leaving their loved ones behind. Across the quay, workers are busy adding finishing touches to the soon-to-be-opened Fenix museum. A shiny steel spiral called the tornado crowning the horizontal building glints in the afternoon light. Housed in a former warehouse, there's a lot of excitement around the museum that turns the spotlight on migration through the lens of art.

Dwarfed by Rotterdam's many skyscrapers, Hotel New York with its red brick facade and distinctive green copper-covered clock towers, stands out as one of the few buildings that survived the bombings of World War II. Almost the entire city centre and large parts of the port were completely flattened. In the years that followed, the city embarked on a significant rebuilding effort that reflects its ethos of adaptability. As a result, its architecture is a mashup of varying styles, shattering all rules. From master architect Rem Koolhaas' De Rotterdam with its stacked blocks, the striking angular central station, bizarrely fascinating bright yellow cube houses that tilt at a 45-degree angle, to the gleaming bowl-shaped Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, there's nothing and no one that doesn't fit into Rotterdam. With over 170 nationalities, the city has a multicultural appeal that continues to draw people from all corners of the globe. What's changed though is that Rotterdam is now the end destination.

Everyone's Celebrating Amsterdam

Like Rotterdam, Amsterdam's history is deeply entwined with water. The city was created by reclaiming boggy marshland and building a dam on the Amstel River. People who lived here paid lower taxes. While there were many challenges, having access to waterways led to the start of mercantile trade, which changed the city's fortunes. Along with wealth, traders returned with stories of faraway lands and different cultures, thus leading to new ideas and a broadening of mindsets.

In the 16th century, Amsterdam was a Catholic city but a wave of rebellion swept through and it was taken over by Protestants. However, freedom of thought was important to its citizens, and they were free to follow any religion as long as it was kept hushed. The Our Lord in the Attic Museum, one of the oldest museums in the city, is a splendid example of this freedom of thought.

Narrow passages and steep staircases bring me to the surprisingly spacious church hidden inside what appears from the streets to be a narrow canal home. Built in 1862 by a wealthy German merchant, it's one of the only surviving house churches in existence today.

As Amsterdam grew, there was more demand for housing and a city that could accommodate everyone's needs. In response in the 17th century, a system of canals was built. A UNESCO World Heritage site, beyond their aesthetic beauty, the canals are marvels of engineering. Wealthy merchants and traders built gabled homes along these sinuous waterways to portray their success and stature in society. Many of Amsterdam's popular sites can be found along its canals, like the melancholic Anne Frank House—a reminder of the dark chapter in the city's long history.

Progressive Amsterdam appealed to philosophers, thinkers and artists who came here from across Europe. Art and artists flourished during the Dutch Golden Age, and the city's excellent art museums like the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk and Van Gogh Museum are a testament to this.

As Amsterdam completes 750 years on October 27, 2025, there are several events and celebrations planned across the city to mark the milestone and highlight its spirit of rebellion and freethinking: ideals that made the city what it is and which hopefully, will continue to be its defining spirit in the years to come.