Situated 52 degrees north latitude and 4 degrees east longitude, where the waters of Europe's largest rivers merge to flow into the North Sea, you'll find Rotterdam, the city with Europe's largest seaport. A compact yet cosmopolitan city, with a young, dynamic and international population comprising over 170 nationalities. The city has a lot to offer: sports, culture, architecture, night life and shopping. Rotterdam   is easily accessible by all forms of transport. The city offers an ample selection of excellent accommodation to suit every taste.

Rotterdam has been built on both sides of the Nieuwe Maas river. One way to go from one bank to the other is to cross the Erasmus Bridge, a landmark on the Rotterdam skyline since 1996. The bridge connects the city centre with the 'Kop van Zuid', a new urban area with high-profile cultural institutions, restaurants and luxury residential accommodation.

A walking tour in Rotterdam will give you a good impression of what 20^th-century and recent 21^st-century architecture has achieved. During the tour it will also become evident that Rotterdam has many other attractions to offer, ranging from shopping and sports to culinary delights from cuisines from every corner of the globe.

And when it comes to sport, Rotterdam is the Netherlands' number one city. No other city features as many (top class) sporting events each year. National, European and World Championships are scheduled alongside annual events such as the Fortis Rotterdam Marathon, the CHIO (equestrian sports), the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament and the Rabobank Rotterdam Six-Day cycling race, not to mention unique events such as the Bavaria City Racing and the Red Bull Air Race. In addition to organized sport, thousands of people in Rotterdam train at least once a week in one of 400 sports clubs. Rotterdam exudes sports. The city has high sporting ambitions and is continually working towards an optimum sports climate.
 
Rotterdam in facts and figures:

• With a population of around 600,000 Rotterdam is the second largest city in The Netherlands;

• More than 1,200,000 people live in greater Rotterdam;

• A stunning 17.5 million people visit Rotterdam every year, for instance for its 135 congresses. A million of them arrive by air;

• Rotterdam Airport is a large regional airport, five kilometres from the city centre. It provides direct connections to European airports such as London, Hamburg and Rome;

• Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, an international airport that connects The Netherlands with the rest of the world, is about an hour's journey from Rotterdam;

• Six train stations connect Rotterdam by rail with the rest of The Netherlands. Many European destinations are accessible by high-speed train from Rotterdam Central Station;

• A subway network of more than 55 kilometres and an intricate cable car and bus network provide excellent public transport within the city;

• In and around Rotterdam there are more than 6000 hote rooms in two- to five-star accommodation offering you a comfortable stay whatever your taste and pocket;

• Amid the cosmopolitan population of 170 nationalities, you'll feel at home wherever you come from;

• Rotterdam is the City of Sports of The Netherlands;

• In Rotterdam there are 404 restaurants, 832 bars, 36 museums, 16 music and jazz clubs, 114 sports halls and gymnasiums, 11 swimming pools, 377 sports fields and 400 sports clubs. 

• Every year Rotterdam hosts 135 congresses, 24 festivals and 165 sports events.