Europe

Rotterdam: Architectural dream

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I chose to visit Rotterdam for my first stay in the Netherlands, lured by a city positively brimming with eye-catching modern architecture. 

The city centre was almost completely destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed in the decades following the conflict. 

Rotterdam is now filled with modern buildings, many of them high rise with contemporary designs. Enjoy the photographs and read about my highlights below.

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Here are a few Rotterdam buildings that really caught my eye.

The Cube Houses are an unmissable Rotterdam tourist attraction with their blazing yellow colour and impossible angles. Surprisingly tricky to photograph while you can take a look inside.

Rotterdam Central Station with its sweeping curves and diffused light is worth spending time in as well as being your likely arrival point in the city.

Groot Handelsgebouw is a large block I stumbled across next to the station. Built in 1953, it’s quite tall, studded with windows and has an elegant concrete facade. I was captivated.

The Maastoren Skyscraper soars upwards from a low-level neighbourhood and shimmers silver, high above its riverside base. It’s also a great landmark to navigate your way around this district.

My advice would be to walk around Rotterdam and just keep looking up. There’s so much architecture to feast your eyes upon. Are you ready to make a detour from Amsterdam?

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Ravishing Rotterdam

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The Dutch city of Rotterdam is overshadowed by nearby popular tourist hotspot Amsterdam.

But I chose to spend my first stay in the Netherlands there, lured by the prospect of eye-catching architecture.

With its river setting spanned by graceful bridges, I discovered an attractive city which looks good from many angles. What do you think?

Oh and Rotterdam really is packed with delicious architecture – there’ll be a lot more on that next time.

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Netherlands: A day on the beach

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My break in the Dutch city of Rotterdam turned into a sun-soaked summer day on the beach.

The city’s metro system extends to Hoek Van Holland Strand, with a new station practically metres from the sea.

This was my first seaside experience in the Netherlands – so how was it? CONTINUES BELOW

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I see a lot of the Irish Sea living in north-west England, so it was good to return to the North Sea coast which was familiar to me growing up in Essex.

Here in the Netherlands there are miles of soft golden sands and blue seas under stellar skies if the weather favours you.

But look in one direction and the industrial heft of Hoek Van Holland port is impossible to ignore. Simply point yourself northwards and forget it’s there.

The seaside is dotted with beach huts and a wealth of relaxed places to eat and drink, creating a Mediterranean vibe.

A scene of visitors to the sands of Hoek Van Holland Strand in the Netherlands.

Dutch beachgoers enjoying a seaside trip

There’s also a naaktstrand (nudist beach) on full display and not furtively hidden away in the dunes.

Sorry! My British sensibilities caused me to surreptitiously glance and snigger in equal measure. I didn’t remove my clothes but respectfully put away my camera as I walked briskly through the naturist zone.

It was a busy Monday on the sunny Dutch beach, similar to the UK but minus our amusement arcades and piers. It felt a little classier and well organised.

It’s just 40 minutes away from the glorious city of Rotterdam – more of that to come soon!

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Montenegro: Rugged and wild

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Do you find it difficult to relax on a sunbed for an entire week?

When I stayed in the charming Montenegrin town of Perast, I was eager to travel instead of taking it easy.

So I booked a day trip with 360 Monte to visit the north of Montenegro and see some stunning landscapes. CONTINUE READING BELOW

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I was picked up early in the morning to join a small multi-national group also keen to see the north of Montenegro, a contrast to the sunshine resorts of Kotor Bay and the Adriatic coast.

The first delight was climbing high above Perast for stunning views of the water below and soaring mountains bathed in beautiful morning light.

A view over Kotor Bay in Montenegro as dusk settles.

A view of Kotor Bay at the end of the day

The journey north was at times slow and on winding, lofty roads. Here are the highlights of north Montenegro that I saw:

Ostrog Monastery – A religious compound cradled in the mountains, dedicated to Saint Basil who is buried there. It’s a place of Orthodox devotion where his relics are kept in a tiny chapel. This was like entering another world far removed from my own.

Black Lake – Its waters are blue and fringed by pine forests and mountains in Durmitor National Park. A really impressive slice of nature.

Tara Canyon – The dazzlingly blue waters of the Tara River pass through this deep gorge. For engineering lovers there’s the vast Tara Bridge to cross. I decided against riding a zip wire over the gorge.

Salt Lake – An artificial body of water dotted with little islands near the city of Niksic. The lake looks steely blue if the skies are clear.

This was a long day on the road and there was one last treat on the way back to Perast – another view across Kotor Bay as a golden dusk was bedding in. 

For a small country, Montenegro has more than its fair share of natural beauty, well worth seeing if you can tear yourself away from your sun lounger.

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Montenegro: Kotor day trip

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This is the beach getaway to Spain that turned into a break in the small Balkan nation of Montenegro.

I stayed in the historic town of Perast on scenic Boka Bay, and a trip to nearby Kotor was an obvious way to spend a day.

Was this old city worth a visit? CONTINUE READING BELOW

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The journey from Perast to Kotor took half an hour on one of the regular local buses, costing a princely €2 each way.

As soon as I walked into the old town, it lived up to all my expectations.

Honey-coloured stone, small piazzas with churches and bell towers, and a labyrinth of alleyways studded with small shops and cafes were vying for attention.

Raise your eyes up a little further to see the cloud-topped mountains that tower above this old architecture, while the town is incredibly feline-friendly and a place to watch locals going about their lives.

It’s a tourist magnet and welcomes cruise liners, so expect these well-worn streets to get busy as they did even at the start of April. Arriving early and avoiding the summer months might be a wise move.

The old fortress high above the town of Kotor in Montenegro.

You might find yourself high above Kotor

Getting away from the city is a big part of its charm – if you’re feeling energetic you can climb above the old town to the tune of 1,350 steps, visiting the old fortress for stunning views over Kotor and the bay.

I think that going down can be trickier, but was glad to land back in the old town where there are no shortage of places for refreshment and to rest your legs.

As I returned to Perast, I wondered what it would be like to stay within Kotor’s walls and see it by night. I think my smaller base was the more tranquil option.

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