Km 0.2
SCHIEDAMSEDIJK
This major thoroughfare in Rotterdam stands on the site of an old dike that protected the city from the flooding of the River Leuve. Almost all the buildings along this thoroughfare were demolished during the bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940. Only the spire of St Lawrence's Church remains standing, the last vestige of medieval Rotterdam. Schiedamsedijk is also home to the Maritime Museum, which houses a large collection of paintings, models and boats moored in the ports of Oude Haven and Leuvehaven.
Saint Lawrence Church (Laurenskerk)Construction: 1412 to 1525.
Worship: Protestant.
History: Laurenskerk was preceded by a wooden church (c. 1300), work on the new brick church began in 1412 and the bell tower was erected in 1449. The nave was completed with a choir in the early 1490s, and in 1497 two altars, dedicated to St Martin and St Willibrord, were consecrated by the Bishop of Utrecht. At the beginning of the 16th century, the choir was decorated with stained-glass windows and the north façade was decorated with a stained-glass window depicting Saint Lawrence. In 1547, a second floor was added to the bell tower.
Special feature: Rotterdam's only medieval vestige.
Listed as: National monument.
Km 0.7
COOLSINGEL
This street is named after the old canal (singel) on which it is built. It is the starting point for many sporting events, such as the Rotterdam Marathon, and runs alongside the town hall. Car traffic has recently been reduced to make way for a promenade and a 4.5 m wide cycle path.
Town HallConstruction: 1914 to 1920.
Style: Neo-Renaissance; Neo-Romanesque; Neo-Byzantine.
History: Municipal councillors originally met in the town's inns, until they moved into a guest house (Gasthuis) in Hoogstraat. The building, which had been remodelled several times, was too small, as was the district in which it was located, and in 1904 it was decided to clean up the disreputable Zandstraat district, open up a major thoroughfare, Coolsingel, and locate the main public buildings there. The building was inaugurated in September 1920.
Characteristics: The building was designed by architect Henri Evers in the neo-Renaissance, neo-Romanesque, and neo-Byzantine styles. The building measures 116 x 86 m and is topped by a 71.5-m-high tower. The façade features medallions depicting the philosopher Erasmus and the painter Pieter de Hooch.
Special feature: It was one of the few monuments spared by the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940.
Listed as: National monument in 2000.
Km 1.5
HOFPLEIN
At the intersection of the Weena, Schiekade, and Coolsingel, Hofplein is a square and roundabout. It owes its name to an old city gate, the Hofpoort, located near Weena Castle (Hof van Veena). In the middle of the square is a fountain by sculptor Cornelis van Kralingen.
Km 3.4
ERASMUS BRIDGE
Erasmus Bridge (in Dutch: Erasmusbrug) is a cable-stayed bridge linking the north and south banks of the Nieuwe Maas. It is named after the Rotterdam-born philosopher Erasmus. Designed by architects Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos, it was completed in 1996. This 802-meter-long bridge has an asymmetrical pylon 139 meters high. The shape of the pylon, reminiscent of a swan's neck, has earned it the nickname De Zwaan. The bridge is equipped with an 89-meter-long bascule deck for boats that are too big to pass under the bridge.
On 3 July 2010, the bridge was on the prologue route of the Tour de France. The following day, the start of the first stage took place here.
Km 3.9
WILHELMINAKADE
This 500-meter street was named in honour of Queen Wilhelmina at the beginning of the 20th century. It is located in the Kop van Zuid district and begins at the Wilhelmina Pier and ends at the World Port Centre. Nestling on the left bank of the Nieuwe Maas, the street was a base for Holland-Amerika Lijn, famous for its fleet of ships bound for New York. During the First World War, a large number of Eastern Europeans emigrated from here to New York.
Km 4.1
STIELTJESSTRAAT
Stieltjesstraat is located in the Feyenoord district. It is named after Thomas Joannes Stieltjes Sr (1819-1878), an architect who helped build the city's ports. The monument to Jewish children can also be found on this street, as can Villa Zebra, an original museum for children aged 4 to 12.
Km 4.2
SPOORWEGHAVENBRUG
This drawbridge, built in 1995, spans the port of Spoorweghaven.
Km 4.4
BINNENHAVENBRUG
This drawbridge, built in 1991, spans the port of Binnenhaven, which was dug out in 1874, making it one of the oldest ports in the south of the city.
Km 4.7
KONINGINNEBRUG (QUEEN'S BRIDGE)
The Queen's Bridge is a bascule bridge crossing the Koningshaven next to the Koningshavenbrug, commonly known as De Hef. This bridge has two movable riveted steel shutters. In the cellars of the bridge are counterweights, each weighing 800 tonnes. It is now controlled remotely. The Koninginnebrug was originally a swing bridge, completed in 1870. In 1923, the decision was made to build a new bridge, retaining its name. The current bridge is a double bascule bridge. The bridge, designed by Albert Hendrik van Rood, was completed in 1929.
Km 5.4
WILLEMSBRUG
This road bridge over the Nieuwe Maas is named in honour of William III, King of the Netherlands at the time of the inauguration of the first bridge bearing this name. This first bridge, built in 1878, included a railway track and a lane for pedestrians and cars. It was one of the major casualties of the bombing in May 1940. The current bridge, 270 m long, was built in 1981.