More Rotterdam...

To get back to Rotterdam Central, we had to cross several bridges. The first was the Koninginnebrug (Queen’s Bridge), built in 1929. 

We were happy to see this pretty art on the bridge. 

We also spotted De Hef, a vertical lift railway bridge built in 1927 and heavily damaged in the Nazi bombing of Rotterdam in 1940. After being decommissioned in 1993, it is now a national heritage site. Most recently it has been in the news because the city is considering allowing it to be temporarily dismantled so Jeff Bezos’ $500 million superyacht being built in Rotterdam can pass through.

Our next crossing was on the Willemsbrug (William’s Bridge), built in 1981 and named for King Willem III.

We were surprised to spot Tropicana. an abandoned indoor waterslide park that was recently converted into an incubator for circular economy start-ups (more on that later). 

We spotted this mural as we walked along the Maas River...

…and this reflection as we swung past the Art Depot.

Lastly, we visited this dramatic art installation near Rotterdam Central. Somehow we had previously managed to miss The BMW when we visited artworks just around the corner. According to Atlas Obscura, this real BMW was placed on this building in 1987 and was repainted as recently as 2017. 

When we arrived at Rotterdam Central, the blank schedule board was not a good omen. More disappointing was the entire lack of communication from the very few train employees within the station. Turns out it was a complete national shutdown of trains due to an electrical problem. We had a few false starts and finally gave up. We were thankful that we weren’t further away as were able to take a tram and bus home.