Rotterdam

Rotterdam looks to the future like almost nowhere else. The decision to leave the past behind wasn't made entirely through choice however -- the old town disappeared overnight on May 14, 1940, when Nazi bombs swept away 30,000 buildings in a few torrid hours. Since then, a new landscape of concrete, steel, and glass has risen from the ashes, and today this world port is home to some of the 21st century's most architecturally important creations.

Thanks to its location on the deltas of the Rhine and Maas rivers, Rotterdam has become the world's largest seaport. Through its harbors and the enormous Europoort pass more tons of shipping than through all of France combined. The rapid expansion of the port in the post-war years created a huge demand for labor, bringing waves of migrants from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Cape Verde, and the Netherlands Antilles, turning Rotterdam into one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Europe.

Direct trains leave Amsterdam Centraal Station for Rotterdam as often as six times an hour throughout the day, and hourly through the night -- the journey time is around one hour. If driving, take the A10, A4, and A13 freeways south from Amsterdam. The drive will take about one hour, depending on traffic.