Maritime travelers have long recognized that each of the world’s ports possesses its own individual atmosphere—a sort of urban harbor personality that distinguishes it from all others—often described in colorful terms like “exotic,” “glamorous,” “bustling,” or even “grimy” and “sinful.” Nearly all ports would lay prideful claim to some such special characteristics.
Few visitors, however, would be moved to liken Rotterdam’s attractions to those of, say, Istanbul, or Hong Kong; nor would this Dutch giant among harbors excel in many particulars of comparison with either San Francisco or New York.
But, for those who know, Rotterdam has its own, highly impressive characteristics: size and efficiency. In these essential aspects, this largest of all the world’s ports recognizes many challengers but no equals.
And when it is considered that this “megaloport” status was achieved, literally, from the ground up following the city’s near-complete destruction by bombing in World War II, one may appreciate even more the size and vitality that mark Rotterdam’s pre-eminent position in a shipping world that is not only fiercely competitive today, but will remain so for years to come.
For most visitors, mariner or tourist, Rotterdam’s size is awesome. A classic example of an industrial waterscape, Rotterdam is a vast expanse of colossal cranes, scores of ships, and clusters of storage tanks and repair yards that crowd the complex of rivers, basins, harbors, and feeder canals that divide the city into enclaves of commerce.
Rotterdam’s efficiency is the calculated result of planning and effort, extending back several centuries, by dedicated men who have created an almost entirely man-made port. By continually building and rebuilding, Rotterdam has managed to match, with increased capabilities, the demands of an ever-advancing maritime technology.
The evidence of that continuing commitment to progress can be seen everywhere in the port. Constantly, new canals are being dug, additional harbors are being dredged, and docks and loading facilities are rising from reclaimed areas with a determined purposefulness that suggests a long passage of time, and commerce, before Rotterdam’s position at the top will be seriously challenged.