Rotterdam

There are few cities in Europe that look as emphatically modem as Rotterdam. Almost nothing pre-dates World War II, and with its dazzling array of skyscrapers and concrete-and-g1ass office blocks the city more than merits its local nickname of "Manhattan on the Maas". The city's main thoroughfare is Coolsingel, adorned with modem sculptures and pleasantly shaded grass lawns to encourage strol­lers. The handsome Stadhuis (Town Hall) was built in 1914­20 and emerged intact from the war. Facing it is the Monument to War Victims, a group sculpture by Mari Andriessen (1957). The nearby Post Office is an imposing structure erected at the same time as the town hall. Continuing south, notice the grand Stock Exchange (Beurs) with its belfry, overshadowed now by the 23­floor tower of the World Trade Center (1987).