There are hardly any cities more intertwined with water than Rotterdam. Some even call the Maas the lifeblood of this city. So, a maritime museum is without a doubt a necessity to explain Rotterdam. From a young age I was taken to the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam. Till this day I visit the museum multiple times a year to have a grasp at the grandeur of the harbour.

They have a lot of interesting exhibitions. For example, an exhibition about how people live on the water on a houseboat. Or the marvellous highlights of the museum, sometimes centuries old. A new successful exhibition tells the story of an offshore. It is an experience where they’ve recreated work on platforms at sea. Ranging from arriving by helicopter to an elevator that shows life 3 kilometres under the water. It almost feels like you actually are at sea. The exhibitions really emphasize the size of the harbour, the river and the dependence of the city on it. 

The museum even thought about the younglings. Under the leadership of professor Plons (professor Splash) children are playfully taught what is takes for a ship to go on a journey around the world. Twenty years ago I was one of those kids who played there on the machines. Today I envy them and curse the age restriction.