The Van Nelle factory, on the edge of Rotterdam, is one of the most beautiful industrial buildings ever made. Built between 1925 and 1931 for a company that processed coffee, tea and tobacco, it is a long, light building of glass and steel, with curtain walls that let daylight flood into the workspaces. The designers, Johannes Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt, created what became an icon of modernist architecture, a factory of light and air for its workers. It was added to the UNESCO list in 2014.
The factory reflected the ideals of the time: functional design, hygiene, light and a better working environment. The building is arranged in sections that follow the production process, with glass-enclosed conveyor bridges connecting the buildings. On top, a round tea room offers views over the city. The factory closed as a production site in the 1990s and has been converted into offices and event spaces, and it is generally not open to casual visitors, though tours are sometimes organised.
Rotterdam itself is a city of modern architecture, rebuilt after its centre was destroyed by German bombing in May 1940. The Markthal, the cube houses, the Erasmus Bridge and the skyline of towers along the Maas make it the most architecturally adventurous city in the Netherlands. The port of Rotterdam is the largest in Europe, stretching for kilometres toward the sea. Delfshaven, nearby, is one of the few historic areas to have survived the bombing, and it was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers set sail in 1620.
Riding in Rotterdam is urban and busy, with lots of cyclists, trams and traffic lights. The roads around the city are flat, and the polders and dykes to the north, toward Delft and Gouda, offer a calmer ride. Wind can be strong. The port area, with its giant cranes and container terminals, is an interesting ride on a quiet day.
Rotterdam has every service. Local food includes fresh herring, kibbeling, battered fish, and Indonesian food, a legacy of colonial history. The Van Nelle factory is best seen in the evening light, when the glass glows.