Anyone who’s ever visited the so-called “land of tulips” knows that the Netherlands has much more to offer than just cheese, windmills and cycling. Among the country’s other highlights is the largest deepwater port in Europe: the Port of Rotterdam.
Nothing has a bigger influence on this city than its port, as Rotterdam is located at the mouth of the Rhine-Meuse-Delta as well as surrounded on all sides by water, including the North Sea and several rivers. With roughly 630,000 inhabitants, Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and is particularly known for its extravagant architecture.
What’s more, the “Haven van Rotterdam” is of great historical and economic importance to the Netherlands. Founded in the 14th century, it is considered the most important trading point for crude oil in Europe, and it contributed a full 7 percent to the Dutch gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. In addition to handling oil, the port is also known for handling an enormous volume of containers, which totaled 142.6 million metric tons last year.
The Port of Rotterdam is of great importance not only to the Netherlands itself, but also to Hapag-Lloyd AG, which has one of its most important branch offices in the port. Europe’s largest deepwater port can even be approached by large container ships with a draft of up to 24 meters. In total, more than 25 liner services of Hapag-Lloyd AG – including the NBS, AL2, SAX and SW3 – call at the Port of Rotterdam as part of rotations offering shipping options to locations across the world.
