Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam, Nieuwe Waterweg

Rotterdam is the second largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and is located in the southwestern part of the country, in the province of Zuid-Holland. Rotterdam has approximately 650,000 inhabitants and is an important part of the Randstad, the densely populated metropolitan area that includes Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht.

The Port of Rotterdam, also known as Europoort and Port of Rotterdam, is the largest in Europe and one of the world's most important ports. It is located on the Nieuwe Maas River, a branch of the Rhine, and stretches for more than 40 kilometers from the center of Rotterdam to the North Sea. The port plays a crucial role in both the Dutch and European economies. For several decades, the Port of Rotterdam was the world's largest, until 2004 when it was surpassed by ports in Asia, mainly Shanghai and Singapore. Despite this, it is still the largest in Europe and one of the most high-tech in the world. It has advanced terminals that operate almost completely automatically using cranes, robots and driverless vehicles. The port is also an important location for industrial activities, especially in the energy, petrochemical and logistics sectors. It is closely connected to a large network of roads, railways and inland waterways, which makes it possible to transport goods quickly further into Europe.

Nieuwe Waterweg - an artificial canal and a crucial part of the infrastructure of the Port of Rotterdam. It stretches approximately 20 kilometers from the town of Maassluis on the Nieuwe Maas River to the North Sea at the Hook of Holland. The canal serves as the main entrance for ships arriving in Rotterdam. The Nieuwe Waterweg was built between 1866 and 1872 under the direction of Dutch engineer Pieter Caland. The aim was to improve Rotterdam's access to the sea, as the natural waterways had become too shallow and difficult to navigate for larger ships. By digging a straight and deep canal, a direct and fast connection was created between Rotterdam and the world's oceans, which contributed to the city's growth into a global trading center. The Nieuwe Waterweg is both wide and deep, making it accessible to even the largest types of ships, including container ships, tankers and cruise ships. To protect the canal and the surrounding area from storm surges, the impressive Maeslantkering has been built, a storm surge protection with gigantic movable barriers that can be closed at high water.

The webcam is presented by Port of Rotterdam.

Read more on the website.

• www.portofrotterdam.com