A festive ceremony took place on an Amsterdam pier, where the Viking Rota was officially named with a traditional bottle-breaking ceremony, featuring Norwegian aquavit, while guests enjoyed Veuve Clicquot and a performance by soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø. The event was also joined virtually by new ships from Luxor, Les Andelys, and Rostock. This marked the writer’s first experience sailing with the line, which consisted of a four-night journey that began with a two-day stay in Amsterdam, followed by a trip to Dordrecht and back to Amsterdam for the return flight to Milan.
Exploring The Netherlands By Water
Amsterdam is often the main attraction for travelers visiting the Netherlands, but the writer discovered a surprising affinity for Rotterdam during the final afternoon of the voyage. The day before, the group had visited Kinderdijk, and a previously unscheduled gap in the Amsterdam itinerary allowed for a visit to Zaandam, a town located remarkably close to the capital. Observing the country from its waterways provided valuable insight into the nation’s history of managing water levels, a challenge that has been ongoing for over 700 years.
During the initial days in Amsterdam, the writer took the opportunity to explore Zaandam independently, outside of the Viking program. The town’s shopping experience and distinctive green architecture were particularly enjoyable, with the Inntel Hotel Zaandam being a notable highlight. The hotel’s unique facade, composed of nearly 70 traditional Zaan-style houses in various shades of green, stacked 12 stories high, features a single blue house that pays homage to a Monet painting.
Monet arrived in Zaandam on June 2, 1871, and expressed his enthusiasm for the town’s scenery in a letter to Camille Pissarro, stating that “there is enough here to paint for a lifetime.” The hotel was also featured by CNN in a showcase of unusual hotels, and it would undoubtedly be a top recommendation.
Rotterdam’s Modern Architecture
The town of Zaandam has undergone significant revitalization efforts, including the reconstruction of its historic street layout and the reinstatement of a waterway. In contrast, Rotterdam’s architectural environment tells a different story, with the Willemsbrug serving as a notable landmark. The bridge is located near the site where Dutch marines defended the old crossing over the Nieuwe Maas in May 1940. On May 14, German bombers destroyed a significant portion of the city center in a matter of minutes, leaving the historic Laurienkerk severely damaged. The original Willemsbrug was eventually replaced in 1981 by a striking red cable-stayed bridge designed by Cor Veerling.
The writer found Rotterdam’s modern architecture to be just as captivating as Amsterdam’s historic canal houses. The city’s post-World War II reconstruction has contributed significantly to its unique character. One notable example is the Cube Houses, designed by Piet Blom, which feature 38 yellow, tilted houses built between 1982 and 1984. The complex is intended to resemble a forest, with each house representing a tree. While most of the houses are private residences, visitors can explore the Kijk-Kubus museum house, although the steep stairs may pose a challenge for those with mobility issues. Nearby, the Markthal offers a unique shopping experience, with 228 apartments integrated into a 131-foot arch above the market stalls.
The Markthal was designed by the Rotterdam-based firm MVRDV and completed in 2014. The interior of the arch features a massive 118,000-square-foot mural created by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam, depicting enlarged images of fruit, fish, flowers, and insects. The market’s design has earned it the nickname “Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam.” The morning after the naming ceremony, the Viking Rota set sail for Dordrecht, with a guided excursion to Kinderdijk scheduled for the afternoon. According to the town’s website, “Water always flows to the lowest point, and that’s Kinderdijk.”
Kinderdijk is home to 19 windmills, most of which were built in 1738 and 1740, making it the largest collection in the country. The windmills were constructed by the Nederwaard and Overwaard water boards, which each built a row of eight mills and disputed the maintenance of the embankment between them for centuries. Although electric pumping stations have taken over the task of managing water levels, the windmills are still maintained in working condition as a backup and were even used during World War II after the German occupiers seized the country’s diesel reserves. Many families continue to reside in the windmills and are responsible for their daily upkeep.
UNESCO World Heritage Site
UNESCO recognized Kinderdijk in 1997, describing it as “powerful testimony to human ingenuity and fortitude.” This recognition acknowledges the site‘s nearly millennium-long history of resisting the forces of water. After spending the morning on the river, the logic behind the windmill system became clear, as it is designed to keep farmland dry below the rivers that the group had sailed on. The next morning’s walk in Delft included a visit to Royal Delft, which was founded in 1653 and is the only remaining pottery from a era when over 30 potteries operated in the area.
Planning Future Voyages
The writer’s journey was a unique event centered around the naming ceremony, and the most similar itinerary currently available is the Holland & Belgium route, which spans 10 days and travels from Amsterdam to Antwerp, with stops in Hoorn, Dordrecht, Rotterdam, Kinderdijk, and other destinations.
Another option is the Tulips & Windmills itinerary, which is a 10-day round trip from Amsterdam that combines visits to Kinderdijk and Rotterdam on the same day, along with stops in Enkhuizen, Arnhem, Antwerp, Middelburg, and Veere, as well as the Delta Works storm surge barrier in Zeeland. Both itineraries are scheduled to take place on the Viking Rota, along with the eight-day Rhine Getaway route from Basel to Amsterdam, which offers a Kinderdijk windmill and cheese-making excursion.
Other Viking Itineraries
It’s worth noting that the stops on these itineraries may vary depending on the departure date. Zaandam is not included in Viking’s scheduled itineraries, but it can be easily visited as a day trip from Amsterdam, with train rides from Amsterdam Centraal taking approximately 12 minutes. Rotterdam, on the other hand, is featured on both Dutch itineraries, and the writer expressed a desire to spend more time exploring the city on a future visit.