Wilhelminapier is a small peninsula on the south bank of the river Maas at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge. One modern building after another has risen here since the beginning of the new millennium and this makes Wilhelminapier the symbol of modern Rotterdam!

Wilheminapier panorama: Manhattan at the Maas
You will find many striking buildings at the Wilhelminapier and it's certainly worth a visit here. One of the eye-catchers is the beautiful New Luxor Theatre, where many famous Dutch and international artists perform. The well-known Hotel New York can be found at Wilhelminapier as well. This hotel used to be the headquarters of the Holland America Line (HAL), but now you can relax here at their outdoor terrace and enjoy the great view at the river Maas.

Rotterdam Skyscraper City
But what Wilhelminapier is above all known for are the skyscrapers: the Montevideo tower (152 meter), the World Port Center (124 meter) and the New Orleans tower (160 meter). These huge buildings are all built close together, like in Manhattan, New York. The icing on the cake is a new building De Rotterdam that is presently under construction. It will be the Netherlands largest building with a volume of 160.000 m2 and a height of 150 meters! This unique design will be completed in 2013 and will certainly make the Wilhelminapier panorama even more impressive.

Wilhelminapier's impressive history
Wilhelminapier has an impressive history, as hundreds of thousands Europeans migrated from this pier to America at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century by huge HAL passenger ships. Everything at this modern pier reminds of its illustrious past: many buildings and streets are named after American cities or HAL ships and this district is still packed with all kinds of maritime objects.

Cruise ships, hotels, restaurants and culture at Wilhelminapier Rotterdam
There are no more passenger ships heading for America, but Wilhelminapier has been converted into a modern cruise terminal that enables the biggest cruise ships of the world to dock. For cruise ship passengers, Wilhelminapier is the starting point of their visit to Rotterdam. And that's a great start: besides enjoying the great panorama, you could spend a full day here, visiting the Nederlands Fotomuseum, the cinema / theatre LantarenVenster, the well-known restaurant Las Palmas and of course the New Luxor Theatre. The restaurants Café Rotterdam and Gauchos aan de Maas are also worth a visit, both offer a breathtaking view at the river Maas. Presently, Hotel New York is the only hotel located at Wilheminapier, but in the next years the new NH hotel (in the 'De Rotterdam' building) and and the brand new hotel Chicago will open as well.

Wilhelminapier is becoming the new modern centre of Rotterdam with lots of culture, hotels and restaurants and it's definitely worth a visit!

Interested in modern architecture?
Have a look at the extensive Rotterdam architecture guide for an overview of the most striking buildings!