Rotterdam's oldest harbour, dating from the 14th century, now filled with historic ships, barges, and houseboats. The small basin is ringed by cafés with waterside terraces and framed by an improbable skyline: the medieval Laurenskerk on one side, the tilted Cube Houses on the other, and the white tower of Het Wittehuis in between.
The harbour is a pleasant spot to sit with a coffee and watch the boats, and it serves as a reminder that Rotterdam — now dominated by container terminals and modern architecture — started here, as a small fishing harbour on the Rotte river. On sunny afternoons the terraces fill up and the old ships provide a photogenic foreground for the city's famously adventurous skyline.