Innovation is the mantra in the Netherlands' second city, and the locals embrace it with an enthusiasm that makes a visit here an exciting proposition. Rotterdam is a major port city in the Dutch province of South Holland. The Maritime Museum's vintage ships and exhibits trace the city's seafaring history. The 17th-century Delfshaven neighborhood is home to canalside shopping and Pilgrim Fathers Church, where pilgrims worshiped before sailing to America. After being almost completely reconstructed following WWII, the city is now known for bold, modern architecture.

Rotterdam's character was forged by its location on the New and Old Maas Rivers, close to the North Sea, and it is proud of its status as the largest port in Europe. Daily life involves lots of water-related action, with people driving or walking over a slew of graceful, architect-designed bridges; zipping from one riverbank to the other in bargain-priced watertaxis; or sauntering along picturesque inner-city canals. While here, visitors should do the same, as well as take a boat tour or board a fast ferry to visit nearby destinations including Dordrecht and Kinderdijk. Innovation here takes many forms, and one that is immediately apparent is the quality of the coffee served in the city's huge array of cafes. Until recently, there was only one coffee roastery in Rotterdam – the excellent Man Met Brill – but at last count there were 12, all roasting direct-trade beans to caffeinate coffee-obsessed locals. Cafes of every type (hipster hole-in-the-walls to traditional grand cafes) dot the city streets, functioning as work and study spaces for the digital generation as well as places where friends and family catch up over a drink or casual meal.