Holland's maritime heritage: Dutch ports reflect centuries of seafaring traditions

Cruise Travel, Nov-Dec, 2002 by Theodore W. Scull

Those familiar with Holland America Line know that its entire fleet carries an Explorer's Lounge, recalling early Dutch ventures by sea in paintings of Amsterdam harbor, prints, old maps, models, and navigational equipment. Holland was right up there with Spain, Portugal, and England, all competing for the overseas trade to Northern European ports and, via the Cape of Good Hope, to India, the Spice Islands, and China. In fact by the 17th century, Amsterdam had become Europe's dominant trading power and richest city. Holland's Golden Age is reflected in the splendid 16th to 18th century architecture in Amsterdam and its surrounding cities.

During visits to the Netherlands, I have scouted out places where one can see historic and present-day maritime connections in museums, harbors, and canal towns--including some former port cities that, because of land reclamation, are no longer adjacent to the open sea.

Amsterdam is a good place to begin because its well-located new cruise terminal, opened in April 2000, gives visiting passengers a convenient starting point. In 2001, 108 cruise ship calls brought in 119,000 passengers and additional tens of thousands in crews. As ships arrive from the North Sea via the North Sea Canal leading into the River Ij, break bulk cargo and container docks begin to appear. Approaching the city and its huge waterside Central Railway Station, a long line of berths serve riverboats bound to and from the Rhine, local excursion boats, and cross-river ferries. One of the most interesting vessels to see operating is the side-wheel paddle-steamer Kaptein Kok, built in 1911 and dieselized in 1977.

Close by the cruise terminal, entrances lead to basins such as Oosterdok, where sailing ships used to unload. Today it's home to the Amsterdam Maritime Museum's fleet of historic ships including the replica East Indian De Amsterdam, and a modern botel--a hotel built on a ship that welcomes guests. Nearby, the former Lloyd Hotel, built in 1925 to house emigrants prior to their sailing overseas to a new life, is scheduled to reopen soon as the upscale Hotel de Ville. The Maritime Museum, housed in a 17th century national arsenal, offers three floors of exhibitions on Dutch exploration, the United (Dutch) East India Company, trade with the Orient, sailing and cargo ships, tugs and other harbor craft, and the passenger ship era, plus an excellent book store.

Holland ran colonies in South America (Dutch Guiana, now Surinam), the deep Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao are still under the Dutch flag), and its major colonial possession, the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Substantial populations of Dutch descent also exist in South Africa, speaking Afrikaans, a language of Dutch origin.

Numerous fleets of passenger and cargo lines served the empire and its spheres of influence, and two survive in some form today. Nedlloyd is now part of the P&O Steam Navigation Company as the container carrier P&O Nedlloyd, and, of course, Holland America Line, once Rotterdam-based and now a wholly owned American company, has the majority of its fleet registered in the Netherlands.

Royal Netherlands Steamship Company (KNSM in Dutch) established its headquarters, passenger and cargo terminal, and a customs house on an island now called KNSM Island, located in Amsterdam's river opposite the cruise terminal. Original buildings exist among a large residential apartment complex that also encompasses Java Island. The interesting site can be reached by a free ferry from a slip in front of Central Railway Station or by a short walk across a bridge.

The central city's rings of parallel canals, 165 in all and spanned by 1,281 bridges, seem miniscule by today's standard, but canal barges brought and took away a huge volume of cargo from the blocks and blocks of 17th and 18th century richly gabled row houses that served as entrepots, offices, and residences. Some of the cargo hoisting gear and the upper story warehouse openings are still visible, and apart from walking, a canal cruise is the best way to see the interesting architecture. Several boat operators leave from a convenient basin located between Central Railway Station, a magnificent building dating from 1889, and the 1890 Victoria Hotel, where I stayed.

The Netherlands' secondary maritime cities cluster about Amsterdam, and frequent trains from Central Railway Station reach them in 20 minutes to an hour. Rotterdam, Europe's largest port, is an hour's train ride away; however its ever-expanding Euro-port container terminal is located well away from the city's central district, but can be conveniently accessed by Spido, the long-serving excursion boat operator. Unlike Amsterdam, Rotterdam is largely of modern post-World War II construction, because its strategic port was heavily bombed in 1940 at the outset of the war.

Yet, there is much to see that is maritime-related within walking distance of Rotterdam's Central Station or reached more quickly by a tram. The city's maritime museum offers a substantial ship-model collection, most gracing one very large wall. Unfortunately, this display design allows one to inspect only the lowest models; the mezzanine gives a better, if distant, view but does offer a ship identification station. Here too, the bookstore is excellent, with many shipping titles in English and a most helpful and knowledgeable staff.