Rotterdam

Rotterdam needs 2 days: the Euromast (a 185-meter observation tower) and the Erasmus Bridge on one, the Markthal food market next to the cube houses district on the other. April-September has the best weather for exploring by bike. It's cheaper than Amsterdam for lodging. Unlike the rest of the country, its center was almost entirely rebuilt after being bombed in 1940, turning it into a laboratory for modern architecture without a historic core to preserve -a contrast that makes it unique among Dutch cities.