Copenhagen

Rotterdam Centraal

Rotterdam Centraal is the main railway station in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The station receives an average of 110,000 passengers a year. The existing station building at the station square was officially opened in 2014.

Since it is one of the four main stations in the Netherlands, it is connected to cities across the country. The main destinations include: Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Zwolle. There are also international train services in other countries, including Antwerp, Brussels and Paris. The Eurostar service from London to Amsterdam Central Station also stops here.

Rotterdam Central Station is currently the terminus of the Metro Line D, while the E-line train continues south to the Slinger Railway Station. The train is operated by RET. The Rotterdam tramway network can reach this station on almost all lines.

The new station includes two supermarkets, some restaurants and cafes. There is also a "station living room". On the south side there is an underground bicycle parking space for more than 5,000 bicycles. There are taxi stands on the north and south sides.

Copenhagen (Danish: København [kʰøpm̩ˈhaʊ̯ˀn] ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark. As of July 2018, the city has a population of 777,218 (616,098 in Copenhagen Municipality, 103,914 in Frederiksberg Municipality, 43,005 in Tårnby Municipality, and 14,201 in Dragør Municipality). It forms the core of the wider urban area of Copenhagen (population 1,320,629) and the Copenhagen metropolitan area (population 2,057,737). Copenhagen is situated on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand; another small portion of the city is located on Amager, and it is separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the strait of Øresund. The Øresund Bridge connects the two cities by rail and road. Originally a Viking fishing village established in the 10th century in the vicinity of what is now Gammel Strand, Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in the early 15th century. Beginning in the 17th century it consolidated its position as a regional centre of power with its institutions, defences and armed forces. After a plague outbreak and fire in the 18th century, the city underwent a period of redevelopment. This included construction of the prestigious district of Frederiksstaden and founding of such cultural institutions as the Royal Theatre and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. After further disasters in the early 19th century when Horatio Nelson attacked the Dano-Norwegian fleet and bombarded the city, rebuilding during the Danish Golden Age brought a Neoclassical look to Copenhagen's architecture. Later, following the Second World War, the Finger Plan fostered the development of housing and businesses along the five urban railway routes stretching out from the city centre. Since the turn of the 21st century, Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development, facilitated by investment in its institutions and infrastructure. The city is the cultural, economic and governmental centre of Denmark; it is one of the major financial centres of Northern Europe with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Copenhagen's economy has seen rapid developments in the service sector, especially through initiatives in information technology, pharmaceuticals and clean technology. Since the completion of the Øresund Bridge, Copenhagen has become increasingly integrated with the Swedish province of Scania and its largest city, Malmö, forming the Øresund Region. With a number of bridges connecting the various districts, the cityscape is characterised by parks, promenades and waterfronts. Copenhagen's landmarks such as Tivoli Gardens, The Little Mermaid statue, the Amalienborg and Christiansborg palaces, Rosenborg Castle Gardens, Frederik's Church, and many museums, restaurants and nightclubs are significant tourist attractions. The largest lake of Denmark, Arresø, lies around 27 miles (43 kilometers) northwest of the City Hall Square. Copenhagen is home to the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen Business School and the IT University of Copenhagen. The University of Copenhagen, founded in 1479, is the oldest university in Denmark. Copenhagen is home to the FC København and Brøndby football clubs. The annual Copenhagen Marathon was established in 1980. Copenhagen is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world. The Copenhagen Metro launched in 2002 serves central Copenhagen. The Copenhagen Metro is scheduled to expand radically with the opening of the City-ring line during fall 2019, the new line will connect all inner boroughs of the city by metro, including The Central Station, and will open up 17 new stations for Copenhageners. The new metro line is a part of the city's strategy to transform mobility towards sustainable modes of transport such as public transport and cycling as opposed to automobility. Additionally the Copenhagen S-train, the Lokaltog (private railway) and the Coast Line network serves and connects central Copenhagen to outlying boroughs. The Copenhagen-Ringsted Line will relieve traffic congestion in the corridor between Roskilde and Copenhagen. Serving roughly two million passengers a month, Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, is the busiest airport in the Nordic countries.

Rotterdam (, UK also ; Dutch: [ˌrɔtərˈdɑm] ) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is the second-largest Dutch city after Amsterdam, and is located in the province of South Holland, at the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas channel leading into the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta at the North Sea. Its history goes back to 1270, when a dam was constructed in the Rotte, after which people settled around it for safety. In 1340, Rotterdam was granted city rights by the Count of Holland.A major logistic and economic centre, Rotterdam is Europe's largest port, and had previously been the largest port of the world for a long time. It has a population of 634,660 and is home to 174 nationalities. Rotterdam is known for its Erasmus University, its riverside setting, lively cultural life, maritime heritage and modern architecture. The near-complete destruction of the city centre in the World War II Rotterdam Blitz has resulted in a varied architectural landscape, including sky-scrapers (an uncommon sight in other Dutch cities) designed by renowned architects such as Rem Koolhaas, Piet Blom and Ben van Berkel.The Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt give waterway access into the heart of Western Europe, including the highly industrialized Ruhr. The extensive distribution system including rail, roads, and waterways have earned Rotterdam the nicknames "Gateway to Europe" and "Gateway to the World". Rotterdam will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2020.