Our first day in Rotterdam began with a quick breakfast before we were off to the Zuiderzeemuseum, which is a little over an hour away from our new hostel. Upon our arrival, our group boarded a boat which took us across the water and into the old village. This museum focuses on the maritime history of the old Zuiderzee region in the Netherlands, as it used to be a bustling village next to an inlet of the North Sea. In the outdoor part of the museum, we were able to walk inside many of the old village homes and learn more about their former residents’ stories. 

This region was full of fisherman and many others who relied on the sea before a dam was constructed called Afsluitdijk in the 1930s. I was surprised to hear that this dam is nearly 20 miles long! We learned about how it was built to protect the Netherlands from the sea and flooding and actually turned the saltwater Zuiderzee into the largest drinking water reservoir. After the dam’s construction, the village became a museum to preserve the history and culture behind the Zuiderzee region.

After walking around the village for quite some time, we decided to stop for lunch at one of the restaurants. Our entire group met at this restaurant and spent a while eating our various meals, many of which consisted of chicken nuggets and fries. Following this meal, we spent some more time walking outside and enjoying the beautiful weather. I saw many houses, bridges, interactive workshops, and even some mountain goats! Some of our group walked to the lookout tower nearby, which provided a beatiful view of the water.

For the rest of today, our group is enjoying some free time before we walk to the Markthal in Rotterdam, which is an area with a variety of food options for dinner. We have not yet had an opportunity to explore the city yet, so I am looking forward to our excursion and for more free time tomorrow!