Erasmusbrug Webcam – See the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam

The Erasmusbrug Webcam looks down on Rotterdam’s best-known bridge from high on the Kop van Zuid, at the bridge’s southern end. The camera faces west-northwest along the Nieuwe Maas, so the white pylon and its fan of stay cables rise on the right of the picture while the deck sweeps across the river to the north bank. Below the lens, cars and trams roll onto the bascule span, the white KPN tower and the glass towers of the Wilhelminapier stand to the left, and the Euromast marks the skyline far down the river. Yellow water taxis, tour boats and barges cross the water through the day. A second camera from the same operator, on the player’s second tab, looks back at the bridge from the north bank toward De Rotterdam and the Cruise Terminal.

About the Erasmusbrug

The Erasmusbrug crosses the Nieuwe Maas between the city center and the Kop van Zuid. It is a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge, 802 meters (2,631 feet) long, designed by the architect Ben van Berkel. Its steel pylon rises 139 meters (456 feet) and carries the 285 meter (935 foot) main span on 16 pairs of front stay cables, balanced by back stays, and the shape of that pylon gave the bridge its nickname, The Swan. At the southern end, the part of the deck nearest the main camera, an 89 meter (292 foot) bascule span can lift to let tall ships through. It is the largest and heaviest bascule bridge in Western Europe.

Queen Beatrix opened the bridge on 6 September 1996, at a cost of 365 million guilders, about 165 million euros. It carries four traffic lanes, two tram tracks, two cycle tracks and two sidewalks. The bridge has also served as a stage: the Red Bull Air Race came here in 2005, and the Tour de France crossed it in 2010 and 2015.

The white tower left of center in the main view is the Toren op Zuid, better known as the KPN tower. Renzo Piano designed the 96 meter (315 foot) office block, built between 1998 and 2000 at the southern bridgehead as one of the first high-rises on the Wilhelminapier. Its front leans forward at the same angle as the bridge’s stay cables and holds 896 green lamps. The operator, the city brand Rotterdam Make It Happen, shares airtime on that facade for animations and messages about events such as the World Port Days, which is why this stream is named KPN Led Wall.

Weather and Climate at the Erasmusbrug

Rotterdam has a mild, damp maritime climate. Under the 1991 to 2020 normals, January afternoons average 6.4 C (44 F) and nights 1.3 C (34 F), so frost on the bridge deck is usually light. Winter days are short at almost 52 degrees north. April warms to 14.3 C (58 F) by day and 4.8 C (41 F) at night.

July is the warmest month, with afternoons near 22.7 C (73 F) and nights around 13.2 C (56 F), and long summer evenings keep the river in daylight until late. October still reaches 14.9 C (59 F) by day and 7.2 C (45 F) at night. Rain falls in every season, about 882 millimeters (34.7 inches) a year, against roughly 1,752 hours of sunshine. Wind is the condition the bridge is known for: in its first years the deck swung in particularly strong gusts, and stronger shock dampers were fitted to calm it.

Things to Do Near the Erasmusbrug

The simplest plan is to cross it. The sidewalks and cycle tracks run the full length of the bridge, and from the middle of the main span the view takes in both banks, the Wilhelminapier towers and the Euromast downriver. On the north bank, Spido harbor tours leave from the quay beside the bridge ramp, where their boats sit in the lower right of the second camera’s picture.

At the far end of the Wilhelminapier, Hotel New York occupies the former head office of the Holland America Line, which used the building from 1901 until it moved its headquarters to the United States in 1977. It opened as a hotel on 5 May 1993. The Euromast, about 1.5 kilometers (0.9 miles) west of the bridge, is the thin tower on the main camera’s skyline. Hugh Maaskant designed it for the 1960 Floriade, and its crow’s nest platform sits 96 meters (315 feet) above the ground, with the top of the tower at about 185 meters (607 feet).

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more Dutch city views and another famous bridge, try these cameras next.

• Rotterdam Markthal Webcam
• Mackinac Bridge Webcam
• Amsterdam Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on the Erasmusbrug Webcam?

The main camera looks west-northwest from the southern end of the bridge. The pylon and stay cables fill the right of the picture, the deck and its bascule span run across the lower half, the KPN tower and the Wilhelminapier towers stand to the left, and the Euromast rises on the skyline across the Nieuwe Maas. The second tab shows the bridge from the north bank, looking across the river to De Rotterdam and the Cruise Terminal.

Where is the Erasmusbrug located?

The Erasmusbrug crosses the Nieuwe Maas in central Rotterdam, in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. It links the city center on the north bank with the Kop van Zuid on the south bank, about 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) south of the Markthal.

Is there a webcam on the north and south side of the Erasmusbrug?

Yes, and this page carries both. The main camera stands at the southern end, on the Kop van Zuid. The second tab is on the north bank by the bridge ramp, looking southwest across the river toward the Wilhelminapier and the Cruise Terminal, where cruise ships berth.

What is the weather like in Rotterdam?

Mild and damp. January averages 6.4 C (44 F) by day and 1.3 C (34 F) at night, July 22.7 C (73 F) and 13.2 C (56 F), and about 882 millimeters (34.7 inches) of rain falls through the year.

Does the Erasmusbrug open for ships?

Yes. The 89 meter (292 foot) bascule span at the southern end, the part of the deck nearest the main camera, can be raised to let tall ships pass, and road and tram traffic stops while it is up.

How tall is the Erasmus Bridge?

The steel pylon rises 139 meters (456 feet), and the bridge is 802 meters (2,631 feet) long.

Who designed the Erasmus Bridge and when did it open?

The architect Ben van Berkel designed it, and Queen Beatrix opened it on 6 September 1996.

Can you watch the Erasmusbrug Webcam at night?

Yes. The main stream has been broadcasting on the same YouTube video since April 2021, day and night. After dark the river traffic and the lights of the city stay in view, and the lamps on the front of the KPN tower can carry the animations and messages the operator puts on its LED wall.

Source: Rotterdam Make It Happen