At
607 feet, this tower used to be the tallest structure
in The Netherlands. Many similar towers have been
built for World's Fairs, but this one was put up for
"Floriade in the Park" -- an international flower
exhibition. Flowers are a huge part of the Dutch economy,
and this building shows the kind of effort put into
something people in other countries take for granted.
The Euromast seems smaller than its sister towers
because the observation deck is so low to the ground.
The architect didn't want the tower's 300,000 annual
visitors to lose touch with the earth that had brought
them all to this place, so the viewing level is only
341-feet high. From that height you can see people,
cars, and bicycles on the ground while still being
able to appreciate Rotterdam's fast-changing skyline.
He is quoted as saying, "If Mum thinks it's scary,
the family won't go up." On the other hand, safety
isn't necessarily on the minds of those people who
choose to attach themselves to cables and sling themselves
off of the tower. 850-feet of cable is strung from
the tower to a point in the park, and people strap
into a safety harness, clip themselves to the cable
and slide down. The entire trip takes about 14-seconds.
Originally the province of daredevils and the bungee-jumping
set, more and more office workers are taking the plunge
as part of the latest wave of team-building and stress-conquering
psychobable. If you're less adventurous, there is
the "Space Cabin" which takes you up to the 600-foot
level for an even better view of the Low Countries.
