The Wereldmuseum was blessed. Not "only" by the Dalai Lama, but also by the weather gods. Summer can be pretty unpredictable in The Netherlands (with lots of rain and strong wind), but the day they reopened their terrace, the weather was wonderful. The sun was shining, there was a blue sky and hardly any wind. Many people came out, the drinks and hors d'oeuvres by Food Republic were delicious and weather appropriate (they had a BBQ) and the view of the Rotterdam skyline was priceless!
But to be quite honest, that's not what I came for. The reason behind my visit was the museum itself. And boy oh boy... was it worth it! A classical Dutch building hiding exotic treasures from all continents, an impressive staircase, beautiful banqueting rooms, a mouthwatering museum store... What more can you wish for?
The real surprise however was the Wereldmuseum's permanent collection. The majority of the artifacts comes from Asia, followed by Africa and Oceania. I don't think I've ever seen so much beautiful Asian art together in one place! From many different Buddhas to exquisite antique furniture, from vintage jewelry to religious artifacts, from statues to complete altars, it's all there.
The Wereldmuseum also puts on (con)temporary exhibitions. Currently -until september 2014- there is an exhibition called Future Pass 3.0, showing "Animamix", a new art form that combines Eastern and Western art traditions.
Next time you're in The Netherlands and especially if you're in Rotterdam, you must pay this wonderful museum a visit. If you're lucky you can have a drink on the Asian inspired terrace, looking over the Maas river and Hotel New York (the former head office of the Holland America line).
For more information, please visit:
http://www.wereldmuseum.nl/en/home.html
