Erasmus Bridge, Rotterdam

A plucky city's huge 'harp'

Almost completely razed in World War II, the city center of Rotterdam reemerged with a modern look, soon coming to reign as the world's biggest port from 1962 until 2004. The sleek structure seen here looks like a giant stringed instrument, but rather than carry a tune, the Erasmusbrug carries traffic across Rotterdam's main river, the Nieuwe Maas. About half a mile long and with a 456-foot tower, its eastern end features the largest drawbridge of its kind in the world, which lets even the widest container ships pass deeper into the port.