Hillegersberg

Three kilometres north of the centre on the river Rotte, Hillegersberg is widely regarded as Rotterdam's most desirable residential area. Having escaped the 1940 bombing, it retains an intact old village centre and elegant tree-lined streets of spacious, expensive houses. The neighbourhood wraps around the Bergse Plassen, two lakes formed by historic peat excavation, giving residents canals, woods and water on every side, alongside the much-loved Plaswijckpark children's attraction. Its village heart, the Bergse Dorpsstraat, is a string of boutiques, brown bars and cosy restaurants such as the long-running La Salute, lending the area a refined small-town feel. Hillegersberg is especially popular with international families thanks to its safety, the size of its homes, and the presence of the American International School and the Japanese School. As one of the city's most exclusive locations, house prices here are among the highest in Rotterdam, with single-family homes frequently attracting strong overbidding.

Hillegersberg in Rotterdam, South Holland (Zuid-Holland), Netherlands