Explore Rotterdam
Explore Rotterdam
5 ways to be a Rotterdammer
Be Good to Your Soul
Be Good to Your Soul and visit two cathedrals: Start at Rotterdam’s monumental Gothic church, the Laurenskerk, which survived the war and stood as a symbol of hope for the citizens as they set about building their city of the future. After you’ve gotten your history fix, walk across the Market Square (stop to take a gander at the crazy Cube Houses) to Rotterdam’s unofficial Cathedral of Food: the iconic Markthal. An architectural icon, it features a sweeping arch of a ceiling showcasing the largest work of public art in the world, and the scents and flavors of countless international cuisines in the stalls beneath it.
Get Street Smart
Get Street Smart and get to know two of Rotterdam’s hippest streets, the Meent, and the Witte de Withkwartier. The Meent is a shoppers paradise, and runs from the city’s main artery, the Coolsingel, all the way to the Laurenskerk/Markthal area. Shop and then drop into a comfy seat at classic and trendy cafe eateries like Dudok, Grand Café or THOMS for lunch, and then head over to the Witte de Withstraat which is nice during the day, and twice as nice after dark (shop at Marlies Dekkers, Danny de Cactus, and visit art centre Worm to get your culture fix), before tasting one of 150 different gins at Ballroom, getting your samba on at Latin-American eatery Supermercado, diving into the flavours of the middle east at Bazar, and finishing off the night at De Witte Aap bar.
Be a Culture Vulture
Be a Culture Vulture and visit one or more of the city’s unique institutions. From the amazing sculpture and graffiti available on our #streetart route , to the city’s Museumpark comprising the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Boijmans van Beuningen fine arts museum (Dali to van Gogh, and then some), the modern art expo, the Kunsthal, and the tiny but perfect Natural History Museum of Rotterdam.
Take a Walk in the Park
Take a Walk in the Park and visit the Euromast for breakfast with a view, and a great photo op. From great heights you can take a deep dive into the past, and visit Park Schoonoord (literally “The Beautiful Place”) dating from the 1700s, and one of Rotterdam’s well-kept secrets in Rotterdam. Have lunch on the lawn at Café de Parquiet and then go on a quest to find Rotterdam’s other secret location: leave the park and make your way through the historic Shipping Quarter to Dr. Rotterdam, a speakeasy of international fame, for a happy hour to cure all ills and end a great day.
Live on Water
Don’t be a landlubber, Live on Water! Rotterdam is a port city, and the connection to the sea is everywhere. Walk among the sharks in the Shark Tunnel at Blijdorp Zoo or take a Watertaxi along the Maas River, first stop at historic Hotel New York for a high tea experience, followed by a visit to the urban hot-spot, the Fenix Food Factory, and then back aboard the Watertaxi to the ss Rotterdam, where you can challenge yourself in the onboard Escape Room. End the day with a cocktail on the Lido Deck with a spectacular view of the Rotterdam skyline and the iconic Erasmusbrug.