Rotterdam is located in the southern Netherlands and is the 2nd largest city after Amsterdam. Since the 1300’s Rotterdam has developed and Served as a major port, apart from the port the city has some fantastic architecture to see and has a wonderful variety of museums, eateries and activities to enjoy.
Getting around – Rotterdam has a great Tram system that takes you through the city, if not the bus or even taxis are very cheap compared to neighbouring countries.
Here are my top 10 things to do in Rotterdam whilst you’re away –
Markthal Rotterdam is a stunning piece of architecture that was built in 2009 which serves as an office and marketplace. The design is unique and has a large windowed section facing out to the courtyard, the inside has amazing artwork by Arno Coenen and shows various fruits, plants, insects and flowers. The market section has shops, stalls, restaurants and a great array of bars too.
Rotterdam Zoo also known as the Diergaarge Blijdorp. This stood for many years despite having to move locations due to bombings in WW2, it features botanical gardens Oceanium and operates breeding programs to help endangered species around the world like the Red Panda.
Euromast Tower which is an observation station created in 1960 to give panoramic views of the cityscape, the tower is 606ft tall with it’s antenna and is the tallest building in Rotterdam.
Erasmus Bridge – This monumental bridge spans 802 metres long making it the 2nd largest in the Netherlands. In the centre of the bridge there is a bascule section that opens up to let large ships through the waters, a marvel of modern engineering with an impressive backdrop to the port of Rotterdam.
Central station – Rotterdam is full of unique architecture and the central station is just that. It is triangular in shape pointing towards the sky at a protruding angle, the clock and large letters inside are from the old station to retain some of the old memories before it was re-built.
Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk – The church of Saint Laurence is the only piece of medieval architecture that is still standing in Rotterdam, built in 1449 it was one of the first all stone buildings created and is located in the old town centre near the maritime museum.
Europort – The area is considered one of the busiest ports in the world and a major trade entity, it is a fascinating place to visit and there are boat toars to see the whole area including some of the immense cargo ships.
Maritime museum – This is one of the largest of it’s type in the world with a huge collection of cartography, maritime memorabilia and arts. It is located in central Rotterdam near the cube houses.
Rotterdam boat tour – The perfect way to see the harbour and the ports of Rotterdam, it’s comfortable and there are many companies running tours such as the Spido which takes 75 minutes.
Fenix Food Factory – The factory provides a unique experience where you can get into the food, take part in workshops, tastings and more. It promotes local fresh produce and you can find beers, coffee’s and amazing treats.
Our favourite place to drink: De Wittle Aap – a lovely beer café that gets very busy when it’s sunny!
Our favourite place to eat: Sate Lounge – this BBQ Grill is 100% one of the best grills we’ve ever been to, and all of the produce was fresh and not imported too which means they really kept the natural flavours.