Although not a typical Dutch city and therefore not top of the list of tourist destinations, Rotterdam has its own charm and offers many possibilities to its inhabitants. As the heat comes and the city blossoms both literally and figuratively, a few of the following activities should be tried if you live nearby.
Picnic in Het Park
A first activity, typical of good weather and nature lovers, is a picnic in Het Park, the city's largest park. It only costs you a (picnic) blanket and some snacks to join those who have a direct view of Euromast, enjoy the sun, the view and the warmth.
Euromast
Also, whatever the season, the sunset seen from Euromast (the tower that can be seen in the first photo) is not to be missed. Rotterdam's tallest building, originally built at 100 metres, offers a restaurant with a view of the city panorama at that level, as well as the possibility to go up in the Euroscoop, an elevator that rotates 360 degrees to give a full view of the city, up to 185 metres high.
Delfshaven district
A small part of Rotterdam remained intact after the war and is worth seeing anytime, although it doesn't always appear on the tourist list. Delfshaven remains the only district of Rotterdam that was not affected by the bombing of World War II. It is, as the name suggests, a little piece of Delft, but also a small port in the city. You can spend a few hours in one of the boat cafés, famous for their variety of beers, visiting the De Distilleerketel mill or eating the famous kapsalon on the waterfront, from the place where this dish originated.
(A unique way to see the city with) RotterTram
As a large city, Rotterdam can also be seen in a unique way by transport. A ride on the water bus (which is free for students) or Spido is the best way to see the city's main attraction: a full tour of the harbour. If you also get a sunny day, the experience is even more beautiful! The RotterTram, as the name suggests, is a historic tram, in use since 1969, which has been converted into a restaurant tram. A tour lasts two and a half hours and reaches the city's well-known sights such as Central Station, Markthal, the famous Cube Houses, Erasmus Bridge, De Kuip (Feyenoord Stadium), Euromast and Delfshaven.
Diegaarde Blijdorp Zoo
Spring does not only bring good weather, especially in the Netherlands. From personal experience, I can recommend a visit to Diegaarde Blijdorp Zoo, whatever the time of year. With a tradition of more than 160 years, the zoo in Rotterdam is one of the oldest in the Netherlands and has held the title of "Most Beautiful Zoo in the Benelux" for 3 years. The garden includes 5 zones and it's well worth spending a few hours to see Oceania, Australia, North and South America, South Africa, Asia and Europe.
So far we have mentioned less touristy activities to do in Rotterdam. But let's not forget the city centre, which offers a number of sights worth seeing.
Markthal
Markthal is the largest indoor market in the Netherlands, and all the windows that can be seen from both inside and outside are actually apartments and offices. Inside the building serves as a space for food stalls from all over the world. It has paintings on the interior walls and the windows at the entrance are always decorated in the evening with different shapes: the heart, the tiger - the symbol of the international film festival that is organised in Rotterdam, a Christmas tree or the Rotterdam code "010".
Cube Houses
The Cub Houses, the city's main attraction, are, as the name suggests, quite spacious cubes, but you can only find that out if you visit them inside. You can do that because some of them serve as a museum. They stretch between the old city harbour and Markthal and offer both an indoor garden with a 360° view of the houses and views of the harbour and the city centre.
Grote Cathedral of Saint-Laurenskerk
The Church of Blaak, Grote of Saint-Laurenskerk is one of the few buildings in the city centre to have survived the bombings of World War II. It was built between 1449 and 1525. Now the church serves as a venue for events, such as university fairs, and anyone can come in to see the interior, including pets.
Erasmusbrug and Maastunnel
At the end, Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge). This impressive bridge spans the Nieuwe Maas canal and is a symbol of the city. Also, to cross from the centre to the south of the city there are 2 options: crossing on water or...underwater. The Maastunnel is an underwater tunnel that has been in operation since 1942, when it was secretly opened due to the Nazi invasion at the time, and was the first underwater car tunnel in the Netherlands. It is divided into 2, offering an option for pedestrians and cyclists.
I hope I've given you some inspiration for a visit to Rotterdam, perhaps even a weekend spent discovering the city.
Article by Ioana Orășteanu.
Ioana is a second year student at the University of Applied Sciences Rotterdam, International Business program. She likes to spend as much time as possible outside the home doing all sorts of activities. For this reason, she also decided to join the Rompro team to write articles on various topics, such as travel, unique activities and destinations to visit in the Netherlands.
