Rotterdam is a seaport city and a vibrant and sleepless city. It’s a great shopping capital and a city of art that is renowned overseas. More importantly, Rotterdam is a comprehensive city that leads the fashion and creates innovation. Here, the skyline is constantly changing with the building of skyscrapers. There is also a lot of fun in the skyscrapers: you can enjoy shopping and the delicious food at the same time. Of course, you can visit the numerous museums and many attractions in the city center. The port of Rotterdam was the world’s largest port that once dominated Europe. It is an important maritime hub connecting the five continents – US, Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa. It has always been named as the “European Gateway” for long time.
1. Kinderdijk
The windmill is the most representative object of the Netherlands and it appears in every picture album about the Netherlands. If you want to see the windmill in the Netherlands, the Kinderdijk is undoubtedly the best place. The Kinderdijk that is located 10 kilometers southeast of Rotterdam holds 19 windmills that were built in the 1740s. It is a must-see for every visitor to Rotterdam. The name of the Kinderdijk comes from a touching local legend. People found a cradle in the water where a cat jump back and forth to keep the cradle balanced after a flood. When people picked up the cradle and found that there was a child sleeping peacefully. Therefore people named the area Kinderdijk that means ‘the child dam’. The windmills in the Kinderdijk Windmill Village have been listed in the World Heritage List. They witness the Dutch history and culture.
2. The Central Railway Station
Rotterdam has a perfect high-speed rail system that connects European countries and other cities in the Netherlands with Rotterdam. Thalys connects Rotterdam with France and Belgium. If you travel from the UK to Rotterdam, you can take Eurostar to Brussels and transfer with Thalys. In addition, Fyra connects Rotterdam with Amsterdam and there is a train every half hour.
3. Cube House
The Cube House is also known as the Tree House and consists of 51 square houses. The Cube House was built in 1984 and was designed by Dutch architect Piet Blom. These colorful square houses with differently oriented glass windows can be lit from different directions and give different views from different angles. The pavilion is open to the public and it displays house models, photos and information at the screen that make visitors get more relevant information. The cube house is like an abstract tree and the whole community is like a forest.
4. Erasmus Bridge
The Swan Bridge also known as the Erasmus Bridge stands over the New Maas River and connects the north and south sides of Rotterdam. The name of the bridge was for commemorating Erasmus who is a famous humanist thinker and theologian of medieval Netherland. The shape of the bridge is a bit like a swan, that’s why its nickname of “Swan Bridge”. The Swan Bridge is one of the symbols of Rotterdam and is rated as one of the 13 most beautiful bridges in the world. With a height of 139 meters on one arm and 802 meters on the bridge, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. There are many good hotels and restaurants around the Swan Bridge. It sounds great to take the delicious food and wine while enjoying the swan’s beauty.
5. Ancient Port
Oude Haven is Rotterdam’s oldest port that was built in 1350. Now the port is full of bars and restaurants and the nightlife here is colorful. It has now become a modern area made up of many houses and bars, but it still retains some elements of the old port. You can still see old barges and more modern yachts mooring here.
6. Red Bridge
The Williams Bridge also known as the Red Bridge is another sign bridge in Rotterdam. It connects the Oude Haven with the inner island and the Red Bridge is a bit like a mini-Golden Gate Bridge. The bridge connects the northern part of the city with the North Island and connects to the southern Feyenoord region via the Erasmus Bridge. The Williams Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge with a total span of approximately 318 meters. The outer surface of the bridge is painted red that is in stark contrast to the light blue of the Erasmus Bridge. The bridge was designed by C. Veerling and was built in 1981 and named after King William III of the Netherlands.
7. Markthal
Markthal in Rotterdam literally means the market and some people translate it into an arcade market. It has been called the most beautiful and fashionable market in the world after its completion at the end of 2014. The market is presented with new appearance and new concepts that are definitely different from other markets. There are not only colorful murals but also a variety of delicacies in the market.
8. Boijmans Van Beuningen Art Museum
The Boijmans Van Beuningen Art Museum, the National Museum of the Netherlands and the Moritz Royal Museum in The Hague are known as the three major galleries in the Netherlands. The museum has more than 140000 pieces that cover many art treasures of the Netherlands and Europe from Bruegel’s “The Tower of Babel” and Rembrandt’s “Titus” to the lip-shaped red sofa of Dali. It’s collection is rich. The museum displays the world-class art. The controversial temporary exhibition, the sculpture garden and the beautiful buildings of the 1930s make visitors forget to return after a few hours of visits. There are various events organized by the museum and there are many restaurants, coffee shops and stores.
9. European Mast
The European Mast is 185 meters high and is one of the highest landmarks in the Netherlands. There is a restaurant on the observation deck. It’s shaped like a bird’s nest and it’s called the crow’s nest where you can enjoy the food while enjoying the view. You can take a 360-degree rotating elevator called “Space Adventure” in the restaurant to reach 185 meters high. The elevator is with transparent glass so that you can get a panoramic view of Rotterdam when sitting on a stool. You can hang down along the rope from the top of the tower if you are courageous enough when you want to get down.
10. Harbor Museum
The Harbor Museum is located in the heart of Rotterdam. You can feel the atmosphere of the old harbor with boats, derricks, steam elevators and so on. Visitors can observe the working conditions here. If it writes “welcome on board” on the ship, you can board on and visit it.
