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Place in Netherlands
Photo: Rob Oo from NL, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Centrum (Central) is the name of the central area of Rotterdam, being located between the central station in the north and the New Meuse in the south.
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The Rotterdam City Hall may appear quite historic compared to the modern outlook of the city, but it was actually only built in 1915 in a lavish style echoing historic city halls in other Dutch cities. Remarkably, the City Hall survived the bombing and is one of the few truly historic buildings in the city. It is nice to walk into the monumental main hall and see the statues. The courtyard is also worth a look. As the City Hall is still in use you are free to enter the public areas and have a look. The other halls will be off limits, unless you can persuade one of the guards to open the showpiece Burgerzaal for you. The City Hall also has a belltower with carillon which is often played, while the roof of the middle tower is made of gold.
There's also a great restaurant halfway up the tower, with good food at a good price.
Erasmus Bridge
A combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge across the Nieuwe Maas built in 1996.
The Maastunnel, built between 1937 and 1942, is the first Dutch tunnel to be built using the 'sunken tube' method, in which prefabricated elements are sunk down into the river to form the tunnel structure. The 1070 m long tunnel allows for both car traffic and pedestrian and cyclist access. The two categories having separate tunnels. Today, the tunnel is a listed monument, having been restored between 2017 and 2020. On site, bikes can be rented to make the journey into Charlois quicker.
Destroyed City
A statue by the Franco-Belarussian sculptor Ossip Zadkine dates from 1953. Zadkine got his inspiration when visiting Rotterdam shortly after the Second World War. The cubist statue depicting a man in agony who just lost his heart (symbol of the bombed city centre) still evokes strong feelings in Rotterdam.
The "Great or Saint Lawrence church" (Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of Rotterdam) is a late-gothic inner city landmark that dates from the year 1449. It is nice to visit its spacious and attractive, but not so elegant interior. Of special interest are the large organ and the elaborate graves of Dutch sea heroes Kortenaer, Witte de With and Van Brakel. All kinds of cultural and musical venues take place here.
The statue of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam stands opposite the Grote of Sint Laurenskerk. It is a handsome bronze of the hand of sculptor Keijser and dates from 1622. Children are told by the elderly that Erasmus turns his page every hour.
This church only dates from 1910, but it was built on purpose to house the baroque interior from 1719 of its predecessor. It is interesting to have a look at the baroque carvings. Also noteworthy that this church belongs to the small Old Catholic denomination.
The main building of Museum Boijmans van Beuningen is closed for a major renovation until 2029. The Depot was opened for the public in Nov 2021. Some of the masterpieces are being shown in other locations in the city or abroad. The museum, founded in 1849, houses a rich, broad collection that can be generally grouped into four wings: Old Art, with masterpieces such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder's The "little" Tower of Babel (1563). The collection of Prints and Drawings and the collection of Applied Arts and Design with their international allure. And the Modern Art wing has an important collection of surrealism, prominently featuring Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.
This large work by Pablo Picasso was erected in 1973. It is one of the elaborations Picasso made based on the portraits of his muse Sylvette David. Definitely worth a look.
An exhibition hall that houses some 25 expositions annually. The Kunsthal often experiments with themes that have never been used for an exhibition before. This approach produces a fascinating and widely varied repertoire. In total, the Kunsthal has 3,300 m² of exhibition space in a striking building, designed by OMA (Rem Koolhaas and Fuminori Hoshino) and is a true work of art all on its own.
Museum for Architecture, Design and Digital culture
A part of the Het Nieuwe Instituut.
Sonneveld House
A building in the Bauhaus style built in 1932-1933 by Leendert van der Vlugt. It is now a part of the Het Nieuwe Instituut museum.
This neat little museum is housed in a splendid modernist 1930s villa. It houses a collection of works of the expressionist painter Hendrik Chabot. A very recommendable if short visit for art lovers.
The "Natural History Museum" is in the Museumpark, near Boijmans, the NAi and the Kunsthal. It has changing expositions and a fixes collection of mammals, plants and fossiles. The current director Kees Moeiliker became famous in 2003 for winning a scientific prize on his study and book about the strange behavior of a duck in the garden of the museum. His predecessor did a lot for the whales and left his collection at the museum.
Maritime Museum
A variety of expositions about the harbour of Rotterdam and maritime history. The museum also has an outdoor part of which the Museumschip De Buffel is the absolute highlight. This 19th-century gunboat is restored in all its glory and a must-see for naval enthusiasts.
The museum of the Marine Corps is situated in a historic building in the Oude Haven. It shows the history of the 340 year-old corps and its modern-day role. Special attention is given to the heroic role of the corps in the 1940 defence of Rotterdam. In the nearby White House you can still notice the bulletholes in the stone wall.
Opened in 2016 the museum is dedicated to the modern day Rotterdam and its history.
This little museum can be found among the famous Cube houses and houses a diverse collection of chess games. From ancient Chinese to all sorts of cartoon characters.
The Wereldmuseum (World Arts Museum) focuses on encounters and cross-cultural inspiration.
Witte de With(Centre for Contemporary Arts) exhibits, lectures, multimedia for contemporary arts.
The area around the station was destroyed by a Nazi bombardment during World War II, forcing the Netherlands to surrender. After the war this area was populated with some bold examples of modern architecture.
Cube Houses
The Old Harbour is a nice place to see and sit at some café nearby.
White House
A "skyscraper" built after American tall buildings in 1898. Now it's a National Heritage Site.
This is the only remaining 17th-century building in the city center of Rotterdam. It was once the place where French emperor Napoleon stayed, visiting his troops when they occupied the Netherlands. The former historical museum of Rotterdam which is now moved to another building.
Just walk out the front of Rotterdam Centraal Station, cross the Weena and go strait to the first intersection. You can't miss it! It is a massive Chinatown, full of Chinese restaurants but also Indonesian and other Asian restaurants.
The park connecting the Booijmans van Beuningen, Westersingel, Westzeedijk and the Erasmus Medical Centre. It connects the half a dozen museums all located around the park, allowing visitors to go from one to the other by foot easily.
Quite literally translating to The Park, Het Park is the second-oldest park of Rotterdam, and the oldest within the city centre. Initially purchased by the city to build a new city hall, it was eventually decided to become a public space in 1852. The park was constructed in the style of the English landscape park in 1852. The park was then expanded with the purchase of an estate in 1875, and completed with the terrace on the river in 1898. The north now prominently features the Noorse Zeemanskerk (English: Norse Seamen's Church, Norwegian: Sjømannskirken), given to the city as a construction kit by Norway following its independence in 1914. It was originally located on the western edge of the park, but moved with the construction of the Maastunnel in 1937. Since 2011, the park has been a national monument, and it sees some 1.1 million visitors each year.
The Uitburo office inside the Central Library provides information on theatre and music performances. It also sells tickets and offers an overview of performances that can be visited for free (gratis).
(IFFR) is an annual film festival held in various cinemas at the end of January. It is one of the larger film festivals in Europe.
MOMO
Music, art & performance. Plus a sleeping project that enables sleeping in art or on special locations in Rotterdam (April)
in April, internationally reputed as a very fast marathon.
Festival in June.
A huge Caribbean-oriented parade and party in the city centre.
lijn 10
The tourist tram line 10 will bring you along modern architecture, the city centre and historic parts of Rotterdam using classic trams. Total trip time 65 minutes. First depart from Willemsplein (near Spido) is at 11:00 but you can get on and off at any stop along the route as it operates every 30 minutes. Last depart from Willemsplein 16:30. Be sure to raise your hand to the driver if you would like to board at an intermediate tramstop.
You only see the first 8 km of the harbour starting at the Erasmus bridge (the trip doesn't go all the way to the North Sea, and skips some of the more interesting harbors) But Rotterdam is REALLY big, so even in those first 8 km there's plenty to see.
Eat as many pancakes as you want while you cruise.
(IFFR) is an annual film festival held in various cinemas at the end of January/early February. It is one of the larger film festivals in Europe.
Not for the faint of heart! Lower yourself down the Euromast, one of the highest buildings in the Netherlands during summer. The journey down can be done by two people at the same time, along with an instructor for guidance. The journey to safe ground takes about fifteen minutes. Until 2021 the Euromast also had a zipline, but due to housing developments being built, this can no longer be offered.
It's the largest indoor model railroad layout of the Netherlands.
Very nice old-looking bar. They also serve food for a reasonable price and most of the food is home made. Try the grilled beef with Spanish pepper and garlic! Or have one of their great sandwiches or salads. Wanna have a nice Belgium beer that gets you all fuzzy? They have an awesome Belgian beer called “la Chouffe” (the midget) on draft. Very tasty! A good start for the evening.
This is 'the' place in town for creative people. Or it used to be, because lots of people now go to the next-door café's Stalles and Parket. Rotown has a restaurant with decent food for a decent price. The daily changing menu (meat, fish and vegetarian) usually gets you something nice. After eating you can go watch a band or have your drink in the café.
This café has pizzas offers on Mondays and Tuesdays. The atmosphere in the restaurant is relaxed and friendly. The menu furthermore features salads, sandwiches, and tapas. The owner also owns Club Vibes, around the corner.
Roti dishes.
Portuguese.
Fast food.
Two of the best things in gastronomy come together at Bar-Restaurant Stockholm: A high standard yet fair priced French-inspired menu & the exquisite cocktails. Together with the trendy interior and city centre location Stockholm has been a well-earned success for years.
A cafe in an authentic part of the city centre: in the Old Harbour. Open all year round for lunch, dinner or just coffee and delicious cake. One of the most popular terraces during summer. Fair prices, spontaneous staff, basic French-inspired cuisine.
Prepare yourself for something special when visiting this famous eatery. The outside is absolutely rundown (so is the interior) and you must convince yourself to really push open the dark door. Once inside you will be welcomed by waiters in white and you will be allocated directly next to other visitors on benches. Good food is served (traditional Dutch and French fare), cooked in the same space that you're sitting. The place is frequented by Rotterdam businessmen and students and guests should fit in in terms of behaviour and appearance. (Mick Jagger was famously denied access here for not being a gentleman.)
A culinary gem in the very heart of the city, this stylish restaurant needs to be booked well in advance. Very rewarding French cuisine. Valet parking.
Nicely decorated Italian restaurant where you don't just drop by for a simple pizza. As a matter of fact, they don't even serve pizza. With the fine use of herbs, garlic and more interesting stuff that the Italian kitchen has to offer, it is almost impossible to not like this food. The personal is professional and for what you get the prices are actually not too bad. In summer you can eat outside (there is a small terrace at the back). A nice feature of this restaurant is that the kitchen is open until 23:00, something that is not very common in Rotterdam.
This sublime Michelin 2 star is the best place in town. Very nice views and service to match.
A small bar next to Parket. They serve a large variety of single malt whiskeys. It's pretty small, but very cosy.
Rotterdammers like to read their newspaper here. For a solid breakfast (Dutch “wentelteefjes”), good lunch, or a fast meeting Westerpaviljoen is a perfect place. Hang out on their huge and fantastic terrace, drink a nice glass of Amstel or Hoegaarden White beer.
This classic Rotterdam pub (The White Monkey) draws a very varied and often too large crowd for its premises. It's a cool place to have a few drinks before dinner or before exploring the rest of this very lively neighborhood.
Café De Unie
This restaurant/café/art society is a Rotterdam institute. Housed in a magnificent building reminiscent to a Mondriaan painting, being built in the De Stijl-style, it also hosts all kinds of cultural venues and parties. A good place to have coffee too.
Nice looking bar with modern solid patio. Crowd can be sort of posh sometimes, but don't let that scare you to much. Right next to the market (Tuesday and Thursday), and they won some prices with their sandwiches.
This Irish pub is really Irish. Green and wooden colors and a bar crew who only speaks English. Live music every night! On Monday there's pub bingo. In the weekends the entrance fee is €2.50.
Don't let the cheesy Hawaiian interior put you off. Frequented by an alternative arty crowd, with rockabilly and ska (and occasionally Ethiopian jazz) on the loudspeakers. Cocktails and small dinner menu.
In the city centre in the popular district named Scheepvaartkwartier enclosed by the river Maas, the Erasmus bridge, the Westzeedijk and the park at the Euromast. In a 1920s Art Deco building they offer 16 theme rooms (like the Port room, Festival room, Dutch Delight), a lively bar, guestkichen, common room, etc. From the hostel everything in Rotterdam is just a doorstep away.
Cubic Houses
Clean, safe and easy to find. Since they are in the world-famous Cubic Houses, all the rooms are different shapes and nothing is 'square'. Surrounded by bars and concrete, party noises are amplified and bounced into your room. Not a problem if you plan on staying out late.
Lively hostel on the even livelier Witte de Withstraat. Clean & friendly, good place to be in the middle of the action and to get to know people. Possibly not best place for quiet sleep though.
A budget hotel group created by the founders of airline easyJet and according to the same principles - the basic accommodation is cheap, but everything else costs extra.
In a converted office building close to Rotterdam Centraal. As in every other hotels in this chain, rooms are basic but adequate, while breakfast and Wi-Fi are included in room rates.
Get in touch with real Rotterdam multiculturalism in this splendidly decorated place. Do not forget to dine here too. Ideally situated in the lively Witte de Withstraat.
This no-nonsense 3-star has an excellent location directly on the riverquay in the interesting Scheepvaartkwartier neighbourhood.
Combines a historic 1930s building with a newer one adjoining De Bijenkorf department store. While the common areas entice with art deco charm, some of the cheaper rooms have fallen behind the times and are now badly worn. On balance, the Atlanta is in the very centre and offers brilliant views from its rooftop breakfast room and terrace, as well as from selected rooms.
A splendid location, in front of the tram stop at the start of the Erasmus Bridge with brilliant views thereof, as well as the Kop van Zuid across the Maas.
One of the first hotels of this chain with an innovative concept - offering ample, four-star level amenities, including designerish common spaces, combined with ultra-small cabin-sized rooms, all at a reasonable price vs. regular upscale hotels.
Opened in August 2014. Features a waterfront location on an island in Wijnhaven.
The somewhat stately Parkhotel has a reputation of offering real value. Its location is very practical too, just off the lively Witte de Withstraat and close to the major museums.
formerly Manhattan Hotel Rotterdam
This towering high rise is just across Rotterdam Centraal. Luxurious rooms that are sometimes to be had for as little as €100. Check the site (walk-ins pay far more)
A design hotel with modern, simplistic appointments. It occupies a striking waterfront building at the foot of the Erasmus bridge.
A luxury offshoot of Inntel Hotels along the same waterfront, Guests can enjoy rich interior decorations, a spa, sauna, hamam, spa, a restaurant and a bar, all with views of Leuvehaven.
This upmarket store offers a lot in terms of clothing, accessories, jewellery, perfumes and the like. The store offers quality, but it comes at a price.
This star of Dutch budget shopping has a limited range of clothing, food and hardware. HEMA has a reputation of delivering quality goods at very competitive prices. A lot of what it sells is of a fresh and bright design.
It is a huge (~450 stalls) open air food and hardware market — a nice place to visit. In summer there is a smaller version (~50 stalls).
Opened in 2014 by a Dutch princess (who else!), It is a quite remarkable building which is worth a visit per se. It's more like a hybrid between a market and a shopping centre. Besides the large market hall, there are also residential, office sections, retail sections. Last but not least the Markthal houses a wide variety of bars, food stalls, and restaurants. Enjoy meals or bites from Mediterranean or Asian cultures or try the famous Rotterdam fries of Bram Ladage.
A collection of sustainable shops including a grocery store, restaurant, bookstore and butchery.
By tram
The tramlines below are in service through the city centre as of 2021. They have been ordered by the platform they depart from at Rotterdam Centraal:
By metro
Rotterdam's city centre sees service from all five lines, these generally being grouped into east-west and north-south connections:
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