Rotterdam is a city of many faces: a tough port city, a trendy nightlife city, a sophisticated shopping city, and a hip artistic city. Above all, Rotterdam is the architecture city of Holland that stimulates innovation. Its skyline is always changing. There are many things to do amid Rotterdam’s skyscrapers. You can go on a shopping spree, enjoy some excellent food, and visit a range of museums and attractions in and around the city centre.
The Euromast
Dropping by the Euromast is a great way to start your visit. Especially if you go up the Euroscope, taking the rotating lift all the way up to the tip to see a panoramic view of the city and its impressive port. The cruise ships below you suddenly seem tiny, commuter traffic vanishes into the tunnel under the river as if they were model cars, and the cranes off in the distance look like construction toys. The glittering high-rise towers around you seem even taller and more impressive from such a great height. True daredevils can skip the lift and go abseiling down the side of the tower. Once you've seen the city laid out before you from above, you can decide what else you'd like to do and see.
A great time for the kids
Children will also have a great time in Rotterdam. Go swimming on the ss Rotterdam , frolic in the adventure playground in Plaswijckpark , or sail through the harbour like a real ship's captain at Kids Marina. Do your little ones need to get their wiggles out? Head over to the jungle undergrowth in the Kralingse Bos, where they can swing from tree to tree like Tarzan and Jane, climb trees and lots more exciting activities! One of the oldest and best-known attractions in Rotterdam is Diergaarde Blijdorp , which may well be the most beautiful zoo in Europe. Trying to escape the rain? Miniworld is a popular indoor attraction for kids who will enjoy exploring Rotterdam and the Netherlands in miniature. This covered miniature world consists of iconic Dutch landscapes, and a scale model of Rotterdam!
Rich cultural scene
Rotterdam has a rich cultural scene centred largely around the cultural axis between Museumpark and Witte de Withstraat. The area includes acclaimed museums like Museum Boijmans van Beuningen , The New Institute and the Kunsthal , presenting a widely varied range of art exhibitions. Tent and Witte de With guarantee a relevant, innovative, experimental programme, and the numerous galleries around Witte de Withstraat and outside the city centre are also well worth your time.
Street art
You don't necessarily have to head indoors to see art in Rotterdam, though. Pablo Picasso, Joep van Lieshout, Henry Moore, Paul McCartney, Elmgreen & Dragset: masterpieces by the world's most famous artists can simply be viewed in public in Rotterdam. These displays of public art belong to the Sculpture International Rotterdam collection and can be viewed every day completely free of charge. The Rotterdam Info Coolsingel office provides a walking route that leads visitors past the sculptures and offers commentary on the artists and their context. If you love street art, feast your eyes on the beauties around the Luchtsingel pedestrian bridge and the Hofbogen arches, where huge and impressive wall paintings by local artists are progressively covering the walls.
Shopping
Like any world-class metropolis, Rotterdam is a fantastic place to go shopping. Not only are there tons of retail options, but the shops downtown are open seven days a week. Lijnbaan (once Europe's first car-free shopping district and a must-see for that reason alone!) and the Beurstraverse subterranean shopping boulevard – known colloquially as the 'Koopgoot' or shopping gutter – are the dynamic heart of the shopping district. For high-end designer brands, head over to Van Oldebarneveltstraat, known as fashion central in Rotterdam. The street is a delight to all your senses, if you enjoy stylish stores selling fashion, shoes and flowers. Finish your successful shopping foray with coffee and cake at Nostra. If your tastebuds are still tingling for more, Nieuwe Binnenweg offers lots of authentic bakeries and lunchrooms, not to mention exceptional fashion boutiques and gift shops.
