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Rotterdam Sightseeing and Attractions

From: Rotterdam Travel Guide

Euromast view

ABOVE: A view of the Nieuwe Maas River from the Euromast.

Sightseeing

Citymap RotterdamIn Rotterdam, as in many cities, there's an easy way to see the sights: Get a map, such as the tourist office's free Citymap Rotterdam or Citoplan's more detailed Rotterdam Uitgebreide Centrumkaart, and go walking. Although Rotterdam covers a wide territory, most of the city's sights and attractions are easy to reach on foot.

The free Citymap Rotteram is especially useful for sightseeing because it has suggested walking routes (shown with dotted lines), numbered bus and tram lines (blue or red lines), Metro stations, and drawings of major buildings and attractions. It covers most of the city center, from the Oude Haven, Cube Houses, and Willems Bridge on the east to Delfshaven on the west.

Pilgrims' Church Delfshaven(Delfshaven is an historic district where the Pilgrims began their journey to America in 1620; it was untouched by the bombing that destroyed most of central Rotterdam in 1940.)

Ferry on Nieuwe MaasMany of Rotterdam's best sights are on or near the water: Rotterdam is the busiest port in Europe, and as you walk along the Nieuwe Maas, you'll see freighters, tugboats, barges, water taxis, regional ferries, sightseeing boats, and pleasure boats going up and down the river.

Witte HuisYou'll also see many of Rotterdam's most important architectural landmarks like the silver Erasmusbrug and the dark red Willemsbrug (the city's two most important modern bridges), the Markthal, the Rotterdam Cruise Terminal, the Witte Huis or White House (Europe's oldest high-rise building), and dramatic skyscrapers.

Lightship in WijnhavenDuring your walks, be sure to visit the small historic harbors that date back to the sailing-ship era--such as the Oude Haven (Old Harbor), the Wijnhaven (Wine Harbor, with the H2otel floating hotel), the Bierhaven (where apartment houses share the quay with barges and wooden boats), and the Leuvehaven (site of the Harbor Museum, the Maritime Museum, and a large collection of historic ships, boats, cranes, a lighthouse, and other maritime objects).

Attractions

EuromastThe Euromast is popular with tourists and locals alike, and with good reason: It's the tallest building in the Netherlands, with great views from several observation decks, including the "Euroscoop" at the top of the mast (185m or 607 feet), which is reached by a rotating elevator. The Euromast also has restaurants, two suites for well-heeled overnight guests, and opportunities for thrill-seekers (abseiling, or rappelling, and "rope sliding").

Laurenskerk RotterdamThe Laurenskerk, which was restored in the 1950s after being badly damaged by World War II bombing, is in the city center next to the public market. You can visit the church free (though you may be tempted to spend money in the small gift shop and café inside).

SS ROTTERDAM 5The SS Rotterdam--Holland America Line's fifth passenger ship named after the city, and predecessor to the current ms Rotterdam--has been restored as a tourist attraction, hotel, and event center.

Miniworld Rotterdam is the largest indoor "miniatureworld" in the Netherlands, with 70 model trains and a total track length of more than 1.5 km (1 mile). Even the clock is a scale model: Days run 24 minutes, so you can see the sun go down and thousands of lights come on even during a morning or afternoon visit.

Rotterdam Zoo photoIf you're a fan of plants and wildlife, consider visiting the Trompenburg Gardens & Arboretum or the world-class Diergarde Blijdorp (a.k.a. Rotterdam Zoo), which has an oceanarium, an arctic "Ice Cave" for polar bears, and enough other attractions to draw some 1.5 million visitors per year.

Feyenoord, the Rotterdam soccer football team, has a Feyenoord Museum and guided tours at De Kuip stadium. The Web pages are in Dutch, so we'd suggest e-mailing [email protected] to confirm the availability of English-language tours before heading for the Stadion railroad station south of the river.

Rotterdam Walk of FameFinally, Rotterdam's most whimsical attraction must be the Walk of Fame, which is South Holland's answer to Hollywood. "Europe's Biggest Starboulevard" has hand- or footprints and inscriptions by celebrities like Johnny Cash, Lionel Richie, Carl Lewis, and Dick Bruna. Look for it on Schiedamsedjk, at street level next to the Harbor Museum.

For more information about things to see and do in Rotterdam, see our pages about architecture and art, tours and day trips, and museums.

Next page: Tours, excursions


Rotterdam travel guide:
Introduction
Architecture, art
Sightseeing, attractions
Tours, excursions
Museums
Shopping
Hotels, hostels
Restaurants, cafés
Music, festivals
Transportation
Cruise terminal
Tourist information


Top photo: Jan van der Ploeg
7th inset photo: Luido/Imago Fotobureau.
8th inset photo: Corstiaan van Elzelingen.
10th inset photo: Sjonja.
11th inset photo: Jochen Tack/NBTC.