Rotterdam, Netherlands

By JC - April 21, 2015

There are a bunch of trains running from the Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdaam Centraal station. Takes around 1 hour.

Map with Major spots to see

Just the map

As soon as I got off Rotterdam Centraal station, I went the tourist info office (in the station) to ask for a map and he suggested the route above to see most of the sights of Rotterdam. Ideally, the route is around 3-4 hours and you can add a bit more if you plan to eat in the Markthal (food market).

Rotterdam apparently has been almost wiped out during the WWI and thus, is a relatively a new city and the Laurenskerk is probably one of the remaining remnants of the medieval Rotterdam. This city is known for its architecture and apparently a nice harbor view from the Hotel New York.

Shopping Area

Lijnban and Beurstraverse

This is the main shopping areas in Rotterdam. They have the usual brands but you can find a big Hema Shop in Beurstraverse. Lijnban is a huge promenade but the 'shops' are just the usual box type of buildings so nothing interesting. But Beurstraverse was a bit artistic with a walkway/promenade and a seemingly steel wavy roof-shade (see picture).

HEMA

This is Amsterdam's local brand which sell a variety of things from food to clothes. They have interesting knick-knacks and trinkets to buy too.

Nieuwe Binnenweg

"This street is a perfect example of Rotterdam’s diversity. Surprising mix of stores, restaurants and bars. This is an area that correctly typifies Rotterdam, an ideal location to discover downtown Rotterdam. The Nieuwe Binnenweg’s entrance was fully renovated in 2007, returning a bit of nostalgia to Rotterdam." (nlstreets)

Witte de Withstraat

This area seems to have pubs and bars, and I've seen a lot of locals drinking on a sunny day. Definitely, a lively area with cafes, restaurants, art galleries, shops, and municipal buildings.

Architecture and Buildings

At the end of the Beurstraverse street are a couple of important things to see. Markthal is around here too.

Kijk Kubus or the Cube Houses

Rotterdam is known for interesting architectural houses and buildings and this is probably one of the best representation. The cube houses are actually flats, that people stay in and shops. There is a 'cube house' museum that you can go in and check how it looks like from the inside and cost only 3 Euros per person. Otherwise, you might want to try staying in the stayokay hostel and can cost around 50 euros for a room. They said this is actually two huge cubes connected together to be able to have 50 beds.
Link for the hostel: http://www.stayokay.com/en/hostel/rotterdam

Laurenskerk

This is s a Protestant church in Rotterdam. It is the only remnant of the medieval city of Rotterdam so might be interesting to see as well.

Hotel New York

Take a water taxi that costs around 3.60 Euros, and takes 10 minutes to Hotel New York. Hotel New York itself is a very nice building with a very decorative facade. It also has a nice harbor view.