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Rotterdam Sightseeing and Attractions
From:
Rotterdam Travel Guide
ABOVE: A view of the Nieuwe Maas River from
the Euromast.
Sightseeing
 In
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.
 (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.)
 Many
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.
 You'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.
 During
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
 The
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").
 The
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).
 The
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.
 If
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
museum and guided tours at De Kuip stadium.
 Finally,
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
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.
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