A route that offers you a bit of everything! In this highlights route in Rotterdam you will visit the places that really stand out in the city and are typical to Rotterdam. Below is an overview of the places you must have seen when you are in Rotterdam for a weekend.
We recommend to walk this route, because some places are not accessible to cyclists or cars. In addition, you can travel parts of this route by public transport, as all parts of the city are well connected and you save some time (and energy). Are you coming by car? Check here where you can best park your car in Rotterdam.
1. Rotterdam Centraal Station
Photo by Fatima @timavisuals.
This route starts at the largest transport hub in the city: Rotterdam Central Station. A practical place to start, because you can easily get here by public transport. And of course you can easily travel to the next highlight from here!
Rotterdam Central Station is a perfect example of how unique the architecture in Rotterdam is. This relatively new building, which opened in 2014, has a unique triangular shape that points to the sky. Rotterdammers have nicknamed Rotterdam Central Station “Kapsalon”, named after one of the local fast food dishes served in an aluminum box.
After you have admired the station you can take the metro to the next stop: Blaak.
2. Blaak
At Blaak you will find a lot of Rotterdam highlights. Such as the now famous Markthal, known for its special design and filled with nice eateries. Here you can immediately order something tasty, such as a snack at the “Kroketloket”.
Your eyes will also soon fall on the famous yellow Cube Houses. You can admire this from the inside for € 3.00. It is also possible to stay in a Cube house, namely in the Stayokay hostel.
On Blaak you will also find the building ‘het Potlood’, the Laurenskerk and there is a large market here on Tuesdays and Saturdays. View all markets in Rotterdam here!
3. Koopgoot
From Blaak we continue on the Hoogstraat (with the Laurenskerk on the right and the Markthal on the left), which ends at our next destination: the Koopgoot. De Koopgoot, of which the official name is the Beurstraverse, is filled with more than 40 stores.
Via the Koopgoot you avoid the busy Coolsingel road and end on the Lijnbaan. If you have enough time, you can immediately walk into some shops to shop. In the Koopgoot you will find, for example, the Lush, Zara and H&M.
4. Stadhuis
Photo by our blogger @olivia.in.rotterdam.
We have now arrived at the Lijnbaan, one of the largest shopping streets in Rotterdam. To get to our next location we turn right (up the street at the Burger King). If you are a shop enthusiast, you can still stroll around here.
Would you rather go straight to the City Hall? Then walk down the street and turn right at Stadhuisplein. This way you walk straight into the Rotterdam City Hall!
Tip: Also take a look at the beautiful courtyard of the City Hall (check whether it is open). Truly a hidden gem in our city!
5. Erasmusbrug
Do you have your walking shoes on? Then it is fine to walk from the City Hall to the Erasmus Bridge. If not, get on the metro at the Stadhuis stop, metro line E towards Slinge. You can then get off at Beurs or at Wilhelminaplein, depending on which side of the bridge you want to end up.
We recommend to stay on the center side (Beurs) or to walk back from Wilhelminaplein over the bridge to the center, because of the next destination. If you decide to do the latter, you can also admire the Rotterdam building (located on Kop van Zuid) from up close, another highlight of our city.
The Erasmus Bridge – also called the Swan – is surely the icon of Rotterdam. The bridge connects the northern and southern parts of the city and is 800 meters long. Definitely recommended to walk up the bridge for a nice view of the Rotterdam skyline.
6. Euromast
Next up: the Euromast! You may have already been able to see it in the distance from the Erasmus Bridge, but this icon is certainly worth seeing up close.
We recommend to go here by public transport. For example, you can take tram line 8 towards Spangen from Leuvehaven and get off at tram stop Euromast/Erasmus MC. After this it is only a 7 minute walk to the Euromast.
Do you want a beautiful view of the entire city? Then you should definitely enter the Euromast. Admission costs € 10.50 and you can go all the way to the top.
7. Witte de Withstraat
Our next location is a bustling and artsy street filled with quaint cafes, shops, art galleries and restaurants. From the Euromast it is best to take the metro to Beurs from Coolhaven and then it’s only a short walk.
The Witte de Withstraat is the ideal place to have a bite to eat or a drink. Have you seen the street and have time left? Then walk west to Museumpark, where you will find museums such as the Boijmans van Beuningen, the Sonneveldhuis and the Nieuwe Instituut.
That’s it!
A great route in Rotterdam to fill your day and make sure you have admired the highlights of Rotterdam. Of course you can also start halfway through the route, walk it from back to front or cut it up into parts. And if you can’t find a street, feel free to ask people around you.
Not satisfied yet after this route? Check out our article with fun things to do in Rotterdam, where you can find plenty of sights and activities.
