Tourist things to do
What the locals do
Hidden Gems
- Kinderdijk - It is only a short 50 minute boat trip to Kinderdijk. On the way you get to see the waterways of Rotterdam and all of the ships that are carrying goods to the central port. Kinderdijk is a world heritage site and for good reason. It has lots of windmills and you can cycle through the reeds with there being a nice built cycle lane but you can also walk too if you want to stay there for the day. You really feel like you are in the Netherlands when you are at Kinderdijk. A definite must-see if you are travelling to Rotterdam.
- Cube houses - This is right in the centre of the city so you can walk there or cycle there depending on your preference, they look beautiful from the outside and you can also go inside one and check out how people live inside them. It amazing how people can live in such a small space thanks to ingenuity.
What the locals do
- Cycle - Cycling around the city is so easy as it has the most extensive cycle route I have ever seen. Cycling is the way to get around Rotterdam. Everyone cycles around the city from young to old as it is designed perfectly in order to be safe and practical for cyclists. People cycle to see friends, to get to work or studying or just to have fun, which I think is fantastic and great for the environment.
Hidden Gems
- Euromast Tower - I love views of cities, it is one of the things I most enjoy about travelling and this one is stunning. They have a beautiful restaurant and a bar area if you are not eating to view Rotterdam. You can also go up on a rotating glass viewing platform with you ticket which takes you up even higher and gives you a 360 of the whole city.
Clubs & Bars
- Witte de Withstraat - This is the central street in Rotterdam for all the bars, clubs and buzz if you're trying to find it. It has everything and had a beautiful atmosphere when we went there in the summer with all the places full with people enjoying themselves.
- Supermercado - They offer a lot of Latin American dishes, presented in beautiful ways. From the quesadillas to the lime cake, everything is yummy and there's a lot to choose from so everyone will be able to find something.
- Cafe Rose Rouge - It's a cool cocktail bar in the Rotterdam Noord section of Rotterdam. They have a lot of nice finger food that you can share with your friends and they have a relaxed seating area outside, which is perfect in summer.
Where to stay
Room Mate Bruno Hotel - Very friendly and helpful staff that advised us on some great places to go in the city and how to get there easily. They also advise us of where locals go, where to buy tickets for our trip to Kinderdijk and how to use the cycle lanes. It is one of their newest hotels. The interior of the hotel has a lot of bright colours and nice designs on the walls, which mirror the city it is in. The rooms are really spacious and have fantastic views of the river. The building that the hotel is in used to be a tea warehouse owned by the Dutch East India Company and is set in a architectural hotspot of Rotterdam. You are very close to the river and can walk there in the morning or night to take in the views of the river. You can have breakfast all the way until midday in case you go out late in the city and it's all you can eat, which is perfect. The food is incredible and they give you so many choices. It is also of great quality and you can tell that by the way it tastes and but also it's texture such as the bread. Wihelminakade 52 3072 |