Everyone knows about Amsterdam. If you haven’t been there yourself, the chances are you know someone who’s spent a few intoxicated days hopping between the city’s coffeeshops, cafés and bars.
Amsterdam has long been the leader of the Netherlands’ popularity contest, but in recent years there’s been another Dutch city kicking at its heels – Rotterdam. I’ve visited the Netherlands five times now, but only this year did I decide to travel south of the country’s infamous capital city to pay a visit to its surprisingly modern and largely unsung younger brother.
I say ‘younger’ because everything in Rotterdam is new, sleek and shiny. After being almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, the city dusted itself off and returned with a vengeance – and some statement architecture to match. Now, it couldn’t be more different to Amsterdam if it tried.
This is a city that’s unashamedly itself and refreshingly not geared towards tourism. While Amsterdam is swamped by hen and stag parties and hordes of box-ticking tourists, Rotterdam is cool, calm and collected.
Yes, there are coffee shops here, and alongside them an abundance of trendy bars and hipster restaurants too (it is a student city after all!) But there’s also so much more. Here are the places I visited during my time there that really made it stand out.
Plus (you’ll love this) most of these are completely free to see!
Top 5 free things to see in Rotterdam
Overblaack Development
Designed by Amsterdam-based architect Piet Blom and completed in 1984, the Overblaak Development’s clever Cube Houses are a perfect example of Rotterdam’s avant-garde approach to architecture.
When I first saw the eye-catching apartments, I couldn’t wrap my head around how people actually lived inside them. Luckily one apartment, the Kijk-Kubus Museum-House, is open to the public. You can step inside for a small fee to see how remarkably normal everything seems from the inside looking out.
Markthal
Hands down, Markthal has to be the most impressive and uniquely beautiful example of modern architecture I’ve ever seen.
Combining offices, luxury housing and a world-class indoor market into one spectacular horse-shoe of a building, Markthal is truly mesmerising – both inside and out.
100 fresh food stands nudge shoulders with food shops, restaurants and a supermarket. Look up, and your eyes can feast on walls covered, from corner to corner, in art.
Centraal Station
Jutting out from the pavement like an arrow pointing to the heavens, Rotterdam’s Centraal Station is one of the coolest station’s I’ve ever seen.
It sets a high standard for the city and its architecture from the moment you step foot there, which the rest of the city manages to maintain.
Erasmus Bridge
Measuring 800-metres long, Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge hangs above the Maas River and links the northern and southern parts of the city.
It’s not nicknamed ‘The Swan’ for nothing. Elegant and striking, it’s a beautiful addition to Rotterdam’s already impressive skyline that’s not to be missed. Stroll along the bridge or observe it from afar – and stay until the sun goes down to see it glitter against the night sky.
Het Park
After a long day of seeing the city’s sights on foot, I really needed a park to relax in. Fortunately, as one of the greenest cities in the Netherlands, Rotterdam is full of them!
Het Park, albeit a bit of a walk away from the city centre, was well worth the effort. Beautifully landscaped with lots of walking trails and water features, it’s the perfect place to rest your feed, admire the scenery and feed the ducks.
bumbags and bikinis 