Cosa vedere a Rotterdam

The Rotterdam City Hall may appear quite historic compared to the modern outlook of the city, but it was actually only built in 1915 in a lavish style echoing historic city halls in other Dutch cities. Remarkably, the City Hall survived the bombing and is one of the few truly historic buildings in the city. It is nice to walk into the monumental main hall and see the statues.…

The museum, founded in 1849, houses a rich, broad collection that can be generally grouped into four wings: Old Art, with masterpieces such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder's The "little" Tower of Babel (1563). The collection of Prints and Drawings and the collection of Applied Arts and Design with their international allure.…

The "Natural History Museum" Is situated in the Museumpark, near Boijmans, the NAi and the Kunsthal. It has changing expositions and a fixes collection of mammals, plants and fossiles. The current director Kees Moeiliker became famous in 2003 for winning a scientific prize on his study and book about the strange behouvior of a duck in the garden of the museum.…

The "Great or Saint Lawrence church" (Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of Rotterdam) is a late-gothic inner city landmark that dates from the year 1449. It is nice to visit its spacious and attractive, but not so elegant interior. Of special interest are the large organ and the elaborate graves of Dutch sea heroes Kortenaer, Witte de With and Van Brakel.…

An exhibition hall that houses some 25 expositions annually. The Kunsthal often experiments with themes that have never been used for an exhibition before. This approach produces a fascinating and widely varied repertoire.…

It is one of very few locations in the city which survived WWII bombings. Easily accessible by metro (station of the same name), historic Delfshaven is a very scenic walk. It consists of an 17th-century area around two canals with a lot of charm.…

The museum of the Marine Corps is situated in a historic building in the Oude Haven. It shows the history of the 340 years-old corps as well as it's modern day role. Special attention is given to the heroic role of the corps in the 1940 defence of Rotterdam.…

This historic church, the Oude Kerk (old church) of Delfshaven, is from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail to the new world. The building dates from 1417. It is also possible to attend to classical concerts here.…

The cathedral of Rotterdam (Roman Catholic) is a somewhat heavy neo romanesque creation from 1907. The interior is quite well proportioned and atmospheric. Sunday mass is at 11.00 (sometimes with a good choir). Besides assisting at the normally well attended mass you can walk in before or after to have a look inside.

A statue by the Franco-Belarussian sculptor Ossip Zadkine dates from 1953. Zadkine got his inspiration when visiting Rotterdam shortly after the second world war. The cubist statue depicting a man in agony who just lost his heart (symbol of the bombed city centre) still evokes strong feelings in Rotterdam.

These two windmills (Star and Lily) date from 1777 and 1829. They are very handsomely situated on the side of the Kralingse Plas lake. The mills do still do their original job which is grinding ingredients for spices and snuff tobacco. Adjacent is a small shop where these products are sold.

The small 'War and Resistance Museum' paints life in Rotterdam and the Netherlands during the Second World War. Attention is also given to the military developments of the time and the destruction of the city of Rotterdam. Lectures and evenings with documentaries are often on the programme.

This is the only remaining 17th century building in the city center of Rotterdam. It was once the place where French emperor Napoleon stayed, visiting his troops when they occupied the Netherlands. The former historical museum of Rotterdam which is now moved to another building.

The Nederlands Fotomuseum focuses on photography in the broadest sense of the word. By doing so, the museum wants to show the diversity of forms of photography. Not only as an artistic form of expression, but also and especially as a medium of social expression and commentary.

De Distilleerketel ('the Distillers' Kettle) was rebuilt in 1986 after the original mill was destroyed in WW2. The original mill from 1727 was meant for grinding malt for the numerous distilleries in Delfshaven. Now it works as a mill for grinding wheat on a commercial basis.

A variety of expositions about the harbour of Rotterdam and maritime history. The museum also has an outdoor part of which the Museumschip De Buffel is the absolute highlight. This 19th century gunboat is restored in all its glory and a must-see for naval enthusiasts.

Old steam locomotives and trains can be admired at the 'Steam Depot Museum'. Besides a small museum it's very much a workshop too where you can see the actual work of restoration in progress. Check the website for rides, that actually use the normal railway lines.

This church only dates from 1910, but it was built on purpose to house the baroque interior from 1719 of its predecessor. It is interesting to have a look at the baroque carvings. Also noteworthy that this church belongs to the small Old Catholic denomination.

The statue of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam stands opposite the Grote of Sint Laurenskerk. It is a handsome bronze of the hand of sculptor Keijser and dates from 1622. Children are told by the elderly that Erasmus turns his page every hour.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. It is an icon of 20th century industrial architecture. It looks great even from outside. It is also well visible from the train (left side if the train goes to Rotterdam from the Hague).

The area around the station was destroyed by a Nazi bombardment during World War II, forcing the Netherlands to surrender. After the war this area was populated with some bold examples of modern architecture.

De Prinsenmolen dates back to 1648 and worked until 1966 to keep the adjacent polder dry. It's a house now, but the mill is still in working order. It's a nice walk alongside the Bergse Voorplas lake.

This neat little museum is housed in a splendid modernist 30's villa. It houses a collection of works of the expressionist painter Hendrik Chabot. A very recommendable if short visit for art lovers.

Arboretum Trompenburg, dating back to 1820, is a lovely park filled with well-designed walking paths. The seven hectare park houses a rich collection of trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.

This small botanical garden is known for its medicinal plants. As it is currently being brought back to its old glory the visit is recommended if you were to walk by, or for garden buffs.

De Vier Winden was built in 1776. Until 1964 it was used to grind wheat. Although the mill itself is not open to visitors, it has a small shop with old fashioned mill-products.

De Zandweg dates from 1723. It's situated at the southern part of town called Charlois. When walking a litlle bit further you can also see the nice Oliphant country mansion.

This large work by Pablo Picasso was erected in 1973. It is one of the elaborations Picasso made based on the portraits of his muse Sylvette David. Definitely worth a look.

This little museum can be found among the famous Cube houses and houses a diverse collection of chess games. From ancient Chinese to all sorts of cartoon characters.

Follow the construction of the 18th century ship-of-the-line 'De Delft' from close-by. 'De Delft' will become one of the largest ship replica's in the world.

A building in the Bauhaus style built in 1932-1933 by Leendert van der Vlugt. It is now a part of the Het Nieuwe Instituut museum.

De Speelman was built in 1712. Heavily damaged during WW2 it was restored and moved to it's present location.

Just walk out the front of Rotterdam Centraal Station to the first intersection. You can't miss it!

Witte de With(Centre for Contemporary Arts) exhibits, lectures, multimedia for comtemporary arts.

A "skyscraper" built after American tall buildings in 1898. Now it's a National Heritage Site.

After the war, it has been reconstructed with all kinds of strange and fascinating buildings.

The Wereldmuseum (World Arts Museum) focuses on encounters and cross-cultural inspiration.

A a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge across the Nieuwe Maas built in 1996.

There's also a great restaurant halfway up the tower, with good food at a good price.

Opened in 2016 the museum is dedicated to the modern day Rotterdam and its history.

The Old Harbour is a nice place to see and sit at some café nearby.

A part of the Het Nieuwe Instituut.