Warning: session_start(): open(/home/corporatelw/sessions/sess_6scf5bcmro4isea02uh0ip0sq5, O_RDWR) failed: No space left on device (28) in /home/corporatelw/public_html/includes/starfish.php on line 15

Warning: session_start(): Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent (output started at /home/corporatelw/public_html/includes/starfish.php:15) in /home/corporatelw/public_html/includes/starfish.php on line 15
Travel - Luxury Travel Guide - Luxury Travel Guide
Menu toggle
Discover the Energetic City of Rotterdam

Discover the Energetic City of Rotterdam

By Richard S Preston

Rotterdam is a city that is always striving to renew itself, and it’s hard not to get caught up in the energy it produces.  The most immediate way this city can fascinate anybody who visits this vibrant city is its breathtaking architecture; one of the most iconic additions to The Netherlands’ second city is Modernist architect Piet Blom’s Kubuswoningen (Cube houses) just outside Blaak subway station, 38 rotated houses held aloft on hexagonal columns and connected to each other to form a surreal forest throughout the cityscape.  Another architectural marvel that has to be seen to be believed is the Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge) – named after Erasmus of Rotterdam, one of the city’s most famous scholars, this combination bascule/cable-stayed bridge almost seems impossible, but it has given motorists access the Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse) since 1996, and is best seen from one of Watertaxi Rotterdam’s boats.
 
It’s not just the exterior of Rotterdam’s buildings that’s so impressive; based on Scandinavian architecture, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen has one of the most remarkable collections of Dutch art in the world, with pieces by renowned painters such as Hieronymus Bosch and Vincent van Gogh making up only part of the cultural delights within.  The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen also has works by artists all over the world, such as Rene Magritte, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.  The Wereldmuseum is completely different: one of the few remaining examples of Dutch architecture to be found in Rotterdam, this ethnographic museum has objects from all kinds of different cultures and religions e.g. Persia, Buddhism, etc. with exhibitions showcasing exclusive curios and relics throughout the year – just be aware that the Wereldmuseum is always closed on every Monday, New Year’s Day, Koningsdag (King’s Day, a Dutch national holiday that usually falls on 27April) and Christmas Day.
 
Rotterdam’s museums are not the only part of the city where its old architecture still survives. Zeezout, one of Rotterdam’s most acclaimed restaurants, occupies a charming street corner not too far from the north end of the Erasmusbrug, and has some of the best seafood you can find in the city, if not Holland… their cod and scallops are, simply put, amazing; that said, staff are more than willing to make fish-free dishes if somebody in your group has any allergies.  If you definitely don’t want any seafood, then Kwiezien might be just what you’re looking for – their rich starters (caramelised goat cheese with apricot honey and cauliflower croquettes with hazelnut mayonnaise, to name just two) and equally sumptuous main courses (round steak with mushroom sauce, spare ribs with candied seasonal vegetables… I could go on) mean you will have a meal to remember.
 
If you want something a little out of the ordinary, then you could always visit Markthal Rotterdam (Rotterdam Market Hall), if only to see the extraordinary Modernist building it resides in.  Packed with stalls serving authentic Dutch cuisine, the entire building can be a stupendous assault on all your senses – you should definitely visit it at night, as the mural made by contemporary artist Arno Coenen is even more spectacular when illuminated. Another offbeat way to experience the various types of food that Rotterdam has to offer is to take the “Rotterdam Food Tour” provided by Inside Rotterdam, a local tour company that specialises in the unusual.  The tour takes about 3½ hours, and takes you to eight different locations to try Dutch food, such as its cheese, cookies and gin. The tasting is interspersed with interesting facts about the various locations you will travel past on the tour.
 
One of the most interesting parts of Rotterdam must be Delfshaven.  One of the few districts to survive the bombing in The Second World War, it still has the delightfully compact 17th Century buildings that typify Dutch architecture.  Not only does it possess an old-world charm, but Delfshaven also has many places of interest; De Dubbelde Palmboom (The Double Palm Tree) is a warehouse converted into a museum that gives an absorbing and relevant history of Rotterdam’s history as a port town, the Historische Werf Rotterdams Welvaren (Historic Welvaren Dockyard of Rotterdam) has a replica of 18th Century warship “De Delft” under construction, as well as Proeflokaal De Ooievaar (Stork Tasting Room) and the Pelgrim Brewery, Rotterdam’s only gin-tasting room and brewery respectively.  Largely unchanged by time, Delfshaven is quaint without ever being precious and historical without being antiquated.
 
It would be foolish to wander through Rotterdam without going along the Lijnbaan (Ropewalk); as well as being the biggest and best place to shop, it’s also one of the safest to cross thanks to the strictly enforced “no-car policy”.  There is something for everybody along the Lijnbaan – Donner, the 10-storey bookshop that has many English-language books on its shelves; elite coffee and tea shop Theemaas, which also has a superb variety of ceramics on sale; a variety of excellent shoe shops, like Shoeballoo, Sacha and The Crocs Store… it’d be easier to list the stores on the Lijnbaan that you won’t enjoy.  If you get overloaded on retail therapy, you don’t even need to leave the Lijnbaan to relax – local concert hall De Doelen (The Aims), the Rotterdamse Schouwburg (Rotterdam Theatre) and The Luxor Theatre Rotterdam always have wonderful shows on all year round.

Share this article:

Subscribe to newsletter

close

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up here and get the latest news and updates delivered directly to your inbox

You can unsubscribe at any time