What to do in Rotterdam? We’re locals, so we can lead you to the coolest highlights and hidden gems, all of which we showcase on our Rottourdam tours! Some spots may be familiar to you, but others—like numbers 17 and 25—will definitely surprise you. You wouldn’t have discovered these without our guide!
Is this a replacement for the actual tour? Definitely not! We keep some best secrets and stories for our tours! Most of the items on this list we visit during the walking and / or bike tours.
1. Take a Rottourdam Walk or Bike tour with Rottourdam!
We are not taking any chances and therefore have to put ourselves at the top of this list!
Taking a tour with us on foot or by bike is, without a doubt, the best way to experience the full story of this city. Our tours will guide you past most of the spots mentioned in this article, offering even more stories and insights along the way.
The walking tour takes about three hours and takes you through the highlights and some hidden gems other tours won’t take you. The bicycle tour follows nearly the same route and adds the south of the city as well. Which hosts places like Hotel New York and the Fenix Foodhall.
2. Santa Claus
In this list of things to do in Rotterdam, we can’t skip the iconic Santa Claus. Created in 2001 by Los Angeles-based artist Paul McCarthy, this sculpture originally stood at Theater Square in the city center. However, it sparked controversy, mainly because of what Santa is holding. People didn’t take too kindly to it!
Is it a candle, tree, or ice cream? Maybe! But most people see an adult toy in it. So yeah. We call it the Butt plug Gnome or in Dutch: Kabouter Butt plug.
After a few years, Rotterdam moved Santa to the inner museum walls of the Boijmans, but due to renovations, you can find the statue at Eendrachtsplein.
What should he be holding?
So what is he holding? Well, McCarthy said that in the 1970s a ‘friend’ (sure), gave him this sexual toy, and this was standing on his desk next to a little Santa Claus. One and one is two!
The statue is a protest against consumerism, but nowadays, it has become more a selfie magnet. Touch Santa’s lap and you might get a better sex life! A myth you maybe shouldn’t take too seriously.
What do the people of Rotterdam think of Santa?
Well, let me just say we think it’s funny. But, it is more than that! What that is, you could find out during our Rotterdam Walking Tour!
3. Boijmans Museum Art Depot
Allow me to introduce you to the first and only public accessible art depot in the world: Boijmans Art Depot
Inside you find the 154.000 artworks, owned by the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum. The inside itself is an artwork as well. Multiple floors, escalators, elevators, stairs, and lots of glass!
While admiring both modern and historic art, you can also watch the Depot restore masterpieces, including works by Van Gogh. Alternatively, join the included tour, which guides you through the Depot’s most valuable pieces and grants access to rooms that are off-limits to the public.
Works of which painters can I find in the Boijmans Art Depot?
Let me tell you, the names on this list are just a section of the big names the Boijmans has in their permanent collection:
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- Vincent van Gogh
- Salvador Dali
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Joan Miró
- Pieter Bruegel (Tower of Babel)
- Wassily Kadinsky
- Jeroen Bosch
- Piet Mondriaan
- Jan van Eyck
- Edvard Munch
- Pablo Picasso
- Claude Money
- Mark Rothko
It is important to book a time slot, as it’s the only way to get in, which you can do through their website and guarantees you have a spot and can skip the line.
4. Witte de Withstraat
What is de Witte de Withstraat? Well, only the 6th coolest bar street in the world according to Timeout.com in 2020. It’s a street full of bars, restaurants, art galleries and creative shops. It hosts a bar which was voted as the Nr. 1 bar in the world, but we don’t really understand why. You could eat Latin, Korean, or Middle Eastern, Or go for a decent burger or some good Rotterdam brewed beers.
Was it always like that? No, not at all. The Witte de Withstraat, some 20 years ago, was quite a sketchy place. Empty and not for hanging around. How do I know? My elementary school was right behind there. Now, ‘Cool’ is one of the hip and happening and cool (pun intended) downtown neighborhoods. New residential towers arise and (night) life gets better every year.
As the Netherlands sailed the world in the 17th and 18th centuries, trading, colonizing, and enslaving people, many of the heroes from that era are now falling from their pedestals. Witte Corneliszoon de With (1599-1658) is one of them. Rising through the ranks of the VOC (Dutch East/West India Company), he became a Navy Officer. De With engaged in trading, captured Portuguese and Spanish ships and their wealth, but he was also responsible for destroying up to 90,000 clove trees on Ambon Island, Maluku, Indonesia. His goal? To drive up prices and make even more money.
5. Veerhaven
De Veerhaven is located in the Shipping Quarter (Scheepsvaartkwartier) and is one of the hidden gems in the downtown area. It was built around 1890 for the richest shipyard owners. The houses go from nice to big and from very big to crazy.
Reaching the shipping quarter, you will find yourself in a picturesque place, where you can easily wonder around for a while. Get some fresh French bread from the Bakery Jan Bussing, buy a block of cheese at the tradition cheese shop Kaas aan de Maas (Cheese at the Maas Rivier) or take a coffee or lunch in Grand Cafe Loos, in a 1930’s Art Deco and Jugendstil design building.
World Museum
The World Museum (Wereld Museum) is located at the Veerhaven, Scheepsvaartkwartier (Shipping quarter) and was built in 1850 as the Yacht house for the Veerhaven. Nowadays, the World Museum has a big collection of art pieces collected by Elie van Rijckevorsel (1845-1928). It’s a museum with a cultural touch, think of exhibitions about food or clothing.
6. 27 aan de Maas
Twenty-7 aan de Maas (27 at the Maas) is a restaurant located directly next to the World Museum, right at the water. A great place to have a drink or some food on their big terrace in summer, or to have something nice inside. It is mostly the location making this place appealing.
7. Waterbus to Kinderdijk and / or Dordrecht
Right next to the north side of the Erasmusbrug you find the stop of the Waterbus. This one can take you many places and two of those are Kinderdijk and Dordrecht. Kinderdijk is a nature area full of historical windmills:
Dordrecht is a cute town dating back to the year 1120, therefore it are great places to visit. To get there, you can use your debit card (with contactless payments) to get there, it’s a great boat-ride, and it will only take you about 40 to 45 minutes.
Bonus: Schiedam, the highest windmill in the world and Jenever
Speaking about windmills. Did you know you could also go to Rotterdam’s neighbor Schiedam to see the highest (44.8 meters / 147 ft) historical windmill in the world? Why there? Well, Schiedam is home to Jenever (Genever), which you probably know as Gin, and thereforr the historical town itself, nowadays, is charming as well.
Long story short, everyone in the world came to Schiedam to have the best quality of Jenever. The Brits loved it too, but here and there the Dutch, French And British were at war, so because of trading embargoes, the Dutch Jenever could be im/exported. So, the British started to brew their own Jenever, which went from Jen to Gin. Combine that with good marketing and the British Empire, and now we are all sipping Gin & Tonics.
From Rotterdam, you are a direct and only 15-minute metro ride away! And, you can use your debit card with contactless payment to get around the public transport system of Rotterdam (and Schiedam).
8. Nhow / Elvy skyline bar
This sky bar (more like a balcony) of Bar Elvy is definitely a hidden gem, and so you shouldn’t share this with too many people!
ÂÂÂÂÂView this post on InstagramÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂA post shared by Rottourdam (@rottourdamtours)ÂÂ
It’s located in the big blocked building ‘De Rotterdam’ (Designed by Rem Koolhaas) at the Wilheminapier. To get there, you just enter the NHow hotel, walk towards the elevators and go to the seventh floor. There you can enter directly to Bar Elvy and enjoy the skyline view from the glass windows inside or the balcony.
9. Watertaxi: The most fun way to get around!
Rotterdam offers many ways of transportation; bus, tram, metro, train and taxi, but the Watertaxi might the most fun one. A single ride will cost 5 euros per person, and paying takes place at the end of the ride inside the boat with a contactless payment.
To call a taxi, you have to either make a reservation by phone or through their website. Their headquarters are at the Wilhelminakade, which is right next to Hotel New York, the new Migration Museum, Foodhallen and Fenix Food Hall.
10. Nederlands Foto museum – Photography museum
The name says it all! The Dutch photography museum is home to the best exhibitions about this subject. The collection changes constantly, and it’s a great place to see prints of well-known and up-and-coming photographers.
11. Deli Plein – Bar Square at Katendrecht
The Deli Square (Deli Plein) is in the heart of Katendrecht, now a hip and happening (gentrified) neighborhood, but it wasn’t always like that. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this is where most Asian migrant harbor workers were living. This is also why this part was considered as the first China town in The Netherlands.
In Rotterdam, people tend to speak about the south of the city as the ‘lesser’ and ‘more dangerous’ part of town, but Katendrecht (and Kop van Zuid) shook off this image a long time ago. Houses renovated and new fun bars and restaurants are gathered around the Deli Square. In summer, you can find markets and dancing at the square.
Bonus: Fenix Food Factory
The Fenux Food Factory is located next to the Tornado (below this item on the list) and is yet another foodhall in this area (next to Foodhallen at Wilhelminapier). This place especially is good for enjoying locally brewed beers!
12. The Tornado on top of the Migration Museum
Even though it looks like a waterslide, it is actually a viewpoint which is being built on top of a warehouse, which once was the biggest in the world (1924). The warehouse was blown up by the Nazis during the Second World War, but later Rotterdam rebuilt most of it, separated into two buildings.
This spot is important to migration as people from Rotterdam started leaving the city from 1872 to go to the ‘New World’ and Ellis Island in specific.
The new migration museum (Landverhuizersmuseum) is planned to open in 2025, so more on that later.
13. Foodhallen at Wilhelmina Pier
Right in the middle of the Kop van Zuid at the Wilhelminapier you can find the Foodhallen, located in the old warehouses back in the day the good from Indonesia would arrive. Inside you can find food from all over the world. Some of it good, other even better. Of course, prices are a bit higher as it is quite a touristy place, but still affordable.
On Fridays and the weekend, you can expect a DJ to take care of the music, leading you gently into a wonderful night.
14. Maritime Museum Port Pavilion
As the Maritime Museum is a great place for young and old to learn more about the harbor story of Rotterdam, the Port Pavilion will give you a great overview of the harbor itself. Inside you can find a huge satellite map with all the details of the harbor.
On the south side of the building there is a nice and cozy restaurant, while on the north bottom side you could enjoy a coffee and fresh ice cream.
15. Hot Tug floating hut tub
Combine a tug boat and a hot tub, and you get a Hot Tug! It’s filled with water, kept warm by the woodblocks you carry with you next to all the drinks. The silent electric motor lets you boat around the little inner harbors of Rotterdam.
16. Vessel 11 – British Bar @ Lighthouse Boat
You find the Tug Boats right next to the red lighthouse boat, which carries the name Vessel 11 ‘The Red Ship’. This was a British mobile lighthouse boat. It never had an engine, so always had to be pushed or pulled to wherever they needed it.
After its decommission, a Dutch investor bought it and restored it to its original state and as it is originally British. Now you can enjoy a good Guiness at this British Gastro Pub, which was the first of The Netherlands!
And in addition, the bottom of the ship has a little concert hall where you can enjoy local rock and punk bands on the weekends, leading to a lively atmosphere.
17. H2otel boat tour
Next, we are going to another unique boat tour. The H2otel is a floating hotel in the Wijnhaven (wine harbor) and they offer a little round boat, a tour guide captain and drinks/snack too!
The tour takes about an hour and a half, and afterward you can continue the party at their floating deck. From here you have a great Wijnhaven view, enjoy good food and watch people walk by on the quay.
The best way to reserve this boat, which takes up to 8 people, is by contacting them via e-mail or phone, as their website is not easy to navigate.
18. The Destroyed City Statue
It was early 1950s when French sculptor Ossip Zadkine saw the destroyed historical city center of Rotterdam from the train window. Allegedly this moved him so much, he decided to create this statue for the city; a man reaching up to the sky, while it has a hole in its torso. Just like Rotterdam, it is missing its (historical) heart.
The Destroyed City statue was gifted to Rotterdam in 1953 and the people of Rotterdam actually call it ‘The City Without Heart’.
Now, the story goes that Zadkine tried to offer this sculpture to other cities before, but they didn’t want it. Only then he came to Rotterdam to try his luck here. If that is true, that does make the story a bit less romantic.
19. The Old Harbor (Oude Haven)
Dating back to 1350, the Oude Haven (old harbor) is one of the oldest in The Netherlands. Part of the historical city center, the harbor changed a lot throughout the years. Maybe it found its peak of beauty before the bombardment, but sadly a big part was destroyed because of that bombardment.
Even though a part of the old harbor survived, especially the houses next to the White House, Rotterdam still decided to tear them down. Why? Bad and irreversible decisions.
Nowadays, it’s a great place to cozy up in the bars and enjoy drinks on the large terraces. Perfect for both summer and winter, as there are heaters available. Tip: not recommendable for food as it is ‘ok’. Where to go for food? What about the Martkhal? Scroll down and read more about it.
20. Cube Houses
In the early 1980s architect Piet Blom started building ‘Het Blaakse Bos’ (Forest of Blaak); a big apartment complex made from brown brick, a tower with a pointy roof (the pencil), a gray concrete building and, of course, the cube houses. Here you find 38 living and 13 business cubes.
Looking for things to do in Rotterdam, the cube houses are, of course, one of those things you can’t skip. And with the Rottourdam Tour we will pass by the houses and give detailed explanation about the current and previous buildings of this location.
There are two demo cubes as well; The Art Cube and Kijk-Kubus. These you can visit to see how it is to live inside these interesting cubes.
21. Markethal (Markthal)
Inside the Markthal you bath in scents and tastes from around the world. Greek, Latin, Indian, Turkish, Moroccan, Asian, Dutch; it’s all there! And, the price-quality is very decent as well. In your search for things to do in Rotterdam, Markthal is something you shouldn’t skip!
It is the building making this place extra special, as more than 4000 panels (11.000 m2) and digital printed artwork build this experience. Look up, and you see fruits, veggies, and elements important to Rotterdam. Around the artwork, you find the windows to 228 apartments, where the inhabitants can look into the market from their homes.
Together with the new Central Train Station (2014), the Markthal (2014) made Rotterdam famous to the tourists. All of a sudden, Rotterdam was prowling at the top of CNN, BBC and New York Times top-10 lists of must-go visit cities in the world. The people of Rotterdam, of course, knew this for a long time already, but the world was finally catching up!
22. RIF 010 (City Surfing)
Leave the Markthal at the west side, go right and immediately on your left you find RIF 010 City Surfing. A project which won the city initiative more than 10 years ago. With that price, they got a million euros to build this project, but by the time they wanted to start, Covid-19 came in. After, many complaints of people living around the area and raw materials raising in price, RIF 010 is finally here.
But finally (May 2024) this innovative project is up and running. Book a time slot and beginners to advanced surfers can ride the artificial waves. Or, just stand by the quays, sit at the RIF 010 bar and enjoy the surfing vibe.
Of course, it doesn’t look as natural as the city surfing you find in a city like Munich. But it is still nice to have this in the city, as this was quite a dead-spot in the city center.
23. Erasmus statue & St. Lawrence Church (Laurenskerk)
Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus is commonly known as just ‘Erasmus’. Born in 1466 in Rotterdam, but only lived the first three years of his life here. A big part of his life he spent in Antwerp, Belgium. Erasmus was a scholar, philosopher, and writer. He took great interest in religion and spoke fluent Latin and Greek.
As he wants to criticize the church, he needs something to protect him, so he becomes a priest. He asks questions like; why is the head of the church rich and the people out on the street poor? Why is the bible only written in Greek and Latin and not the language people speak? And, why do monks sleep around with women, while they shouldn’t?
As he writes over 100 books, he is also a funny person. Drawing caricatures and writing in witty ways, he is quite accepted (and protected, as he is a priest). He travels all through Europe and the UK, giving lectures and sharing his philosophy.
Now, Erasmus doesn’t do much for Rotterdam, but we needed someone famous and chose him (born in Rotterdam). He has a statue, which is over 400 years old (1622) and the old statue in The Netherlands (still intact).
The role of Erasmus today
Nowadays, we have the Erasmus Medical Center (MC), University, Erasmus bridge (The white one) and a European student exchange program named after his philosophies.
Before the Second World War, his statue stands proud at the market square and it miraculously survives the bombardment. So the statue is, secretly, taken away by the Dutch and hidden at the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum. Only after the war, the statue is taken out and placed at the location where it is now, in front of the St. Laurens Church.
The Saint Lawrence Church (Laurenskerk)
The base of the church is built around 1350, but it is only in 1548 the third layer of the tower is finished, without spire. In the 1600’s it had a spire, twice. But both times the materials are not of good enough quality, so it has to be taken down.
Every block of the tower was built in a different century, and therefore you find many building styles in the tower itself. The top part, where the clock is located, is the only one featuring Baroque and Gothic style elements.
As the tower grows higher, the building gets heavier as well. Therefore, they have to strengthen the base and that is why the base of the church tower is so thick.
24. Euromast
On your journey to find things to do in Rotterdam, you have to visit the Euromast. This lookout tower reaches a height of 185 meters (606 ft) and has multiple platforms.
From here you will have a 360-degree view of the skyline and harbor. On brighter days you can see Den Haag, and on very clear days you might see the reflection of the sea from the space tower (185m).
In 1960 Rotterdam decides to build a landmark for the World Exposition of Flowers (Floriade). At that point, the tower is only 100 meters high (up to the first platform and restaurant). Only ten years later, it was decided to build the mast on top. This includes the space tower, reaching 185 meters.
Additionally, if you like heights, you should definitely try the abseiling from 100 meters height!
Other things to do around the Euromast
The Parkhaven is the starting point of many activities, including:
- Splashbus (Amphibious sightseeing bus boat)
- Pannenkoekenboot (Pancake boat)
- Berenboot (restaurant)
- Chinese boat (Chinese restaurant / supermarket)
- Laser Gaming
Additionally, I would like to recommend visiting the Euromast Park (The Park) and the Historical Botanical Garden Schoonoord. This is free to enter and open until 16:30.
25. Pedestrian Maastunnel
In the city center, we have the red Willemsbrug and white Erasmusbrug to cross the river, but did you know there is an important tunnel as well? One for cars and one for cyclists and pedestrians (separate tubes). The entrance is right next to the Euromast on the north side.
This tunnel is special as it was opened in 1942, during WWII, and it was the first tunnel in the world with pre-prepared elements, sunken into the water.
Plans to blow it up
In 1942 the Nazis make their first effort to blow up the tunnel, as they are afraid allied forces might take it. Luckily, there is a solution to fill the tunnel quickly with water, whenever the allied forces should arrive.
But, in 1944 the Nazis don’t think this is enough, so they place lots of dynamite, just in case. Some Rotterdam guys, active in the resistance, sneak into the tunnel and plan to stay there all the time, so they can cut the cable whenever the Nazis plan on actually blowing up the tunnel.
But after three days, it seems too cold and windy. Afraid the guys get ill, start coughing and might expose themselves, the resistance takes them out. In the end, they manage to reroute the cables of the dynamite. Therefore, it seems like all bleeps and lights are good, but in reality the wires were connected to nothing. The Nazis never pressed the detonate button.
Entrance of Maastunnel pedestrians and bikes at the North Side.
Bonus: Oud Delfshaven (Historic Delfshaven)
The place you didn’t know you didn’t know! Oud Delfshaven was only annexed from Delft in 1888 and since then, Rotterdam has a very nice old neighborhood. Here, you find the Pilgrims Church, where pilgrims would start their pilgrimage to the new world.
There is a beautiful and still functioning windmill, the birth house of captain Piet Heyn and typical Dutch sights you normally would expect in charming towns like Dordrecht, Leiden, or Utrecht.
Is there more to do?
Oh yeah, there is so much more to do!
What do you think of:
- Visiting the townhal
- Steam Ship Rotterdam
- Many museums
- Shopping at the Lijnbaan
- Shopping at the Meent
- Visiting the Public Library at Blaak
- More to come!
