When I got invited by Cityhub to spend a weekend in Rotterdam, I couldn’t be more happier! I was already thinking of going there for a day trip, so when I got the opportunity to explore the city for two full days I immediately booked my train ticket! I knew this city would be completely different from any other Dutch city I already visited. As soon as I arrived I realized that was an understatement. As a result of the German bombing in May 1940, almost the whole city got destroyed, so they had to rebuild it completely. Which is the reason for this city’s awesome modern architecture.
Two days in Rotterdam: the best photo spots
Central Station
Exiting Rotterdam’s ultramodern Central Station I was surrounded by (small) skyscrapers and I felt like being in New York or London for a second. I knew I was going to love this city.
Santa Claus (Kabouter Buttplug)
On my way from the Central Station to Cityhub I encountered the Santa Claus statue at the Eendrachtsplein. It’s a statue of Santa Claus holding a Christmas tree or a gnome holding a buttplug (depends on your own interpretation) made by the American artist Paul McCarthy. I think this statue is quite funny. A lot of tourists surrounding it were giggling, so I don’t think the interpretation of Santa Claus often comes to people’s minds.
Leuvehaven/Wijnhaven
After checking in at Cityhub (which is also a fun photo spot), it was time to head to Leuvenhaven/Wijnhaven. This part of Rotterdam is like an open air museum. You’ll find boats, cranes, lighthouses and more harbour stuff over here. It’s also a perfect place to explore with kids.
Oudehaven
When I continued to Oudehaven I encountered more modern buildings until I reached the “White House”. It is one of the first skyscrapers in Europe and one of the few buildings that survived the bombing during World War II. It is a beautiful piece of art nouveau architecture.
This part of Rotterdam looks more authentic because there are still some old buildings left.
Cube houses
A little further I encountered the famous cube houses of Rotterdam. This place is a photographer’s dream. People do live in these yellow tilted houses and I regret not visiting one of them. So next time I’ll definitely take a look inside.
Markthal
On the other side of the Blaak station I found the Markthal. This is another modern structure where you can find several restaurants and food stalls. So it is the perfect place to have lunch.
Boompjeskade
After lunch I decided to walk along the Nieuwe Maas river at the Boompjeskade. From here you get a great view of the other side of the river with the magnificent Erasmus bridge, De Rotterdam and other architectural gems.
Delftsche Poort
Then it became a little too windy so I decided to get back to the city center to find the Delftsche Poort. This is a reconstruction in yellow steel of one of the ten city gates by artist Cor Kraat. It’s impressive, but I think it would’ve looked better in the middle of a square.
Luchtsingel
After crossing the street I arrived at the Luchtsingel. This is a yellow wooden walking bridge that connects the Rotterdam Noord with the Rotterdam Centre quarter. It’s a cool place to take photos.
Delfshaven
On my second day I took the metro to Delfshaven. This is the oldest part of Rotterdam and it feels a little like Amsterdam. Here you’ll find more typical Dutch houses and old drawbridges. It was pouring rain when I was there, but I’m sure this is a fantastic place to hang out during the Summer!
Erasmusbridge
The Erasmusbridge is probably one of the most famous highlights of Rotterdam. It is an amazing bridge which is also called the Swan, because of its shape. By dawn you can take awesome photos here, but the weather was too bad when I was there.
Wilhelminapier
By crossing the Erasmusbridge you can reach the Wilhelminapier. Here you can proceed to Katendrecht, from where you can also take a lot of great photos of the contrast between the old Hotel New York and the modern skyscrapers.
Willemsbrug
This red pillared bridge gets often forgotten so I decided to end my two days of exploring in Rotterdam at this place.
I hope you enjoyed this “Two days in Rotterdam” article! Don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below!
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Brilliant concise descriptions of Rotterdam, Utrecht and the small ,largely unknown towns of The Netherlands… you impart your love of the country… something that we share.