Rotterdam, Netherlands - A Travel Guide
Last Updated: February 7, 2025
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ABOUT ROTTERDAM | SHOULD I GO? | WHAT TO DO | WHERE TO STAY | WHERE TO EAT | WHERE TO PARTY
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This Could be Rotterdam!
I think you need to be over 30 to get that reference... -Charlie
Rotterdam is tucked away in the south of the Netherlands, on the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas River, which, many miles away, feeds into the Rhine. Despite earlier settlements in the
The city as we know it today is completely unrecognisable from the 19th and early parts of the 20th century, courtesy of the extensive damage caused in both World Wars. When rebuilding, a new wave of radical design swept across the city, leaving its mark in many extraordinary ways. This is best exemplified in the cube houses located around the Market Hall.
Today, the city is second in size only to Amsterdam within the Netherlands, and is the largest port in Europe, making it a key trade centre for the whole of Europe.
It certainly wasn't a Rotter
During my trip to the Netherlands, I had to pop down to Rotterdam. I figured it must be a brilliant city as it had a song named after it, which is the measure of true greatness. Not only that, but one of my crazier friends Stephan, who I met in Ko Phangan was there, and you don’t pass on the opportunity to say hi to him.
Having caught the early train from Amsterdam, still drunk from the night before, I met him wandering the station and, without further ado, off we headed on a crazy Stephan-style adventure. We only had a day in the city, and we covered a lot, but barely scratched the surface in the madness that is Rotterdam.
Our first stop was the mightily impressive Market Hall. The design, the style and the sheer elegance of this building was unbelievable. We then wandered around the square, taking in what can only be described as some of the maddest cube-shaped buildings. I mean, you almost have to be high to pull off a design like that, it’s just fantastic.
We then walked around the many harbours and checked out the statues, the architecture and the boats as we headed across the Erasmusbrug, which is a large bridge central to the city.
We grabbed a bite to eat on the water's edge before running back over the bridge for a boat tour up and down the Nieuwe Maas, the river that flows through the city and eventually feeds the Rhine. It was a really informative trip, and the highlight of my time in Rotterdam.
After checking out a wicked tunnel that goes under the harbour, we headed up the Euromast Horeca, an observational tower with views all over Rotterdam. Critically, it had a bar, and so we watched the sun slowly fade behind the horizon with a few beers before walking our merry and wobbly way back to the station for our train back to Amsterdam.
This bite-sized sample of Rotterdam was brilliant, but just a skim of the surface. A couple of days would let you get a bit more under its skin, and I'd like to go back and get to know this city better.
Should I Go There?
I had an amazing time, but it's hard to separate just how much of that was due to the city and how much was because I got to catch up with a mate who I hadn’t seen for a couple of years. It also helped that he lived in the city and knew where to go and what was good to see.
Should you go there? IT's not necessarily fair to call this after one day here, but I don’t really see why you would bother. It's lovely and there's some really cool architecture, but Europe is so richly packed with amazing places to visit a place needs to be special to stand out from the competition. It's hard to work out why, unless you have a friend in the city or another reason to go here specifically, you would choose Rotterdam over the likes of, say, Amsterdam, Berlin, Bruges or Paris.
Rotterdam hasn’t got the reputation as a ‘must visit’ city, and from what I've seen I think that’s fair. When you decide on a trip to the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the definitive city and it earns that reputation in a way that Rotterdam doesn't match for me, it's far more famous, beautiful, fun, and just flows better.
Take all this with a pinch of salt though. I was here for a day and that's not enough time for a definitive review, or even opinion, of a city. As I said, it was an awesome trip, but it just didn’t have that standout wow factor that makes some of Europe's other cities so special.
What to do when Backpacking Rotterdam
There are a good few things to see and do in the city of Rotterdam, and you should be able to cover them pretty quick.
Euromast
The Euromast can be located on the west of Het Park, on the northern bank of the Nieuwe Maas river, and next to the northern entrance to the Maastunnel. This 185-metre tall structure has everything, from rooms in which you can hire out for the night, to conference halls, bars, a coffee shop, and the observational deck. They offer guided tours that take you out on the ledge and show you around the city from the dizzy heights. This is not for the faint-hearted.
The panoramic views are spectacular, and it's great to go to the observational deck and check out the city from a different perspective. The bar has some wonderful comfy seats and is a great place to relax and catch up with old friends, relax or just enjoy a beer. The drinks are pretty expensive, but that is to be expected really. You're paying for the view!
Entrance tickets to the observational platform costed €10.25 (~£9), which I reckon is fair. The guided tours offer a more in-depth look into the tower and the city below but cost an absolutely ridiculous €137.50, and that doesn't even include the entrance price! Needless to say, we gave that a miss. The views are great from the bar and observation deck anyway.
Far more tempting is the option of zip lining and abseiling off the tower. This weirdly is cheaper than the tour at €57.50 and would be a great laugh, but we didn't have the time. You will need to book this in advance.
River Cruise
There are a number of river tours up and down the Nieuwe Maas, and it's worth taking one of them during your stay in the city. We took ours with a company called Spido, which is a fast boat that takes people on a very informative tour of the river, as well as around Europe's largest harbour. The harbour tour lasts for an hour and 15 minutes and relaxing on the sun deck with a beer and learning the history of the city is not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Spido has 5 ships in service and they run a few different tours, some with stop-offs further upriver. We can only really recommend the one harbour tour as it was great value for money and costed €13.95 (~£12). If the other tours are as good as this one, we would recommend them for sure. Bear in mind I should imagine it wouldn’t be as much fun on a rainy, cold winter morning.
The Cube Buildings and Market Hall
The cube-shaped houses were built in 1977, just off the same main square where you will find the stunning Market Hall and Rotterdam Blaak, the metro station. The cube buildings are residential homes but built with future urban living in mind. Due to their crazy design and looks, one of the local residents created a show home for visitors, as well as a short tour, which allows you to into the buildings and to see how the houses look inside, as well as access to the roof terrace.
Whilst we didn’t do the tour, what we did do was stand and gawk at the beauty and boldness and balls that you had to have to both design it, and buy one to live in. They are so eye-catching and in your face, it’s almost off-putting. They have a beauty and warmth to them, creating a sense of fun, and that’s how you should feel. So fair play to the designer and those who live in these most peculiar of homes.
We found out after that the tour only cost €3 and if we'd known that we would've had to go for a look around. Just a fantastic idea and another touch of Dutch vision. They are meant to represent trees, and when standing together they represent a forest in the heart of a busy city. It’s a great idea, although not somewhere I'd want to live.
On the same square is the Market Hall, opened in 2014 by the Queen of the Netherlands. This 40-meter high building, just next to the metro station, is incredible. The only way really to describe it is a very large airport hangar with a twist.
At either end of the building are gigantic glass facades, whilst the grey building curves around them in an arch. Inside is a hive of activity and excitement, with, as the name hints, an absolutely massive market hall. Inside, each tile is painted like a massive mosaic piece of artwork, and you cannot help but be impressed with the grandiosity of it all. Again, it is a true testament to Dutch design.
The building somehow also holds a massive 4 story underground car-park, over 220 apartments, and more office and retail space then seems possible for one building. It is free to enter and is somewhere I 100% recommend during your stay in Rotterdam. It's amazing.
Statues
Lastly, as you take in the sights of the city you may notice a number of very strange statues scattered about. Each one is designed individually, but each tells a story of the people, the city or the history of the area.
They really are fascinating and whilst statue hunting might seem a little lame, I think it is something worth seeing within the city. My favourite is the Destroyed City down by the water's edge.
Where to Stay Whilst Backpacking Rotterdam
As mentioned, I was here for a day trip and we haven’t ever stayed overnight. Therefore, we're unable to advise on anywhere to stay from experience. If you want something special though, having been up to the top of the Euromast and knowing they have accommodation up there means I would have to recommend that for a quality experience, that is if your budget stretches to the lofty €420 (£369) per night. That would stretch to about a month's accommodation in a hostel.
There are the usual Airbnbs, hostels and hotels available in the city, so it’s not like there aren’t a number of options open to you. You will find somewhere that fits your needs and budget. If you find somewhere decent, give it a shout out in the comments!
Where to Eat When Backpacking Rotterdam
Again, having only stayed for a day it's difficult to advise much about where to eat in the city. All I can talk about is my experience.
We had our lunch at a lovely but quirky place just on the south side of the Erasmusbrug (Swan) Bridge, in an American restaurant called NY Basement. I had the venison and it was beautiful, although there could have been more of it for the price. It is not a cheap place, with not many mains coming in at under €20. That said, the staff, like the décor, were really cool, and I'd recommend it.
The best shout though is the Market Hall. We didn't eat a full meal here, but picked up a few nibbles from the stallls in there. The atmosphere is amazing and you can get some real bargains for both food and drink. Prices depended on what you had, but they all seemed reasonable, including some epic pastries for only a couple of euros.
Where to Drink and Party when Backpacking Rotterdam
Again, day trip only. Sorry to sound like a stuck record.
Apparently, there is a great nightlife scene in Rotterdam, and I'd love to come back and check it out, just haven’t yet had time to do so.
As for our day in the city, we had a few beers on the boat, at lunch, and up the Euromast. All of these hit the spot and kept us up to mischief for the day!
Whilst not for everyone, the Euromast did have a great bar with stunning views over the city, and is my top pick for somewhere epic to drink. As mentioned, you pay for the experience but it is worth it for the views alone. It really is a great place to relax and catch up with a mate over a few beers.
Other than that, we are going to have to come back and test out the drinking situation so we can update you lovely people. As always, put your top recommendations in the comments!
What You'll Need to Blend In
A mad local to show you around
A love for quirkiness
A fondness for the smell of weed