20 Attractions in Rotterdam Netherlands That You Simply Cannot Miss

Are you planning a trip to Rotterdam soon? Then, be sure to consult Culture Trips’s guide to the city’s top attractions in order to discover the best museums, restaurants, and landmarks.

Table of Contents

The Cube Houses

Each unit of these peculiar residential buildings was designed to resemble a single tree in a forest. Although the majority of the Cube Houses are still inhabited, it is possible to experience life within their slanted walls by visiting the Kijk-Kubus museum.

20 Attractions in Rotterdam Netherlands That You Simply Cannot Miss — The Cube Houses | © pixabay

Markthal

Rotterdam’s state-of-the-art market hall was unveiled in 2014 and has since become an iconic part of the city’s urban landscape. The hall’s ceiling is adorned with a massive artwork titled Horn of Plenty, and its interior contains a multitude of stalls and shops.

Euromast

Experiencing Rotterdam’s skyline from the Euromast is absolutely incredible as this 91m high tower looks directly onto the city’s modern centre. There’s also a restaurant and hotel inside.

Kunsthal

In contrast to most art museums, Kunsthal only hosts temporary exhibitions and has no permanent collection. This allows the museum to concentrate on contemporary, innovative, or undervalued art.

SS Rotterdam

The SS Rotterdam, one of the finest cruise ships ever constructed, was originally a transatlantic ocean liner before being converted into a leisure vessel. It is currently permanently docked in Rotterdam’s harbor and houses a hotel, several restaurants, and a visitor center.

Windmills at Schiedam

Approximately fifty enormous windmills were constructed in Scheidam between the 17th and 18th centuries to provide grain for the city’s thriving jenever industry. They are the tallest windmills in the world. Eight of them have survived to the present day.

Delfshaven

This charming, historic neighborhood was largely undamaged during World War II and contains the greatest concentration of pre-20th-century structures in Rotterdam. The area’s docklands are particularly beautiful and contain many 17th-century structures.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

The largest museum in Rotterdam was founded in 1849 after Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans donated his extensive art collection to the city. Since then, Boijmans has continued to enlarge its collection, which now includes paintings by Rembrandt, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh, among others.

Nederlands Fotomuseum

The permanent collection of the Nederlands Fotomuseum contains numerous significant series and photographs by renowned photographers such as Ed van der Elsken, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Viviane Sassen. Throughout the year, the museum also organizes temporary exhibitions.

Museum Rotterdam

The municipal museum of Rotterdam collects and displays artifacts related to the city’s diverse heritage. The museum is currently home to more than 40,000 objects and regularly creates temporary exhibitions centered on significant eras. People and locations from the past and present of Rotterdam.

Fenix Food Factory

Approximately two years ago, a group of local culinary entrepreneurs decided to form the Fenix Food Factory. This contemporary food hall is located in a repurposed shipping warehouse and is home to numerous awesome initiatives, such as the Kaapse Brouwers brewery.

Erasmus Bridge

This breathtaking suspension bridge connects the northern and southern banks of the Maas River in the heart of Rotterdam. Due to its unique, sloping design, many Rotterdam residents refer to the bridge as de Zwan (the swan).

Santa Claus

Rotterdam residents began referring to this municipally funded statue as “Buttplug Gnome” almost immediately after its unveiling due to the peculiarly shaped object held in its right hand. Since then, the statue has become something of a local symbol and continues to spark debate.

Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam

Rotterdam’s natural history museum launched in 1927 and has continued to collect and preserve scientific artefacts ever since. Its archives contain numerous significant natural objects, including the Ramon skeleton of an Asian elephant.

Witte Huis

Rotterdam’s Witte Huis was one of the earliest skyscrapers in Europe. It was one of the few buildings in the city center that survived German airstrikes during World War II. The building was constructed in the Art Nouveau style and is a national monument.

Chabot Museum

The equally stunning modernist villa in Rotterdam’s Museumpark houses a museum devoted to the Dutch painter and sculptor Hendrikus Chabot. Chabot depicted Rotterdam frequently in his artwork and spent the majority of his life in the city.

Van Nelle Factory

After the Van Nelle Factory was completed in 1931, many renowned architects lauded it, and Le Corbuiser called it “the most beautiful spectacle of the modern era.” The factory is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hosts tours approximately twice per year.

Diergaarde Blijdorp

Diergaarde Blijdorp, one of the oldest zoos in the Netherlands, has cared for an enormous variety of animals for more than 150 years. There are hundreds of rare, endangered, and exotic animals from all corners of the world inside.

Miniworld Rotterdam

This charming indoor theme park contains tens of thousands of miniature models of Rotterdam and its environs. The miniature world is expanding and will soon feature an entire section devoted to England and Scotland.

Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art

Witte de With Centre has played a pivotal role in Rotterdam’s art scene for the past quarter century. In its three-story Witte de Withstraat gallery, the center regularly hosts events and exhibitions that span a wide range of themes, genres, and mediums.

Topic: 20 Attractions in Rotterdam Netherlands That You Simply Cannot Miss

Join the “I Left My Heart in Netherlands” in Our Community on Facebook. A place where members can be honest with each other, share their stories and travel photos, and try out a new way to see Netherlands together.