Rotterdam Travel Guide
After the German bombing of Rotterdam during the Second World War, rebuilding the city into a modern metropolis began. The city today is full of new skyscrapers along the Meuse River with an impressive skyline. Because of that Rotterdam is also called ‘the Manhattan on the Meuse’. This city is also known for its port which is the largest in Europe. You will find more information by continuing the Rotterdam travel guide. I also have to mention, I lived in this city for four months. My impressions: I’m thrilled!
- Rotterdam Travel Guide
- Latest of Rotterdam Travel Guide
- Essentials tips
- Top Things to See and Do in Rotterdam
- Featured post of Rotterdam Travel Guide
- Where to eat & drink
- Where to stay
- Events
- Traveling around Rotterdam
- Rotterdam Weather
- Day Trips from Rotterdam
- Recommended Experiences
- Frequently asked questions
- Rotterdam Travel Guide Instagram Hashtags
Essentials tips
Emergency telephone number
112 – General emergency
0900 8844 – Police
(for non-emergencies dial)
0800 7000 – Police
(To report a crime)
City Pop. – 0,63mil.
Metro Pop. 1,18mil.
Area – 325km²
Time zone – UTC+1
Currency – Euro
Top Things to See and Do in Rotterdam
Most iconic buildings in the city
Take a day to explore architecture in Rotterdam. In the last few decades, many new city icons have been designed. The Markthal, De Rotterdam, and Kunsthal were designed by Rem Koolhaas, one of the most accomplished Dutch architects of all time. Do you know why we have a lot of masterpieces of architecture in Rotterdam? Let’s go back to the time of World War II. A total of 150 bombs of 50 kilograms and 158 bombs of 250 kilos were dropped in the center of the city. Approximately 2.6 kilometers square was almost leveled and more than 900 civilians were killed by the bombs.
A piece of history
This city was founded as a colony of the city of Delft. In 1795 Delftshaven became a free city, while in the late 19th century it became a part of Rotterdam. In the history of the Netherlands, Delftshaven was of great importance because the warehouses and important ports of the Dutch East India Company were located here. Start exploring Rotterdam Travel Guide by clicking on the article.
Monuments & Installations
Rotterdam is full of public art & monuments, sculptures, and installations. Many of them are located far from the city center like the Elastic Perspective. The design consists of circular stairs leading visitors to a height that allows an unobstructed view of the horizon. In principle, these stairs have neither beginning nor end. Some monuments remind us of the difficult history of this city like the destroyed city. Start exploring Rotterdam Travel Guide by clicking on the article.
Other Things to See and Do
There are many more attractions that I must mention. Do you know that Rotterdam has a factory which is protected by UNESCO? Did you know that Rotterdam is developing innovative and sustainable projects like the Floating Pavilion? This city is full of surprises and top architectural projects are designed every year.
Featured post of Rotterdam Travel Guide
The New York Times has awarded Rotterdam as a city that must be visited in 2015. One of the reasons is biking because in this city the bicycle is the main means of transport. Most cycling trails are separated from the road, and the entire Netherlands has over 20,000 kilometers of cycling trails. Since we came to this city for only one day we decided to visit all the attractions by bike. For more information, click on the Rotterdam Travel Guide article below.
Food delivery
Food delivery is becoming increasingly popular among locals and tourists. All you have to do is download the application, choose what you want from the rich offer and wait for the delivery to knock on your door. Below are the 3 most popular apps. Rotterdam Travel Guide also offers you a discount on your first purchase.
Where to stay
Discover and book the most unique and unusual places to stay. I’ve never slept in the capsule before so we decided to experiment one night and we were not disappointed. Although it looked very small in the photos, the room’s functionality, as well as the whole hotel, impressed us. Also, some of the famous Cube houses have been converted into a hostel. If you want to sleep on a river surrounded by skyscrapers, then Winkelboat is best for you.
Events
Rotterdam has been the Best Festival City of Europe several times through IFEA World Festival & Event City. For more information about all events throughout the year, visit the cityrotterdam.com website. Start exploring Rotterdam Travel Guide Events by clicking on the article.
The most important events by months
- January – Film Festival Rotterdam, Chinese New Year, etc.
- February – Art Rotterdam Week, Film Festival Rotterdam, etc.
- March – Museum night, Rotterdam Tattoo Convent, etc.
- April – Kings Day, Marathon Rotterdam, TIKTAK Koningsnacht, Sportfilmfestival, etc.
- May – Architecture Month Rotterdam, Bevrijdingsfestival, Circusstad Festival, etc.
- June – Rotterdamse Dakendagen, Poetry International Festival, Rrrollend Festival, Jazzfestival Hillegersberg, etc.
- July – Open Day Feyenoord, RotterdamseKost, Eendrachtsfestival, etc.
- August – Crazy Sexy Cool, Bierfestival Hop, Dag van de Romantische Muziek, etc.
- September – Oude Zomerfestival, Nacht van de Kaap, Rrrollend, Wereldhavendagen, etc.
- October – Harbour Run, AFFR, World Food Festival, WFFR, etc.
- November – Popronde Rotterdam, Cross Comix Festival, REC Festival, etc.
- December – Winter Festival, Bruggenloop, New Years Night, etc.
Traveling around Rotterdam
The entire public transportation system consists of a metro system, trams, and buses. There are a total of 5 metro lines. Line E connects Rotterdam with The Hague and the airport while the largest station in the city is Beurs. Ticket purchase is via ticket vending machines at subway stations. Unfortunately, there are no ticket vending machines at all train stations (it happened to me a couple of times). In this case, it is best to download the application RET Barcode App.
With this app, you can easily buy a mobile ticket for bus, tram, and metro. The bar code you get will be used to enter or exit the subway or you can just show your ticket on your mobile phone to the driver or conductor.
- RET 2 hours transport ticket: €4,00
- RET Day ticket: €8,00
- RET Day ticket for Children and Seniors: €4,50
- Tourist Day ticket – Rotterdam – The Hague: €14,50
- Rotterdam Welcome Card: €12,00- €23,00
- Taxi Between Rotterdam The Hague Airport and City Center: €20–€25
- Bike Rental: €10-€12/day
Rotterdam Weather
Rotterdam has a temperate oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate. Summers are warm with average temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius. However, temperatures above 30 °C are not uncommon in the hottest part of summer. Unfortunately, summer is only warm because spring and autumn are relatively cold (expect daily temperatures between 5-10 degrees Celsius or even less).
During winter, prepare for the fog. Temperatures are usually around 0 degrees Celsius during the winter. Annual precipitation is around 850 millimeters with moderate rainfall throughout the year. There are approximately 10 rainy days each month. Due to climate change, the probability of snow falling is very low.
- The hottest month is July, with an average high of 22.2°C (72.0°F)
- The coldest month is January, with an average high of 6.00°C (42.8°F)
Day Trips from Rotterdam
One of the best one-day trips from Rotterdam is a visit to The Hague with Scheveningen beach. Also, the city is well connected by rail in any direction you go. Because of this, if you’re coming to this city I’m sure you’ll want to take some one day trip. In the list below of Rotterdam Travel Guide, find the most popular one-day trips.
- SCHIEDAM – an old-Dutch city center and the tallest windmills in the world
- THE HAGUE – a beautiful city with its Binnenhof, Peace Palace, and a lot of museums
- GOUDA – known for its namesake cheese: Gouda Cheese
- SCHEVENINGEN – the highlight of the coastline of The Hague
- DELFT – the place where Vermeer was born
- DORDRECHT – the oldest city in Holland
- LEIDEN – one of the most enchanting cities in the Netherlands
- NATIONAL PARK DE BIESBOSCH – a unique freshwater delta comprising about 8,000 hectares
Recommended Experiences
Discover the most beautiful and interesting sights around Rotterdam with Rotterdam Travel Guide Experiences. Find, compare, and book sightseeing tours, attractions, excursions, things to do, and fun activities. Find the best selling excursions from Rotterdam below in the Rotterdam Travel Guide.
Rotterdam Travel Guide Instagram Hashtags
With this part, I finish the Rotterdam Travel Guide. Clicking on the Instagram hashtags below will open up the most popular photos on this social network for this city. I hope you enjoyed reading and exploring Rotterdam Travel Guide. Also, explore other interesting places on page Destinations.
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