Where should I start? Yes, with what!

Hardly any other place I have travelled to date has left such a variety of impressions as Rotterdam. Although I had the honour of stopping here once before, eleven years ago for a day, this time it was different: more intense, more impressive, more spectacular, more varied, more surprising and crazier. The list of adjectives could easily go on and on – there is too much on offer. Art, culture, architecture and history – in Rotterdam, no two corners are the same and you don’t even have to invest a lot of time for all of this, as everything is so close together.

Old and new or a playground for experimentation

In Rotterdam, you often come across places where the city’s history and modernity collide. In the Kop van Zuid district, the place where many emigrants left for America at the turn of the century, the historic Hotel New York is flanked by a number of modern high-rise buildings, including a cruise terminal for today’s large cruise ships.

Elsewhere, architectural experiments from different decades can be admired. Starting with the cube houses from the 1970s, the market hall completed in 2014 and the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen art museum from 2021, to name just a few examples. Rotterdam is a pure outpouring of opportunities for discoveries of all kinds and a highlight for photographic tours. For me, who loves travelling in urban environments, it’s an almost paradisiacal photo spot!

Not far from the modern city centre is the historic district of Delfshaven, from where the Pilgrim Fathers set off on their voyage to America in 1620. The Pelgrimvaderskerk (Pilgrim Fathers’ Church), where the Pilgrim Fathers celebrated their last service, still exists today. Right next to it is the Stadsbrouwerij De Pegrim, where you can stop for a bite to eat. It’s worth a visit, and not just for the ‘holy’ brewing water 😉

Delfshaven is one of the few places in Rotterdam that did not fall victim to the Second World War. This is also the reason why Rotterdam is anything but typically ‘Dutch’ compared to other cities such as Amsterdam or Delft, which is just around the corner. The city, which was almost completely destroyed, had to be rebuilt from scratch. While many cities were restored after the war, at least as far as the historic city centres were concerned – my hometown of Dresden, which is also Rotterdam’s twin city, should be mentioned here as an example – Rotterdam deliberately took the path of developing a new and modern cityscape. So it’s no wonder that all sorts of architects (offices) were allowed to immortalise themselves here and thus created and continue to create the modern and sometimes futuristic cityscape of Rotterdam today.

What remains?

The prospect of more!

There’s no question that it won’t be my last trip to Rotterdam. There was too much left to explore. At the same time, so much has ended up on my camera’s memory cards that the memories are not only numerous, but when I edit them, I have the feeling that I never really left. A very nice state of affairs, in my opinion. I have resolved not to let another eleven years pass before my next visit. That’s as certain as the Amen in the Pelgrimsvaderskerk.

For a successful trip to Rotterdam you need ….

… not much, except time! But that’s always over far too quickly on holiday anyway.

Travelling and accommodation

Public transport in the Netherlands is excellent!

The best way to get here (and to get around in the Netherlands in general) is by public transport. Unlike trains in Germany, they are reliable, cheap and punctual in the Netherlands. You can get from one place to another every hour – there are shorter intervals between the big cities and it doesn’t matter when you travel, the price is always the same. So that’s how it works!
From Germany, there are direct connections from Berlin/Frankfurt to Amsterdam. A central transfer point is Utrecht Centraal, from where you can easily reach all other cities.

Fietsen!

The best way to get around Rotterdam is by bike – fiets in Dutch. And once you have got used to cycling locally, you can discover all sorts of things in no time at all. There are hire bikes and stations all over the city. Locally, I use the hire bike provider Donkey Republic and was very happy with it. It’s reasonably priced (various tariff options can be booked) and everything can be easily managed via the app.

Overnight stay

Rotterdam has plenty of accommodation and hotels to suit all budgets. For me, it was important to stay in a central location with good public transport/bike connections so that I could reach as many photo spots as possible quickly, especially in the evening. My recommendation is therefore to book a hotel in the Kop van Zuid neighbourhood. Here you are right in the centre, with a view of the Erasmus Bridge and the Rotterdam skyline.

Definitely do it!

If you have at least two days with you, I can recommend the following points.

First day: Rotterdam city centre by bike!

The cube houses and market hall are right next to the central metro station Blaak. Leuvehaven and Erasmubrug are just a few minutes away and you are right in the heart of the city centre. The view of the Nieuwe Maas and the futuristic skyline from the Boompjeskade or Willemskade is a must! Continue in the direction of the Museum Park to the spectacular Boijmans Van Beunningen depot and from there it’s not far to the Euromast. The view from the top over Rotterdam is fantastic, but it is advisable to book a ticket online in advance. This needs to be well timed, however, as the time slots are not generous for delays. About three kilometres west of the Euromast is the chic Delfshaven.

You should plan a whole summer’s day for this tour if you don’t want to rush and want to relax in one of these places.

If it’s raining or cycling is too much, explore the city with Splashtours Rotterdam. Here you can travel by bus on the streets and on the water to the various sights.

Day two: Travelling by boat

The Netherlands without windmills? Almost unthinkable for me, so a tour to the nearby village of Kinderdijk is a must. The windmills there have been a World Heritage Site since 1997 and are therefore a photographic must! Kinderdijk can be reached by liner directly from the Erasmus Bridge – it takes just under 40 minutes to get there. It couldn’t be more convenient and the views from the boat are well worth it.

A morning start is recommended so that you can leave the mills again by liner after around three/four hours and return to the Erasmus Bridge in the (early) afternoon. A harbour tour can then be taken directly from there. More water in one day is hardly possible.