Rotterdam: The Dutch City That Started Over

In May 1940, German aircraft bombed the center of Rotterdam for 78 minutes. When the smoke cleared, the medieval city was gone — 24,000 houses, 24 churches, 2,600 shops, 800 km of road. The Nazis threatened to do the same to Utrecht if the Netherlands did not surrender, and it did. Rotterdam was rebuilt essentially from nothing, and the decision its architects and city planners made was to build not a replica of what had been, but something entirely new.

The result is the most architecturally adventurous city in the Netherlands and one of the most interesting in Europe. I have visited a lot of European cities, and Rotterdam is the one that most consistently surprises people. They come expecting a port town and leave talking about the architecture, the food, and the energy of a city that decided destruction was a design brief.

The Markthal: Food Hall Inside an Arch

Opened in 2014, the Markthal is a horseshoe-shaped residential building enclosing a covered market — 100 food stalls at ground level under a vaulted arch, with 228 apartments in the arch itself, their windows looking down onto the market below. The interior ceiling is painted with an 11,000-square-meter digital mural called the Cornucopia — flowers, insects, and food tumbling downward in a dizzying baroque excess.

The market itself is excellent — Dutch cheese, Indonesian food (a legacy of Dutch colonial history), fresh fish, stroopwafels, bread, wine, and a dozen cuisines from Rotterdam’s diverse population. Entry is free and the combination of food and architecture is unlike anything else in the Netherlands.

I always tell people to go hungry. The Indonesian satay stalls near the south entrance are some of the best I have found outside of Amsterdam’s Javastraat, and there is a cheese vendor about halfway through who will let you sample five or six varieties of aged Gouda before you buy. Budget EUR 15-20 for a proper grazing lunch.

The Cube Houses: Architecture as Experiment

The Blaakse Bos development (1984) by architect Piet Blom consists of 38 yellow cube houses tilted at 45 degrees and raised on concrete pylon columns — each cube represents a tree, the whole development a forest. Walking through the complex is disorienting; inside (one show cube is open to visitors for EUR 3), the tilted floors and triangular rooms demonstrate exactly why innovative architecture does not always produce comfortable living spaces. The views are excellent; the storage space is non-existent.

Just next door is the Markthal, and across Blaak station you can see the Pencil building (Blaaktoren) and the central library — the entire Blaak neighborhood is essentially an open-air architecture museum. I spent two hours just walking between these buildings, looking up.

The Waterfront: Erasmus Bridge and Beyond

The Erasmus Bridge (1996), designed by Ben van Berkel, spans 802 meters across the Nieuwe Maas river and is Rotterdam’s most iconic symbol — an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge with a single pylon nicknamed “the Swan” for the curve of its silhouette. Walking across (pedestrian and cycle lane alongside the road) provides the best views of Rotterdam’s port and skyline. If you time it for sunset, with the port lights beginning to come on across the river, you get one of the finest urban panoramas in the Netherlands.

The south bank has been transforming rapidly. The Hotel New York (the former Holland America Line headquarters where emigrants boarded ships for America) is worth visiting for a drink on the terrace even if you are not staying — the views back across the Maas toward the city center are exceptional, and the art deco interior has been beautifully restored.

Katendrecht and the Fenix Food Factory

The Fenix Food Factory in the Katendrecht neighborhood on the south bank (a 20-minute walk from the Erasmus Bridge, or 5 minutes by water taxi) occupies a former warehouse and contains Rotterdam’s most local food market — coffee roasters, a craft beer brewery (Kaapse Brouwers), cheese from local producers, and oysters from the Zeeland coast. More characterful and less touristy than the Markthal.

Katendrecht itself has been called Rotterdam’s Brooklyn — a formerly rough port neighborhood now filling with restaurants, galleries, and converted warehouse spaces. The SS Rotterdam, a decommissioned ocean liner permanently moored at the dock, operates as a hotel and event space. The neighborhood is worth an afternoon of wandering.

Where to Eat and Drink

Rotterdam’s food scene reflects the city’s diversity. Beyond the Markthal and Fenix Food Factory:

• Witte de Withstraat is the main nightlife and restaurant strip — a long street of bars, galleries, and international restaurants. More local than touristy. Try Bazar for Middle Eastern mezze in a converted church (mains EUR 12-18) or Ter Marsch & Co for what many locals consider the best burgers in the Netherlands.
• De Jong on the Katendrecht waterfront is a serious restaurant — tasting menus from EUR 65 that use local and seasonal Dutch ingredients with real ambition. Book ahead.
• Dudok in the former cafe on Meent is the spot for Dutch apple pie and coffee in a beautiful grand cafe setting. The apple pie (EUR 5.50) is one of the best in the country.
• For Indonesian food — Rotterdam’s colonial-era legacy — Warung Mini on Witte de Withstraat does rijsttafel (rice table, a multi-dish sharing format) for EUR 25-30 per person that is genuinely excellent.

Getting Out on the Water

Rotterdam is fundamentally a port city, and the best way to understand its scale is from the water. The DFDS water taxi network crosses the Nieuwe Maas constantly (EUR 5.50 per crossing), and the Spido harbor tour (90 minutes, EUR 17.50) takes you through the active port past container ships the size of apartment blocks. The World Port Center observation deck on the 17th floor of Havenbedrijf Rotterdam’s headquarters offers free views over the port landscape.

The water taxi is not just transport — it is a way to see the city from the river level, passing under the Erasmus Bridge and along the transformed waterfront. I recommend taking it from Erasmusbrug pier to Hotel New York and then walking back through Katendrecht.

Where to Stay

Rotterdam has strong hotel options at every price point:

• Budget: citizenM Rotterdam (from EUR 90/night) — the Dutch chain’s compact-but-stylish rooms near Blaak station, with self-check-in and a lively communal area.
• Mid-range: Mainport Hotel (from EUR 140/night) — waterfront location on the Leuvehaven with views of the Erasmus Bridge. The rooftop spa is a bonus.
• Splurge: Hotel New York (from EUR 180/night) — the converted Holland America Line headquarters on the south bank. The art deco rooms vary in size and style; request a river view.

Stay near Blaak or Witte de Withstraat for walkability to the main sights. The south bank (Katendrecht) is worth considering if you prefer a neighborhood atmosphere.

Practical Information

Getting around: Rotterdam has an excellent metro, tram, and bus network. A day pass on the RET system costs EUR 8.50. The city is very bikeable — OV-fiets bike rental at Rotterdam Centraal costs EUR 4.55 per day with an OV-chipkaart.

Weather: Rotterdam gets North Sea weather — rain is possible any day of the year. Bring a waterproof layer even in summer. Winter temperatures hover around 2-7°C; summer averages 18-22°C.

Language: English is spoken nearly everywhere in Rotterdam. You will rarely need Dutch, though a “dank u wel” (thank you) is always appreciated.

Day trip timing: Arrive by 10am, start with Rotterdam Centraal station and the Cube Houses, lunch at the Markthal or Fenix Food Factory, afternoon for the Erasmus Bridge and waterfront walk, and return to Amsterdam by early evening. If you add Kinderdijk, start earlier and take the Waterbus from Erasmusbrug pier.