Rotterdam: a first-timer's guide to the Netherlands' modern city

Why go

If Amsterdam is about the Golden Age, Rotterdam is about the future. The Erasmus Bridge, nicknamed the Swan, spans the Maas river beside the skyline of the Kop van Zuid. The Markthal is a giant horseshoe of apartments with a food market under a huge painted ceiling. Piet Blom's yellow cube houses tilt beside the Oude Haven. Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a mirrored bowl, lets you see behind the scenes of a major art collection. The city is less crowded and often more affordable than Amsterdam, and Rotterdammers are famously direct and down to earth.

Areas to know

**Centrum** has Rotterdam Centraal, a dramatic station, the Lijnbaan shopping street and the Markthal. **Oude Haven and Blaak** hold the cube houses and harbour terraces. **Kop van Zuid** across the Erasmus Bridge has Hotel New York, the old Holland America Line headquarters, and the Fenix cultural centre in a former warehouse. **Witte de Withstraat** and the area around it have galleries, bars and restaurants. **Delfshaven** is a rare surviving old quarter, where the Pilgrims sailed from in 1620. **Katendrecht**, once the sailors' district, now has the Fenix Food Factory and waterside restaurants. **Het Park** has the Euromast tower for city views.

What to do

Take a harbour tour with Spido to grasp the scale of Europe's largest port. Climb the Euromast, ride a water taxi, and walk the Rooftop Walk route when it runs in summer. Visit the Kunsthal, Het Nieuwe Instituut for design and the Maritime Museum. The UNESCO-listed windmills of Kinderdijk are reachable by waterbus in season, and the Van Nelle Factory, another World Heritage Site, can be visited on guided tours. Summer brings the North Sea Jazz Festival in July and the Summer Carnival with its Caribbean street parade.

Food and drink

Rotterdam is one of the most diverse cities in Europe, with large Surinamese, Antillean, Cape Verdean, Moroccan and Turkish communities, and its food reflects that. Graze in the Markthal, eat Surinamese roti in the west of the city, and try the local craft beer at Kaapse Brouwers in Fenix. The city also has a strong coffee and brunch culture.

Where to stay

Stay in the Centrum near Rotterdam Centraal or the Markthal for easy transport and walking to the main sights. Kop van Zuid puts you beside the Maas with skyline views, and Katendrecht is a lively spot for waterside dinners. For something memorable, sleep aboard the SS Rotterdam, a restored ocean liner, or in Hotel New York, the old shipping line headquarters. Rotterdam hotels are usually better value than Amsterdam's, which makes it a smart base for the south of the Randstad, with The Hague, Delft and Kinderdijk all close.

A simple first day

Start at the Markthal for breakfast and a look at the painted ceiling, then cross to the cube houses and the Oude Haven. Walk along the river to the Erasmus Bridge, cross to Kop van Zuid for coffee at Hotel New York, and take the water taxi or a harbour tour. In the afternoon, visit Depot Boijmans and the Kunsthal in the Museumpark, then climb the Euromast for sunset. Finish with dinner in Katendrecht or along Witte de Withstraat. On a second day, take the waterbus to Kinderdijk and spend the evening in Delfshaven.

Practical tips

Direct trains link Rotterdam to Amsterdam, Schiphol, The Hague, Delft and Utrecht, and international trains run to Antwerp, Brussels and Paris. RET metro line E connects to The Hague. Tap in and out with a contactless card. The city is spread out, so combine walking with trams or a bike. See our places to visit for more picks.