Cutting-edge design & Europe’s biggest port
Rotterdam
Rotterdam · Bold modern architecture & harbor life
Rebuilt from the ground up after WWII, Rotterdam became a playground for daring architecture — cube houses, a horseshoe market hall and Europe’s largest port. It is the Netherlands at its most modern and experimental.
Top sightsSights
Cube Houses
Tilted yellow cube homes, an icon of 1980s design.
Markthal
A horseshoe market hall under a giant painted ceiling.
Erasmus Bridge
A swan-necked cable bridge over the Maas river.
Depot Boijmans
A mirror-clad, bowl-shaped public art storage building.
SS Rotterdam
A historic ocean liner turned hotel and museum.
What to eatFood
Kapsalon
A Rotterdam invention of fries, shawarma, cheese and salad.
Kibbeling
Battered cod bites with garlic sauce.
Poffertjes
Fluffy mini pancakes dusted with sugar.
Good to know
- Rotterdam is flat and superb for cycling.
- The Markthal is great for a quick, varied lunch.
- Amsterdam and The Hague are both under 45 minutes by train.
Getting there
Fast intercity trains link Rotterdam to Amsterdam and the Eurostar network to Brussels and London.
Next city
The Hague