I couldn’t resist a one hour train ride into the Netherlands to see Rotterdam – I think I may have visited her once when I was about 9 years old – so of course remembered nothing! Luckily I have a friend who knows this city very well and he was able to direct me on how to get maximum mileage from a day trip – which I think I did.
Even the arrival into Rotterdam Central is fun given its ultra modern and quite new station.
Rotterdam Centraal Station
It is very central so I started by walking up the road immediately in front of it which is leafy and pleasant – lots of cafes to stop at too.
A pedestrianised and tram section of one of the main arteries in Rotterdam
So many bars and cafes. So little time. Cafes and restaurants abound – I ate or drank in two of these. The third is famous but was closed!
I jumped on a tram and headed down to Delfhaven- this area used to be part of Delft and hence its name. It is delightful, peaceful and even though I was sweltering in 33 degree heat I walked all around it before some beer and bitterballen (a Dutch speciality – deep fried balls usually filled with a meat ragout or mashed potato and minced meat) served with mustard for dipping – they go down a treat with beer although can easily burn the inside of your mouth as they are served piping hot and just cooked. You have been warned….
The undiscovered Delfhaven and I’m sure the locals want to keep it that way!
Beer and bitterballen in Delfhaven, Rotterdam
I caught another tram to the waterside and took a one hour harbour cruise. This is not a scenic cruise in the usual sense but takes you around what is one of the biggest harbours in the world. It is huge and everything in it is too. It was like floating around in a real meccano set. We passed the SS Rotterdam – which was a cruise liner but is now permanently moored and a hotel, restaurant and conference centre and then a current day cruise ship was setting sail as we returned. Some interesting architecture too.
Cruising on Rotterdam Harbour
Architecture and activity in Rotterdam Harbour
Next stop was the giant MarktHalle which has every kind of food imaginable to both buy and eat on site. It is another quite new addition to the city.
Markthalle
Just beyond the Markthalle are the cubed houses! These were designed by Piet Blom as an innovative way of living where the living quarters are the roof and everyone shares the lower area. I looked at them from all directions and was still struggling to understand why people wouldn’t be falling over inside them – and they are lived in. Quite a curiosity.
The White House in the top right is across from the cubed houses and was built in 1898 as an art nouveau designed office building – it was the first official sky scraper in Europe!
Cubed houses and the Witte Huis
So a busy but fun packed day in Rotterdam – I think people often bypass it for Amsterdam and other Dutch towns – but if you’ve done those before Rotterdam is certainly worth seeing.
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