# Rotterdam Architecture you will not see in any other European city, Europe's biggest port by boat and the WaterShuttle to the Kinderdijk windmills. About 40 minutes from Amsterdam. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/rotterdam · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Rotterdam was bombed in May 1940 and lost almost all of its historic centre. Instead of rebuilding it as it was, it decided to do something different, and today it is the most interesting contemporary-architecture city in the Netherlands: a covered market shaped like a giant arch, tilted cube-shaped houses, a white bridge everyone calls the Swan and a museum storage depot covered in mirrors. And beneath it all, the river Maas and the biggest port in Europe, best seen from a boat. It is the perfect counterpoint to Amsterdam: if everything there is 17th century, here everything is 21st. ## How do I get there from Amsterdam? By train. The Intercity Direct, the fast train on the high-speed line, takes about 40 minutes from Amsterdam Centraal to Rotterdam Centraal and calls at Schiphol; it carries a small supplement on top of the normal ticket. The regular intercity trains, via Leiden and The Hague, take a little over an hour and carry no supplement. The central station is a building worth seeing in itself, and from it you reach the centre on foot in ten minutes or any district by metro and tram. By car it is about 75 kilometres, but the train is faster than the traffic into the city. ## What to see in a day? Start at the Markthal, the covered market under an arch of homes with a ceiling painted with giant fruit and vegetables, and cross the street to the cube houses by Piet Blom: one of them, the Kijk-Kubus, can be visited inside. Then go down by the Oude Haven to the Willemsplein, at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge, and board the Spido harbour tour, an hour and a quarter among cranes, docks and ocean liners. In the afternoon, cross the Erasmus Bridge on foot to Kop van Zuid, the skyscraper district of the old port, and have a drink at the Hotel New York, the former headquarters of the shipping line that carried emigrants to America. If you like art, go to the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the first museum storage depot open to the public, with a rooftop viewpoint; if you want the view from above, go to the Euromast, at 112 metres. Finish in Delfshaven, the only old corner that survived the war. ## And the windmills of Kinderdijk? They are half an hour away by boat. The WaterShuttle leaves from the Erasmus Bridge and drops you at the entrance to Kinderdijk, the 19 windmills of the 18th century declared a World Heritage Site. In summer it sails daily; in winter, from Friday to Sunday. There is a combined ticket with admission to the windmills. It is the best way to do both in one day: Kinderdijk in the morning, Rotterdam in the afternoon. ## Is it worth sleeping here? Yes, and it is cheaper than Amsterdam. You can sleep in one of the cube houses, which houses a hostel with private rooms; at the Hotel New York, with rooms in the green towers of the old shipping line, or at the Pincoffs, a small hotel in a former customs house. From Rotterdam, The Hague and Delft are 15–30 minutes away by train and Kinderdijk half an hour by boat. ## When to go? Any month. Rotterdam lives on interiors (the Markthal, the Depot, the museums) and does not suffer from rain the way a canal village does. From late March to October the Spido boats leave every 45 minutes and the WaterShuttle sails every day; from November to March there are fewer departures, so check the timetables. The Depot is closed on Mondays. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Kinderdijk (a 11.5 km), Delft (a 13.0 km), Dordrecht (a 17.6 km), Gouda (a 18.7 km) ## Qué hacer - **Markthal, the Market Under the Arch** (1 h · All ages · Free entry): The Markthal is a covered market set inside an arch of apartments: the flats form the vault and their windows look inwards. The ceiling is painted with a giant mural of fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers, and below are stalls selling fruit, cheese, fish, spices and food to eat there and then. It is the logical stop for a first coffee or a quick meal. Practical details Open Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00, Friday until 21:00 and Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00; each stall may have its own hours. It is five minutes' walk from Blaak station and right opposite the cube houses. - **Rotterdam Harbour Boat Trip with Spido** (1 h 15 · All ages; dogs on a lead · €18.75 adults · €10.55 children): Rotterdam lives off its port, and the best way to understand it is from the water. The Spido tour leaves from the Willemsplein, at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge, and in 75 minutes passes under the bridge, goes round the Noordereiland, enters the Koningshaven to see De Hef, the old railway lift bridge, and returns via the Maashaven past the liner ss Rotterdam, Katendrecht, the Hotel New York and the cruise terminal. It has an audio guide and a bar on board. Times and prices It costs €18.75 for adults and €10.55 for children; with each ticket for someone over 65, one child aged 4 to 11 goes free. From late March to October it departs daily from 10:15 to 17:00, every 45 minutes. From November to March, Monday to Wednesday only at 14:00, and Thursday to Sunday at 11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30; at Christmas, daily. It is closed on 1 January. Dogs are allowed on board on a lead. - **Piet Blom's Cube Houses and the Kijk-Kubus** (45 min · All ages · €3.50 · €2.50 over-65s and students · €1.50 children up to 12): The cube houses are real homes: cubes rotated 45 degrees and balanced on one corner on pillars, designed by the architect Piet Blom and completed in the 1980s beside the Oude Haven. From outside they look like a forest of yellow trees; inside, the walls are slanted and the furniture has to adapt. The Kijk-Kubus is one of them, furnished so you can see what it is like to live inside. Price and hours Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00. Entry costs €3.50; over-65s and students €2.50, and children up to 12 €1.50. It is at Overblaak 70, opposite the Markthal. The Stayokay hostel occupies another of the cubes. - **Euromast, Rotterdam from 112 Metres** (1 h · All ages · €17.50 general admission · €23.50 with the Euroscoop · reduced rate for children): The Euromast is Rotterdam's observation tower, next to the park and the river. Take the lift up to the viewing platforms at 112 metres, with the city, the port and the Maas at your feet, and, if you pay for the full experience, to the Euroscoop, a glass cabin that rotates as it rises to 185 metres. On the ground floor, the exhibition The Rise of Rotterdam tells the story of the city, and for children there is a treasure hunt. Tickets Open every day from 9:30 to 22:00. General admission, with the viewing platforms, costs €17.50 (€13.50 reduced); with the Euroscoop, €23.50 (€19). The tower reopened in 2026 after renovating the restaurant and the upper section. It is at Parkhaven 20, twenty minutes' walk from the Erasmus Bridge or a tram ride. - **Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and Its Rooftop** (2 h · Teenagers and adults; curious families · Up to €20 depending on age; includes rooftop access · online only): The Depot is the storehouse of the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum turned into a building you can visit: a huge bowl covered in mirrors in the Museumpark where the works the museum does not display are kept in plain sight. You walk along the storage corridors, watch restorers at work and come out onto the rooftop, with trees and views of the city. Tickets and hours Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00 and entry is only with a ticket bought online, up to €20 depending on age; it includes the rooftop and, if places are available, a guided tour. From Thursday to Saturday the rooftop also opens in the evening, after 17:15. The restaurant Renilde serves coffee and food from Tuesday to Sunday. Some galleries close temporarily while exhibitions are being installed. - **Walk Across the Erasmus Bridge to Kop van Zuid** (1 h 30 · 3 km · All ages): The Erasmus Bridge, with its slanted white pylon, links the centre with Kop van Zuid, the old port on the south bank turned into a district of skyscrapers. Cross it on foot from the Willemsplein: it is about 800 metres, with the river below and the wind in your face. On the other side, continue along the Wilhelminapier between office and residential towers to its tip, where the Hotel New York stands, the former headquarters of the Holland America Line, from where the emigrant ships sailed to New York. How to do it It is free and takes an hour and a half, with a stop for a drink at the Hotel New York. To return, the metro and tram stop at Wilhelminaplein, at the start of the quay, or you can cross the bridge again at dusk, when it is lit up. - **Delfshaven, the Old Harbour That Survived the War** (1 h · All ages): Delfshaven was the port of Delft and is the only old district of Rotterdam that survived the 1940 bombing. Around the Voorhaven and the Achterhaven there remain 17th-century merchants' houses, warehouses, a rebuilt grain mill and the Pelgrimvaderskerk, the church where the Pilgrim Fathers prayed in 1620 before sailing for America. It feels like another city. Getting there It is west of the centre: by metro to Delfshaven station or by tram, about fifteen minutes from the centre. It is a good way to end the day, with terraces beside the water. ## Dónde comer - **Hotel New York Café-Restaurant** (Restaurant, Rotterdam, €€€). Qué pedir: fish or seafood of the day at midday; or the breakfast buffet if you are staying nearby. - **De Ballentent** (Café, Rotterdam, €). Qué pedir: the bal, the meatball that gives the place its name, with bread or chips. - **Markthal Food Stalls** (Market, Rotterdam, €). Qué pedir: do a full circuit before choosing; then eat at the central tables looking at the painted ceiling. ## By plane: Fly to Rotterdam or Amsterdam and Take the Train Rotterdam has its own airport, Rotterdam The Hague, with direct flights from Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Valencia, Seville and the Canary Islands depending on the season, a few kilometres from the centre. From Madrid and the rest of Spain the usual route is to fly to Amsterdam Schiphol and take the Intercity Direct from the same airport, which reaches Rotterdam Centraal in under half an hour. You don't need a car. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel New York** (Hotel): The place The Hotel New York occupies the Holland America Line building, the shipping company that carried emigrants from Rotterdam to New York, protected as a national monument. It has 72 rooms and no two are alike: those at the front look onto the Maas and the Erasmus Bridge; those on the Rijnhaven side look onto the water taxis; the Boardrooms are the directors' former offices, with wood panelling, and the two green towers on the roof have been turned into rooms. At the very top there is a suite with its own terrace. Why stay here For the history and the view. You are at the tip of the Wilhelminapier, in Kop van Zuid, a stroll from the Erasmus Bridge and the Spido boat, with the hotel restaurant downstairs, open every day. Getting there Metro or tram to Wilhelminaplein, at the start of the quay, or a walk across the Erasmus Bridge from the centre. By car, the World Port Center car park is next to the hotel. - **Stayokay Rotterdam, in the Cube Houses** (Hostel): The place Sleeping inside a cube house is possible: the Stayokay hostel occupies one of Piet Blom's large cubes, opposite the Markthal and the Oude Haven. There are dormitories, private rooms with the building's slanted walls and a private Cube Studio. Downstairs, the bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has a terrace under the cubes. Why stay here For the location, which is one of the images of the city, and for the price. The Markthal is opposite, Blaak station is five minutes away and the harbour boat is a stroll along the Oude Haven. Getting there From Rotterdam Centraal, metro to Blaak or a twenty-minute walk. From the Oude Haven there are ramps up to the entrance and inside a lift goes up to the rooms. - **Hotel Pincoffs** (Small hotel): The place The Pincoffs is a small hotel in a former customs house in Kop van Zuid, renovated with a mix of antique furniture and design. It has a lobby with a bar, a breakfast room with arched windows and a variety of rooms and suites, including several wellness suites with a whirlpool bath and steam shower. It has held the Green Key Gold award since 2010 for its sustainable management. Why stay here It is quiet and by the water, with parking, public transport a few steps away and the water taxi stop right outside the door, which takes you across the river in minutes. It is the Rotterdam hotel for anyone arriving by car or looking for something more intimate than a big hotel. Getting there By car, the hotel has parking. Without a car, metro or tram to Kop van Zuid and a few minutes' walk, or the water taxi from the centre. ### Servicios - **Rotterdam Centraal Station**: Intercity Direct from Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol in about 40 minutes; intercity via Leiden and The Hague in a little over an hour. Metro and tram. - **WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk, from the Erasmus Bridge**: Direct boat from Rotterdam to the Kinderdijk windmills in 30 minutes; single €9.75, return €19.50. In winter, Friday to Sunday. ## Car-free: Rotterdam by Train, Metro and Boat Rotterdam is a big city, but it is easy to get around without a car: the centre around the Markthal and the cube houses can be done on foot, the metro and tram go everywhere, and by boat you reach the port and Kinderdijk. The budget per person per day includes accommodation, food and one activity. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel New York** (Hotel): The place The Hotel New York occupies the Holland America Line building, the shipping company that carried emigrants from Rotterdam to New York, protected as a national monument. It has 72 rooms and no two are alike: those at the front look onto the Maas and the Erasmus Bridge; those on the Rijnhaven side look onto the water taxis; the Boardrooms are the directors' former offices, with wood panelling, and the two green towers on the roof have been turned into rooms. At the very top there is a suite with its own terrace. Why stay here For the history and the view. You are at the tip of the Wilhelminapier, in Kop van Zuid, a stroll from the Erasmus Bridge and the Spido boat, with the hotel restaurant downstairs, open every day. Getting there Metro or tram to Wilhelminaplein, at the start of the quay, or a walk across the Erasmus Bridge from the centre. By car, the World Port Center car park is next to the hotel. - **Stayokay Rotterdam, in the Cube Houses** (Hostel): The place Sleeping inside a cube house is possible: the Stayokay hostel occupies one of Piet Blom's large cubes, opposite the Markthal and the Oude Haven. There are dormitories, private rooms with the building's slanted walls and a private Cube Studio. Downstairs, the bar serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has a terrace under the cubes. Why stay here For the location, which is one of the images of the city, and for the price. The Markthal is opposite, Blaak station is five minutes away and the harbour boat is a stroll along the Oude Haven. Getting there From Rotterdam Centraal, metro to Blaak or a twenty-minute walk. From the Oude Haven there are ramps up to the entrance and inside a lift goes up to the rooms. ### Servicios - **Rotterdam Centraal Station**: Intercity Direct from Amsterdam Centraal and Schiphol in about 40 minutes; intercity via Leiden and The Hague in a little over an hour. Metro and tram. - **WaterShuttle to Kinderdijk, from the Erasmus Bridge**: Direct boat from Rotterdam to the Kinderdijk windmills in 30 minutes; single €9.75, return €19.50. In winter, Friday to Sunday. ## Luxury: Rotterdam with Historic Hotels Rotterdam's luxury is not marble but harbour history: sleeping in the headquarters of the shipping line that carried emigrants to America or in a customs house with whirlpool-bath suites. From both, the river is right in front. The budget per person per day includes hotel, meals and activities. Presupuesto orientativo: From €250 por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir in style - **Hotel New York** (Hotel): The place The Hotel New York occupies the Holland America Line building, the shipping company that carried emigrants from Rotterdam to New York, protected as a national monument. It has 72 rooms and no two are alike: those at the front look onto the Maas and the Erasmus Bridge; those on the Rijnhaven side look onto the water taxis; the Boardrooms are the directors' former offices, with wood panelling, and the two green towers on the roof have been turned into rooms. At the very top there is a suite with its own terrace. Why stay here For the history and the view. You are at the tip of the Wilhelminapier, in Kop van Zuid, a stroll from the Erasmus Bridge and the Spido boat, with the hotel restaurant downstairs, open every day. Getting there Metro or tram to Wilhelminaplein, at the start of the quay, or a walk across the Erasmus Bridge from the centre. By car, the World Port Center car park is next to the hotel. - **Hotel Pincoffs** (Small hotel): The place The Pincoffs is a small hotel in a former customs house in Kop van Zuid, renovated with a mix of antique furniture and design. It has a lobby with a bar, a breakfast room with arched windows and a variety of rooms and suites, including several wellness suites with a whirlpool bath and steam shower. It has held the Green Key Gold award since 2010 for its sustainable management. Why stay here It is quiet and by the water, with parking, public transport a few steps away and the water taxi stop right outside the door, which takes you across the river in minutes. It is the Rotterdam hotel for anyone arriving by car or looking for something more intimate than a big hotel. Getting there By car, the hotel has parking. Without a car, metro or tram to Kop van Zuid and a few minutes' walk, or the water taxi from the centre. ## As a family: Rotterdam with Family Children like Rotterdam more than you might expect: houses that look as if they are falling over, a market with giant painted fruit on the ceiling, a boat among the cranes and a tower with a rotating cabin. And the Kinderdijk windmills are half an hour away by boat. ### What works best The Kijk-Kubus, €1.50 up to age 12 The Spido boat around the port The Euromast and its treasure hunt The Markthal ### Where to stay Stayokay Rotterdam, with private rooms in the cube houses Hotel New York, with large rooms ### Where to eat The Markthal stalls, so everyone can choose De Ballentent, meatballs on the quay ### Good to know In the Kijk-Kubus the stairs are narrow: no pushchairs The Depot closes on Mondays and only sells tickets online ### Qué hacer as a family - Markthal, the Market Under the Arch - Rotterdam Harbour Boat Trip with Spido - Piet Blom's Cube Houses and the Kijk-Kubus - Euromast, Rotterdam from 112 Metres - Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and Its Rooftop - Walk Across the Erasmus Bridge to Kop van Zuid - Delfshaven, the Old Harbour That Survived the War ## With young children: Rotterdam with Young Children With young children, Rotterdam works in short stretches: the market, the cube house, the boat and the tower, with the metro or tram in between. ### What works best The Markthal, with space and food for everyone The cube houses, which look like something from a fairy tale The Spido boat, seated and under cover The Euromast by lift ### Where to stay Stayokay Rotterdam, in a private room ### Where to eat The Markthal stalls ### Good to know On Spido, with each adult over 65, one child aged 4 to 11 goes free ### Qué hacer with young children - Markthal, the Market Under the Arch - Rotterdam Harbour Boat Trip with Spido - Piet Blom's Cube Houses and the Kijk-Kubus - Euromast, Rotterdam from 112 Metres ## With teenagers: Rotterdam with Teenagers Rotterdam is probably the Dutch city that most impresses a teenager: skyscrapers, strange architecture and a museum that is a mirrored warehouse. They can easily get around on their own by metro and tram. ### What works best The Depot Boijmans and its rooftop The Euromast's Euroscoop, up to 185 metres The walk across the Erasmus Bridge to Kop van Zuid The harbour boat ### Where to stay Stayokay Rotterdam, in the cube houses ### Where to eat The Markthal De Ballentent ### Good to know The Depot only sells tickets online and closes on Mondays ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Markthal, the Market Under the Arch - Rotterdam Harbour Boat Trip with Spido - Piet Blom's Cube Houses and the Kijk-Kubus - Euromast, Rotterdam from 112 Metres - Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen and Its Rooftop - Walk Across the Erasmus Bridge to Kop van Zuid - Delfshaven, the Old Harbour That Survived the War ## Consejos ### Use the Intercity Direct It is the fastest train from Amsterdam, with a small supplement. ### Boat first thing in winter From November to March, Spido leaves at 14:00 on weekdays and four times a day from Thursday to Sunday. ### Depot only with an online ticket It is not sold at the door. Closed on Mondays. ### Kinderdijk from here The WaterShuttle leaves from the Erasmus Bridge; in winter, only from Friday to Sunday. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How long does it take from Amsterdam to Rotterdam by train? About 40 minutes on the Intercity Direct, with a supplement, and a little over an hour on the intercity trains that stop at Leiden and The Hague. ### What can you see in Rotterdam in a day? The Markthal, the cube houses, the harbour boat trip, the Erasmus Bridge with the Hotel New York, the Euromast or the Depot Boijmans, and Delfshaven at the end of the day. ### How do you get from Rotterdam to Kinderdijk? On the WaterShuttle from the Erasmus Bridge, about 30 minutes, or on bus 489 from Kralingse Zoom metro station, about 35 minutes. ### Can you go inside the cube houses? Yes, in the Kijk-Kubus, a furnished museum house, open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 for €3.50. ### How long is the harbour boat trip? The Spido trip lasts 75 minutes and costs €18.75 for adults and €10.55 for children. ### Is Rotterdam worth a night? Yes: it is cheaper than Amsterdam and 15–30 minutes from The Hague, Delft and Kinderdijk.