The Voorhaven in Delfshaven with its old houses

Wikifrits · Public domain

What to do · Rotterdam

Delfshaven, the Old Harbour That Survived the War

Walk · 1 h · Seventeenth-century houses, a windmill and the Pilgrim Fathers church beside the canal, far from the skyscrapers. Free.

Information

Duration: 1 h
Season: All year
Who it's for: All ages
With a dog: On a lead

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.

Frequently asked questions

How much time do I need?

An hour for the walk; more if you sit on a terrace.

Is it free?

Yes, it is a neighbourhood for strolling.

As a familyWith teenagersWith a dog

Directions See all of Rotterdam

Opening hours and prices can change: check them before you go.

Round off the plan

Where to eat, where to stay and what else to do

To eat nearby

De Ballentent

Café · Rotterdam · €€€€

What to order: the bal, the meatball that gives the place its name, with bread or chips.

A meat dish with sauce and chips in an iron pan

Hotel New York Café-Restaurant

Restaurant · Rotterdam · €€€€

What to order: fish or seafood of the day at midday; or the breakfast buffet if you are staying nearby.

Markthal Food Stalls

Market · Rotterdam · €€€€

What to order: do a full circuit before choosing; then eat at the central tables looking at the painted ceiling.

To stay nearby

A room with a double bed, white headboard and wooden bedside table

Hotel New York

Koninginnenhoofd 1 · National monument · Rooms in the towers

Why we like it: 72 rooms in the former Holland America Line headquarters, at the tip of the Wilhelminapier, with towers turned into rooms and views over the Maas.

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A room under the cube's slanted walls, with a double bed and a colourful mural

Stayokay Rotterdam, in the Cube Houses

Overblaak 85-87 · Inside the cube houses · Cube Studio and dormitories

Why we like it: A hostel inside Piet Blom's cube houses, with private rooms, a cube studio, a bar and a terrace beside the Oude Haven. Opposite the Markthal.

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The white staircase of the former customs house with a sculpture on the wall

Hotel Pincoffs

Stieltjesstraat 34 · Former customs house · Wellness suites · Water taxi stop

Why we like it: Small hotel in a former customs house in Kop van Zuid, with wellness suites, parking and the water taxi stop at the door. Green Key Gold since 2010.

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Useful services

More to do nearby

Itineraries

Features in these plans

The inside of the Markthal with the ceiling painted with fruit and vegetables

Itinerary · 2 nights Two Nights in Rotterdam with Kinderdijk and The Hague, 40 Minutes from Amsterdam Rotterdam · 16 stops

Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/the-netherlands/rotterdam/things-to-do/delfshaven-old-harbour