Stadswandeling

24 Places of interest along this 5 km city walk through Rotterdam

Manhattan on the Maas is bustling with cosiness. Especially in the summer. Cozy terraces, spectacular views, cool harbors and lots of water. Come to Rotterdam for a day and have breakfast on the cruise ship SS Rotterdam, tear the water taxi under the Erasmus Bridge and enjoy a beer at the Oude Haven and / or on the Witte De Withstraat. Experience it all during this 5-kilometer city walk through Rotterdam. You will pass all the famous Rotterdam hotspots such as Hotel New York, the Oude Haven, the Cube Houses, the Markthal, the Euromast and much more. The ideal city tour for a great day in Rotterdam.

Sights along the route

• SS Rotterdam
• Water taxi
• Rotterdam Harbor
• Hotel New York
• Erasmus Bridge
• Willemsbrug
• Old Port
• Cube Houses
• Market Hall
• Laurens Church
• Koopgoot
• Coolsingel
• City Hall
• Lineway
• Town Hall Square
• Court Square
• Central Station
• Leprechaun Butt Plug
• Witte De Withstraat
• Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
• Museum Park
• Art Hall
• The Park
• Euromast

Directions

Starting point: SS Rotterdam

We start the route at the SS Rotterdam. On this former cruise ship of the Holland America Line you can possibly stay the night before and enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet in the morning. Even if you don't want to spend the night, the SS Rotterdam is the ideal starting point for this tour. You can leave your car here all day for only 15 euros and still start the day with a nice breakfast.

1. Take the water taxi from the B-deck on the SS Rotterdam to the Oude Haven (stop no. 43 Boompjes). You can ask the reception of the ship to call a water taxi, but you can also call 010 - 403 0303 yourself or book the ride via the website of the water taxi Rotterdam. For this ride you pay 4.50 euros per person. On the way to the Oude Haven you can see Hotel New York and the skyscrapers on the Kop van Zuid on your right and you race under the Erasmus Bridge (the Zwaan) towards the striking red Willems Bridge.
2. Just before the Willemsbrug, the water taxi moors on the left side of the Maas. At the end of the jetty, turn left and take the stairs on the right after a few meters. At the top of the stairs, turn right and walk towards the Willemsbrug. Cross the road at the zebra crossing and walk along the cycle path again towards the Willemsbrug. Where the cycle path turns left (straight ahead is prohibited for cyclists), you also turn left and continue that cycle path to the bottom. Downstairs, turn left at the zebra crossing and walk along the Geldersekade, towards the White House. This is the Old Port. Take a seat on a sun-drenched terrace on the water and enjoy a delicious drink.
3. Ready to continue? At the end of the Geldersekade, keep right so that you have the water and the concrete balustrade on your right. A little further on, take the stairs to the left and you will arrive at the Blaak. Here you turn right towards the Cube Houses and immediately after the Cube Houses we cross the Blaak on the left at the zebra crossing. If you want, you can walk through the Cube Houses here or take a look inside the Kijk-Kubus yourself.
4. If you walk back under the Cube Houses or through them (do not cross the Blaak again), you will see a large transparent dish of 35 meters floating above the street. That is Station Blaak. Here you will find the bustling market on Tuesdays and Saturdays. To the right of Station Blaak is the iconic Markthal, recognizable by the shape of a horseshoe. Visit the covered market and taste delicious food at one of the stalls. We will continue our way later on the other side of the hall.
5. Exit the Markthal on the opposite side of where you entered. As soon as you are outside, walk to the right and you will see the medieval Laurenskerk right in front of you. You can of course view the church up close or inside, but we turn left into the Hoogstraat. The Hoogstraat is a narrow shopping street and one of the oldest streets in Rotterdam. At the end of this shopping street you will arrive at the Beursplein, recognizable by the large, wide staircase leading down. Take this staircase down, it is the staircase to the Beurstraverse (or the Koopgoot).
6. The Koopgoot comes out on the other side at the Lijnbaan, Rotterdam's most famous shopping street. Halfway through the Koopgoot you can take the escalator up and you will arrive at the Coolsingel with its stately Town Hall and the Bijenkorf. However, we continue our way towards the end of the Koopgoot and go up again at the Lijnbaan with the stairs. Here you can still shop to your heart's content if you want.
7. At the end of the Koopgoot, we turn right onto the Lijnbaan and walk past the cozy Stadhuisplein with all its sun-drenched terraces to the Weena. The Weena is the wide street with the high skyscrapers and on the right the Hofplein with the Hofplein fountain. We turn left here at Weena and walk towards Central Station.
8. After 500 meters you will see the skyscraper of the Marriott Hotel on the left and right opposite - on the other side of the Weena - is the Central Station. Can't miss. The letters CENTRAL STATION can be read large on the facade, with the roof above in the shape of an arrowhead pointing to the center of Rotterdam.
9. Immediately after the Marriott Hotel we turn left onto the Kruisplein towards the Witte De Withstraat. On the way you will pass Concertgebouw De Doelen, Cinema Pathe and Santa Claus (also known as Kabouter Buttplug) on your left. We cross the busy Westblaak past the Bilderberg Parkhotel to the Witte De Withstraat. In this famous nightlife street of Rotterdam you can enjoy yourself in one of the many cafes, restaurants, art galleries, various shops and municipal monuments. We turn right here into the Museumpark to find ourselves in the mirrors of the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen.
10. Between the Museum Boymans van Beuningen and the Depot, take the Melkkoppad which runs right through the Museum Park to the Kunsthal. Leave the Museumpark on the right side of the Kunsthal and after the zebra crossing take the footpath to the right that leads up to the Westzijdijk. When we arrive at the top, we cross the Westzeedijk on the left at the traffic lights of the Erasmus MC. In the distance you can already see the Euromast.
11. Cross the Park diagonally in the direction of the Euromast. You pass a stately villa in which the chic restaurant The Harbor Club is located. Once you have arrived at the Baden Powellaan on the edge of Het Park, take the stairs that will take you over the Maastunnel to the entrance of the Euromast. In addition to a breathtaking panoramic view of Rotterdam, the Euromast also offers a restaurant and 2 hotel suites at a height of 100 metres.
12. After your visit to the Euromast, call the water taxi on 010 - 403 0303 with the request to pick you up from the Euromast (stop 65) to the SS Rotterdam. Immediately after coming out of the Euromast, turn right downhill and cross the Parkhaven towards the water. Turn left just before the water and walk across the wharf towards the Chinese Boat (a huge Chinese Restaurant and Chinese Supermarket on the water). Even before the Chinese Boat, there is a jetty on the right-hand side from where the water taxi will take you back to the SS Rotterdam.