Day Trip to Rotterdam From Amsterdam: One Day in Rotterdam
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Rotterdam is rich with modern architectural masterpieces. A short train ride from Amsterdam will let you explore the city on foot.
Rotterdam Day Trip Itinerary
Leaving Amsterdam behind for the day we hopped onto a quick forty-minute train to Rotterdam. The stark difference in architecture between the two Dutch cities was immediately apparent as we stepped out of Rotterdam Central Station. From the interior, you would never know that you were inside a triangle-shaped masterpiece of modern architecture.
Read about other Day Trips From Amsterdam like the Tulip Fields.
When planning trips I rely on different guidebooks for different things. Rick Steve’s European travel guides are unquestionably the best for self-guided walking tours. They’re always well-written and easy to follow. (To save some scratch borrow a copy or a download from your local public library, or buy a copy with our affiliate link below). Rick loves museums a bit more than we do, so with some easy modifications, we headed out, loosely following his suggestions.
Shopping on Lijnbaan
Exiting the train station we walked along a wonderful green space turning to visit Lijnbaan, the main shopping street in Rotterdam. There are a few fun stores worth a visit, but the area is heavily populated by your H&Ms and your Zaras. The street has a wonderful 1950s feel. The enjoyment comes from walking the pedestrian street and enjoying the retail experience.
Lunch
For lunch, we stopped at a regional chain bakery, back WERK, with decent and affordable sandwiches.
In the last paragraph, I bemoaned chain retail stores, so it is with all the intended contradiction that I mention that we spent the next hour shopping in the European fast-fashion outlet, Primark. We first discovered this chain in Spain and were overjoyed to see it here. We bought so much that we had to backtrack to the train station and rent a locker to store it all. For two gays who barely ever go shopping for clothing (we spend all our money on travel) we sure went to town at Primark Rotterdam!
After cramming all our textiles into a rented train station locker we traced our steps back to the mall and shifted our day’s focus to architecture. Rotterdam’s modern architecture traces its roots back to the horrors of war. In the spring of 1940 German airstrikes leveled nearly the entire city center killing and displacing thousands. Ten years later as the city began to rebuild architects decided to take a forward-thinking approach to rebuilding the city. The resulting architecture created a new modern city with a legacy of innovation that continues today.
Architecture in Rotterdam
A fine example of innovative architecture is the Cube House, a grouping of yellow cube homes on pedestals. The area beneath the homes is a public square with a few small retail shops. One of the homes is open to the public as a museum. For a small fee, you can see what it might be like to live in a cube of your own.
The Market Hall is another marvel. A huge arched building with windows on the front and back covers a good-sized food market where you can grab just about any kind of food you happen to be craving. There are also a few retail shops to peruse. Across from the market is a unique residential building referred to by locals simply as “The Pencil.” You’ll know it when you see it.
Along the Nieuwe Maas, the major river flowing through Rotterdam is the mixed-use waking and biking path called Boompjeskade. It’s flat, peaceful, and, aside from the occasional ringing bicycle handlebar bell, is a stress-free way to enjoy the riverfront and some great views of Rotterdam's two iconic bridges, the Erasmusbrug and Willemsbrug.
View the Ships at the Maritime Museum
After reaching Erasmusbrug we turned back to the city center heading toward the Maritime Museum. Having only a moderate interest in ships we took the cheap way out and viewed the vast collection of vessels on display for free in the harbor in front of the museum.
More Shopping on Witte de Withstraat
Nearby Witte de Withstraat is a shopping and arts street that can easily be filed under the “Dutch Hipster” category. There were some fun and quirky shops and some restaurants and bars that looked like they would be really fun to visit later in the evening.
See the City’s Strangest Piece of Public Art
As we made our way back to the train station we made sure to stop to see what is best described as Rotterdam’s pièce de résistance. The artist created a magical public art statue of Santa Claus holding up a Christmas tree. It is known (perhaps affectionally) to locals as Butt Plug Santa. It was relocated from its original intended location after complaints from local businesses who, for lack of better words, had a real stick up their ass about it.
We returned to central station and were back in Amsterdam via fast train within the hour.
This day trip is part of our Five Day Amsterdam Itinerary.
Things To See in Rotterdam:
Rotterdam Central Station
Lijnbaan Shopping Street
Cube House
Market Hall
“The Pencil”
Boompjeskade path along the Nieuwe Maas
Erasmusbrug and Willemsbrug Bridges
Witte de Withstraat (Arts and Shopping Street)
Butt Plug Santa
