THIS WEEKEND

Rotterdam

Forget about Amsterdam…Rotterdam is the place to be! The city has a lot to offer. Here a top 10 of the things you must see/do when you are in Rotterdam…

1) Cube houses
The houses were designed by architect Blom in the 1980s. He just tilted the conventional house 45 degrees. The houses all rest on pilons, have windows and are all attached one the other. And people actually live in them. One owner decided to open his house for curious passers-by. The house is furnished as a normal house. Once inside, you get an idea how it is possible that one can live in such a strangely shaped house.

2) Erasmus bridge
This cable-stay bridge links the northern and southern halves of the city with a 2,6000 foot span in spectacular style. The bridge deck is supported by steel cables slung over a pylon that is bent to counter the forces of tension. Traffic passes underneath the 456 foot pylon as it straddles the roadway. The structure is called "the Swan" by locals because of its graceful posture over the water. The Erasmus Bridge is such a dramatic departure in bridge building that it has even become part of the city's official logo.

3) Zoo Rotterdam
Rotterdam Zoo (or Diergaarde Blijdorp, as it is known in Dutch) with its 1.6 million visitors is one of the largest tourist attractions in the Netherlands. It is a modern zoo where the visitor can see animals are housed in naturalistic enclosures that resemble their natural habitats. These habitats or 'biotopes' are organised on a geographical basis. One of the biggest attractions is the Oceanium. In this new 'water world', which is Rotterdam Zoo's largest project to date, you can make a journey of discovery along coasts and through oceans.

4) The Shopping Gutter (Koopgoot)
The most interesting shopping areas in the centre of the city are 'De Lijnbaan' and 'De Beurstraverse'. The Beurstraverse was opened in 1996. This area was designed by architect Pi de Bruin. According to Rotterdam costum it immediately got a nickname: de koopgoot (the shopping gutter). From the Beurstraverse you can go to the three main departmentstores: Vroom & Dreesman (V&D), the Bijenkorf and the HEMA.

5) De Kuip
The Feijenoord Stadion, better known by its nickname de Kuip (the Tub), is a stadium in Rotterdam. Today it's called "Stadion Feyenoord". The name is derived from the area "Feijenoord" in Rotterdam, and from the club with the same name. It is the home stadium of football club Feyenoord, one of the traditional top teams in the Netherlands.

6) Euromast
The Euromast in Rotterdam is the highest lookout tower in the Netherlands. It was built in 1960 in honour of the international garden festival, the floriade, it rose 104 meters above the city and its industrious port. During the ten years after its construction, other buildings were built in the Netherlands, rising toward the heavens with the aim of achieving a certain status. By 1970, the Euromast still rose higher than all the other structures. A Space Tower was set atop its mighty shoulders, bringing the Euromast to its current impressive height of 185 meters. The new high-speed automatic elevators take you up to the platforms, which are an experience all on their own. Then take the Space Cabin to experience the sensation of a rocket launch, slowly spinning in orbit up to a height of 185 meters. The cabin returns to the platform by means of retro thrusters.

7) The White house
The White House is something of an architectural landmark in Europe. It is the continent's first skyscraper, built in 1898 for a pair of Rotterdam businessmen eager to show off their wealth. It’s an 11-story building, 147-foot structure in the French chateau style. It rests on nine-hundred pilings driven into the ground, and at the time of its completion was the tallest building in Europe. It was also one of the few buildings in central Rotterdam to survive the German bombing campaigns of World War Two.

8) Port of Rotterdam
The port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, South Holland, the Netherlands. From 1962 until 2002 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by Asian ports like Singapore and Shanghai. In 2006 Rotterdam was the seventh-largest port in the world in terms of containers (TEU) handled.

9) Nightlife of Rotterdam
Rotterdam has a great nightlife. There are several large clubs spread through town. Music varies from Dance to Trance to RnB. Thursday is student night, and some clubs will allow students (with student card) free entrance. Fridays and Saterdays are the most popular nights to go clubbing. Nighttown is one of Hollands best known clubs. Nighttown also offers stand-up comedy and special concerts every now and then. Hollywood is Hollands largest club. There are many dance floors and bars. Another club worth a visit is the Maastheater, along the river. In Rotterdam's clubs are only starting to fill up after midnight. Before that time hang out in a bar or go to the movies.

10) Museums
Rotterdam has many museums. Well known museums are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Historisch Museum (Historical museum), the Volkenkundig Museum (foreign peoples and cultures), the Kunsthal (design by Rem Koolhaas),the center for contemporary art Witte de With,the Maritiem Museum and the Brandweermuseum (Fire brigade museum). Other museums include the tax museum, the nature historical museum, historical museum the Dubbelde Palmboom and the Schielandhuis. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf 'De Delft' the reconstruction of Ship of the Line'De Delft' can be visited.

Recommended hostels in
Rotterdam: