An itinerary for people interested in art and design. Visit Rotterdam’s top museums, galleries and cool buildings.
Day 1
Start the day with visiting the Central Station, if you haven’t been there already. Designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects, it was officially opened in 2014. From the Central Station walk towards the Westersingel, an art axis that runs all the way to the Museum Park. You will see a lot of sculptures and commisioned paintings along the way. And don’t foregt to take a picture with the 5-metres tall Buttplug Gnome at Eendrachtsplein.
Walk to Museumpark from Eendrachtsplein and visit one of the museums there. If you are into art, visit the Boymans-van Beuningen or the Kunsthal. If you are into design and architecture, visit Het Nieuwe Instituut.
Day 2
If you stay north of the river Nieuwe Maas, take the tram towards the Wilhelminapier. You can also take the subway ofcourse, but then you won’t get the chance to cross the Erasmus Bridge. Walk around on the Wilhelminapier to take pictures of the skyscrapers. When you’re done with that visit the Netherlands Photo Museum. You can also go to the photo museum first and take pictures after. You might got some good inspiration from all the photos you saw!
Have lunch at the Hotel New York, it’s only two blocks away from the museum. It’s smart to make reservations, since it’s a very popular spot to have lunch. If the weather’s nice, have your lunch outside and have a spectacular view on the river and the many passing ships.
In the afternoon just do some exploring around the Station Blaak area. You get to see many highlights of Rotterdam architecture, like the Markthal, the Cube Houses and Het Witte Huis. A 19th century building, built in Art Nouveau style and considered the first high-rise of Europe.
Or if you’re up for a cool art experience, visit Remastered in Rotterdam. An audiovisual experience in which paintings from Dutch Masters are brought to life.
Day 3
Reserve day 3 for smaller museums and galleries. In the morning visit the Wereldmuseum, located in a beautiful 1851 building and dedicated to different cultures. The collections consist mainly of ethnographic objects from all over the world.
In the afternoon you could visit the Pinball Museum or the Chabot Museum or. just take a walk down the Witte de With street and visit a couple of the galleries there. It;s also the perfect place to end a city trip in Rotterdam. Have a drink in one of the many popular bars there. And if you’re into the 50’s Hawaiian style, visit the Tiki Bar and treat yourself to a cocktail!