Destination: Rotterdam
I woke bright and early on Day 3 but immediately fell victim to the extreme tranquility of the marina. I literally did not want to move … for hours! Chatting to my UK neighbours, it seemed they’d been affected in exactly the same way. They’d not done any of the things they’d planned to do, choosing instead to sit next to the water and just enjoy the peace.
It was a real struggle to get ready to head to Rotterdam for the day. But there were things I absolutely wanted to see and time was ticking away.
My first stop was going to be Dinteloord, as I had read there was a good bus service to Rotterdam.
Stop 1: Dinteloord
Todays walk was a bit longer than yesterdays, as the bus for Rotterdam passes the south side of the town. But it was still less than half an hours walk from the Jachthaven and it was another gloriously sunny day.
I stopped on the way to pick up some lunch from my new favourite supermarket, Albert Heijn. Then continued along the pretty little streets until I reached the southernmost point of the town.
The little bus terminal is just off the main road and has a shelter and a digital arrivals board as well as a printed timetable. I found everything about the public transport in the Netherlands to be exceptionally well organised and easy to use.
Checking the bus timetable, I realised that it was Saturday and the service was not quite as frequent as on weekdays. Nevertheless, there were still 2 buses an hour, running until 8pm which was plenty of time to explore.
There is a handy bike shelter there too, so if you are travelling on your bike, it can be stored safely while you take the bus.
Preparing for the bus to arrive, I loaded up Google translate with a request for a ticket to Rotterdam, so that I could play it to the driver.
Stop 2: Rotterdam Zuid
The bus soon arrived, I played my little message and the driver indicated for me to tap my debit card on the reader. Then we were off! It was that simple, you just tap on and off the bus, no ticket required. Love that.
I was soon to find that it’s exactly the same with the Metro. Arriving at the bus depot at Rotterdam Zuid we were dropped at the ‘arrivals’ point right next to the Metro station, and a quick tap of my debit card on the reader got me straight through the gates. Again, super easy!
Rotterdam Zuid (South) is a really busy place. There are loads of shops and eateries if you want to spend time there. However as I’d faffed about all morning at the Jachthaven, I needed to crack on. Luckily the Metro was just a few stops to get me to the Centraal station from where I was hoping to explore the city.
On the map shown here, Rotterdam Zuid and Zuidplein are one and the same.
If I hadn’t spent the entire morning daydreaming, I had been hoping to head up to The Hague (Den Haag). I had wanted to visit the Mauritshuis to catch the ‘Girl with a Pearl’ but it seems that is going to have to keep for next time. At least it’ll give me something new to look forward to on my next visit!
Stop 3: Rotterdam Centraal
For now though, I was going to spend a bit of time exploring Rotterdam itself. I was really excited as I had a couple of things I wanted to see. But also, I was keen to just have a wander round the city and get to know it. That turned out to be a really good decision!
Starting out at the Centraal station, I wandered along the canal opposite taking in some of the incredible architecture and modern art. Rotterdam is a really artsy place, and there is literally something interesting to see round every corner.
It was a super warm day, and the walking was beginning to take it’s toll. So I found a spot at one of the cities many outdoor cafe’s and bought an ice cold smoothie … heaven.
Before long I was off again though, as I had a few very specific places I wanted to visit and I would need to do quite a bit more walking.
The first of these was one of the really cool architectural features I’ve mentioned, and I was on my way to this when I stumbled upon … a surf school. Right in the heart of the city! So cool … I was beginning to really love quirky Rotterdam.
The big glass building you can see in the back of that picture is the Markthal, which in itself is pretty incredible. The immense structure is full of eateries and out front on Saturdays is a huge market, selling all manner of things. It’s a really vibrant area of the city, and very close to the cool architecture I wanted to visit.
You’re probably wondering by now, what could be so cool about architecture … right? Trust me, this architecture is pretty special!
Cube Houses
My daughter Daisy told me about the Cube Houses in Rotterdam after she went to visit them recently. Having seen her pictures, I was fascinated and really wanted to see them for myself. The houses have been constructed as cubes at a 54.7° to the ground, which is kind of hard to imagine. They are very surreal, and oddly all lived in. Built around a central courtyard they are quite a sight from below!
Luckily, one of the houses has been opened as a museum, so for just a few euros you get to see inside. While really quirky and interesting, the space in the 3 storey houses is quite limited. And the stairways are exceptionally small and steep. I personally don’t think I’d enjoy living in such a tight space, with so many visitors. But they are super cool, and definitely worth a visit if you are in Rotterdam.
Oude Haven
I had read that Oude Haven was the place to go in Rotterdam to see a bit of life and it was absolutely true. Even on a warm Saturday afternoon, the cafes and bars were absolutely heaving. It was lovely seeing and hearing people of all nationalities getting together to enjoy the city and the glorious day. Walking through the bustling streets really did give a sense of what it must be like to live in Rotterdam. I’d have liked to stop for a beer, but I needed to get to my last location as I had a timed entry ticket. So for now, I just made the most of the atmosphere.
At the edge of the Oude Haven is the Maritime Museum. This is quite an interesting stop, and definitely worth a visit as well.
Euromast
But I was in quite a hurry at this point. The reason being that I really didn’t want to miss my timed entry to the last stop of my day, the Euromast. The Euromast is a 185m high observation tower that gives views over the whole of Rotterdam and the surrounding area. So I was very excited for this part of my trip.
When I got there I realised I needn’t have worried. There had been a large group of tourists arrive right before me, that the stewards were busy trying to organise into groups. As I was on my own I was luckily ushered into the first group getting the lift up to the viewing platform.
The first platform houses a restaurant and other facilities and was very busy. So I went up one higher to the topmost platform where I was able to get a short video. The views from here are absolutely breathtaking!
If you are feeling brave, there is an additional part to this experience. The Euroscoop is a spinning gyro-tower with a glass floor and walls that you can ride in. It takes 7 minutes to rise to the very top of the mast, and then rotate very slowly down. So you really do get the most of the absolutely phenomenal views.
I would highly recommend doing this. It’s quite nerve wracking if you are a bit of a flannel like me, but 100% worth sweating for.
Overnight: Jachthaven Waterkant
It was just a short walk back along past the Oude Haven to the Metro station at Leuvehaven, next to the Erasmus Bridge. And from there just a couple of stops to Zuidplein (Rotterdam Zuid) to catch the bus back to Dinteloord.
The bus depot is just at the back of the Metro station. And although there are quite a few bays, it was easy enough to figure out which stop I wanted. I knew I was looking out for the 119 service and they were all displayed on digital boards.
Then it was just a nice relaxing bus ride back to Dinteloord. It’s so easy getting in and out of Rottedam on public transport, definitely the best way to go.
It had been such a wonderful day, and I am most certainly looking forward to going back to fabulous Rotterdam very soon. But for now it was a hop and a step back along the quiet road to Jachthaven Waterkant for a very well earned rest!
