Rotterdam
A port city rebuilt in steel and glass on the Nieuwe Maas, with three two-star kitchens and a runway five kilometres from the centre.
- Arrival
- Rotterdam The Hague · RTM
- To the city
- About 5 km north-north-west of the centre
- Private jets
- RTM, customs on site, night curfew
- Best time
- June to September
The city
A city that chose to start again.
On 14 May 1940 the bombing of Rotterdam left its centre almost entirely in ruins. The city rebuilt without nostalgia, and the result is the Netherlands' most modern skyline: Piet Blom's tilted Cube Houses, the white span of the Erasmus Bridge that locals call the Swan, and on the south bank the Kop van Zuid, a district of towers raised in the 1990s around the old Holland America Line quays.
Rotterdam also runs Europe's largest seaport. Three of its restaurants hold two MICHELIN stars, among them Parkheuvel, the first Dutch kitchen ever to win three. Summer, from June to September, brings the warmest and longest days.
Arriving
Five kilometres from the centre.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport lies about five kilometres north-north-west of the city. Long-haul passengers use Schiphol, the national hub.
- Paris 50 min
- Munich 1 h 10
- Amman 4 h 45
- Lagos 6 h 50 long-range jet
- Delhi 8 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
June to September.
A maritime climate, mild in both directions. From June to September afternoons reach eighteen to twenty-one degrees; autumn turns wetter, with October and November the rainiest months, and winter highs stay between five and seven.
- 5° J 70
- 6° F 44
- 9° M 66
- 12° A 43
- 17° M 53
- 19° J 68
- 21° J 71
- 21° A 68
- 18° S 75
- 14° O 84
- 10° N 83
- 7° D 77
What to see and do
Days in and around Rotterdam.
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Landmark
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
A mirrored bowl opened in 2021, the first art depot in the world where visitors can walk through the whole collection.
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Landmark
The Erasmus Bridge
Some 790 metres of cable-stayed steel across the Nieuwe Maas, linking the old centre to the Kop van Zuid.
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Landmark
The Euromast
A tower of 1960, raised to 185 metres a decade later, with the port spread out below.
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Culture
Kunsthal Rotterdam
Rem Koolhaas and OMA designed this exhibition hall on the Museumpark, opened in 1992, with seven spaces for changing shows.
Official site -
Culture
Fenix
Opened in May 2025 in the 1923 San Francisco warehouse on Katendrecht, the museum of migration is crowned by MAD Architects' Tornado staircase.
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Opera & music
De Doelen
Rebuilt in 1966 after the war, the concert hall is home to the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, with some 2,200 seats in its Grote Zaal.
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On the water
Spido harbour tour
From Willemsplein at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge, a 75 minute cruise passes De Hef, the ss Rotterdam and the working quays of the port.
Official site -
Culture
Kinderdijk
Nineteen windmills, most built around 1740, still stand along the polder dykes, and two of them, Nederwaard and Blokweer, can be visited inside.
Where to stay
On the river, and a short drive to The Hague.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Haven Hotel Rotterdam, Curio Collection by Hilton Opened in 2013 on the water, with 215 rooms and 28 spa rooms that each have their own sauna.
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Hotel Des Indes A nineteenth-century town house on Lange Voorhout, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
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Grand Hotel Amrâth Kurhaus A beachfront palace facing the North Sea, with extensive wellness facilities.
- Hotel New York Holland America Line's headquarters from 1901 to 1977, a hotel since 1993, with 72 rooms and boardrooms turned into suites.
- Suite Hotel Pincoffs Seventeen rooms in a former customs house of 1879, now a national monument on the Nieuwe Maas.
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Central Park Voorburg A small country-house hotel with one MICHELIN Key and a starred restaurant on the ground floor.
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De Plesman Hotel The Hague One MICHELIN Key, with twenty residences alongside its rooms for longer stays.
Where to dine
Three kitchens with two stars.
From the MICHELIN Guide Netherlands 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Restaurant Parkheuvel Two Michelin stars Modern €€€€ Rotterdam
- FG - François Geurds Two Michelin stars Creative €€€€ Rotterdam
- Fred Two Michelin stars French, creative €€€€ Rotterdam
- Joelia One Michelin star French, modern €€€€ Hilton Rotterdam
- Perceel One Michelin star Creative €€€€ Capelle aan den IJssel
- The Millèn One Michelin star Modern €€€ Rotterdam Marriott Hotel
- Amarone One Michelin star French, modern €€€ Rotterdam
- Zeezout One Michelin star Fish and seafood €€€ Scheepvaartkwartier
- Tres MICHELIN Guide Regional €€€€ Rotterdam
Flying to Rotterdam?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.