26 Things To Do In Rotterdam: Alphabet Ultimate List!

This post shares an amazing list of things to do in Rotterdam in alphabetical order. The city of Rotterdam has so much on offer that it’s pretty hard to do and see all within 1 week. This alphabet post shares all the top things to see, do, know and experience in Rotterdam. This Rotterdam Alphabet shares 26 things not to be missed during a visit to the architectural Dutch city.

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26 Things To Do In Rotterdam – Alphabet Time!

A is for Architecture Days

Also known as Dag van het Architectuur in Dutch, this is a yearly event for locals and visitors. The Day of Architecture shows what architecture and urban planning can do to keep the fast-growing cities liveable. The event holds tours and walking routes to places not always known or open. Many locations and tours are free, but ones that you had to book and pay for were no more than €8 euros per person.

See more here!

B is for Botanical Trompenburg Gardens

This beautiful botanical gardens in Kralingen has around 700 of the prettiest Rododendrons you can find in Rotterdam. They also have a huge cactus house to get lost in, with some cactuses higher than 2 metres! Take a picnic to enjoy in the gardens, or grab a bite to eat at their little restaurant.

See more here!

C is for Cubic Houses

These funky cubed houses have been a Rotterdam must-see highlight since 1977. There are a total of 39 of them, all bunched up representing urban trees. These are all located together next to Rotterdam Blaak train, tram and metro station, so super easy to see them. Check out the museum Kijk-Kubus, a cube for you to explore yourself to see what it’s like to live in one!

You can see a full post about the Cubic Houses here!

D is for Dakendagen

Ever wondered what it’s like to walk on top of Rotterdam Centraal? Or to experience 360 views from the World Port Center? This yearly event allows visitors to explore rooftops and hidden locations that you cannot usually visit such as these. Some tours can book up pretty quick, so keep an eye on the website when the tours are announced.

You can see all about it here from my previous Dakendagen skyline tours and rooftop visits!

E is for Euromast

The Euromast is Rotterdam’s observation tower. It has a height of 185 metres with a round platform for 360 views of Rotterdam. The Euromast was built in 1960 and replicates a ship with the ‘mast’ and the crow’s next at the top. In the summer months you can book a spot of abseiling down the tower. You can even sleep there if you want, by booking one of their rooms at the top.

F is for Feyenoord!

This Dutch football club is based in Rotterdam, founded in 1908. The famous stadium of De Kuip is located in Rotterdam South and easy to get to for a match. Feyenoord was the first Dutch football club in history to win both the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

The main rival competition of Feyenoord is the football club Ajax from Amsterdam.

G is for Geemente Stadhuis

Not only is this a place where likely every Rotterdammer has been once in their life, the Gemeente Stadhuis is a beautiful building from 1914 to 1920 to see when in Rotterdam. It was one of the buildings that survived the World War Two, after most of the city was demolished. The clock tower is 71 metres high and is a National monument since 1997. If visiting as a tourist, you can check out the beautiful gardens for free by walking through to open area from one of the side streets.

H is for Hef

This iconic green bridge is famously known for surviving World War 2. This train bridge is located between the North and South side of the river Maas. I personally love this bridge, making it one of my favourite bridges in Rotterdam! If you are lucky, there is a chance you can visit the Hef and inside the control room on Open Monumentendag!

I is for Ijssalon

There are many delicious ice cream place for those of us with a sweet tooth. Whether you like only one flavour, or a choice of 3, these places very likely have your favourite flavour to choose from:

• Capri IJssalon
• IJssalon Venezia
• De IJssalon

J is for Jazz Festival

The NN North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival every July, held at Rotterdam Ahoy. The festival has been active and growing since 1976 and tickets sell out usually very quick. It has also been acknowledged as the “biggest indoor jazz festival in the world“, with Ahoy allowing the festival to have 15 stage!

K is for Kralingen

The prettiest neighborhood in Rotterdam is Kralingen (in my opinion!). The houses are old, quirky and the shopping street has many local treats! From Kralingen you can easily walk to the Kralingse Bos, a beautiful nature area with a lake.

See much more about the beautiful Kralingen neighborhood here!

L is for Lijnbaan

Lijnbaan is for shopping, shopping and more shopping! This central area of the city is car free, allowing you to shop till you drop to all the big stores on one street. You can also shop without getting too wet, as there is a covering roof area on each side for when you’ve forgotten your umbrella! The Lijnbaan connects you with other shopping areas too that link throughout the city.

M is for Markthal

This is a true Foodie’s paradise. From all the food and drink you can think of, there is likely a market stall here selling it. Opened in 2014, its a top place for all locals and visitors to visit at least once during their visit. The beautiful design and colourful ceiling is enough to impress you. But take the time to see the choices for a bite to eat, as it will be hard to choose just one place!

You can read all about the Markthal and see my historical photos here!

N is for the NS

Where would we be without using the NS public transport to get us to and from Rotterdam. The NS is the main train company in the Netherlands. Did you know that the NS have more than 1 million travellers per day riding in approximately 4,800 train journeys? Thats pretty cool for such a small country!

O is for Oude Haven

The Oude Haven is the perfect place for a bite to eat or drink along the water’s edge. There are a few restaurants here, perfect for a summers day or winters night. With only 1 minute walking from Station Blaak (with the metro, tram and train) it’s a must see location. Combine it with checking out the Cubic Houses which are just above too!

P is for PowWow

Rotterdam has some amazing street art and graffiti around the whole city. From famous internationals to local artists, the city has a bit of everything!

The famous street art festival PowWow has also been hosted in Rotterdam, providing new amazing art in Rotterdam South. Not only do they create new artwork on walls in Rotterdam, but have a fun weekend designing on vans with their ’30 cans 20 vans’ mini festival.

You can also check out Rewriters, who provide street art tours in Rotterdam as well as an app for self tours. You can check out more here!

Q is for Questions!

If you have any questions about Rotterdam, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment or get in touch! We are happy to help out with anything! Alternatively, please check all our other Rotterdam posts – as there are loads to see and do in this amazing city!

TIP: If you visiting the Netherlands for the first time, check out this Lonely Planet Netherlands guide that is great for all up to date information and recommendations for the country! Else they have a brand new Lonely Planet Amsterdam guide book for the capital, as well as a pocket-sized Lonely Planet Pocket Rotterdam for Rotterdam, which I also own and can highly recommend.

R is for Rotte

When the weather is good, head to the Rotte for either a bike ride, walk or boat trip. For cycling or walking, It’s a lovely route along the water’s edge. You can stop off at one of the few restaurants for a bite to eat or drink in the sunshine. Else if you are feeling more adventurous, rent a boat and enjoy some sailing. There are many types of boats for rent, where you only pay per hour. A few hours on the water with your own food and drink supplies is a relaxing afternoon out.

Want to see how you can rent the boat here? Check out my full summer post here!

S is for Swan

Did you know the nickname for the Erasmusbrug is the Swan? This beauty of a bridge has the white neck of a swan coming out of the water, hence the name. Opened in 1996 and measures just over 800 meters long. The bridge is special for having 4 separate paths; for walking, for cycling, for driving and for the trams!

There are some nights throughout the year that the bridge is lit up in different colours. This could be for a national holiday, advertising or supporting a charity. I took this photo when it was a rainbow!

T is for Tulips

So technically, since Rotterdam is a city you won’t find many tulip fields close by. However there are some places to enjoy tulips in the city center. Such as:

• In Het Park next to the Euromast
• In the gardens next to the Laurenskerk

See the best places to see Tulips in the Netherlands here!

U is for Umbrella Weather

Yes, there may have been other things in Rotterdam starting with the letter U, but this felt appropriate. If you’re looking for somewhere sunny, Rotterdam may not be the place for you. It rains on average 183 days in the Netherlands. So having a good raincoat or umbrella is worth the money.

V is for visitors!

Rotterdam may not be as touristic as Amsterdam, but it sure gets a large amount of visitors each year.

In 2018, the city received 1.3 million hotel guests – which does not even include those who arrived by cruise ships!

W is for World Port Days

Also known as Wereldhaven Dagen,  this yearly event is a fantastic weekend in September that all should visit. The whole weekend has hourly military shows planned along the river. You can also visit many boats, military and non military, which have docked up for the weekend. It’s for all ages, but there are many things for kids along the water’s edge too, such as learning activities and fun interaction games. The weekend usually has a spectacular firework show worth watching too!

See my photoblog here and more about the full event here!

X is for Waterta -X- i

Okay so it wasn’t that easy to find something in Rotterdam beginning with X – but can we use Watertaxi right? These cool fast literally water taxi’s are the best and most fun way across the water. Whether you are just getting it from one side to another, or for a longer journey, we can definitely recommend it. What I personally loved doing, was going for a long walk along the River Maas edge, and then getting the Watertaxi back for easiness!

You can read more about the Watertaxi on this post!

Y is for this Yellow Bridge (Luchtsingel)

This is a popular location for photographers and locals to walk from one area to another. This project started back in 2014, creating a bridge and walkway in the colour of yellow. Officially opened in June 2015, it now connects Hofplein, the Pompenburg and towards Rotterdam Centraal Station.

There is a plan in the future to open up the rest of the walkway to the North of Rotterdam, but this is still ongoing.

Z is for Zoo

Rotterdam has a famous zoo called Diergaarde Blijdorp Zoo. Opened in 1940 in Blijdorp, the zoo is still going well and is open 7 days a week for all ages. Close to Rotterdam Centraal Station, you can be at one of the entrances within 10-15mins walking. They keep public up to date on animal births and news on their website, but well worth a visit if you are in Rotterdam!

Check out my other Rotterdam and Netherlands posts!

Rotterdam Bucket List

Rotterdam Things To Do In Summer

Rotterdam Things To Do In Winter

Best Travel Apps For Visiting Rotterdam, Netherlands

Eurovision In the Netherlands: Rotterdam Eurovision – Full Guide, Transportation Tips & Local Advice

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