Rotterdam

Rotterdam is a young, dynamic world city that keeps reinventing itself at speed. Our city is unconventional for the Netherlands, internationally renowned for our passion for innovation and unpolished charm. Whether it is our ever-changing skyline full of bold architecture, our port that is regarded as the smartest in the world or the ‘can do’ mentality of the Rotterdam people in all their diversity: Rotterdam is an entrepreneurial city with a distinct character, constantly evolving and always looking forward. A city of frontrunners with the courage and will to drive change.

Rotterdam is a young, dynamic world city that keeps reinventing itself at speed. Our city is unconventional for the Netherlands, internationally
renowned for our passion for innovation and unpolished charm. Whether it is our ever-changing skyline full of bold architecture, our port that is
regarded as the smartest in the world or the ‘can do’ mentality of the Rotterdam people in all their diversity: Rotterdam is an entrepreneurial city with
a distinct character, constantly evolving and always looking forward. A city of frontrunners with the courage and will to drive change....

Things to Do

Art & Culture...

The more than 170 cultures that live together in Rotterdam form a vibrant melting pot. They give the city a unique, cosmopolitan vibe, where art and culture find fertile soil. Visit the museums in the Museum Park, check the (international) programming of the stages and, above all, keep an eye on the festival agenda. Because Rotterdam is a festival city of note. Major events such as the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), ART Rotterdam week and the North Sea Jazz Festival contribute to keeping Rotterdam in the spotlight.

Nederlands Fotomuseum...

Since the late 1980s, the Nederlands Fotomuseum (Dutch Photography Museum) has been home to much of the country’s photographic heritage. The museum also hosts international photography exhibitions, with a strong focus on innovation in the documentary tradition. Some are on a specific social or artistic theme, while others showcase a leading international photographer.

It is located in a prominent industrial building, Las Palmas, once the workshop building for the Holland-America Line, on the Wilhelminapier at De Kop van Zuid district. Renovated in 2006, it now stands amid cultural hotspots and other symbols of the Holland-America Line, such as the Hotel New York and Cruise Terminal Rotterdam.

Guided and non-guided tours of the museum are available for groups of 15 or more. Customised tours can also be booked. Experienced guides with photographic and photohistoric expertise are available to take visitors through the museum, the exhibitions or the archives. Available languages are Dutch, English, French, Italian and Chinese (Cantonese).

The Nederlands Fotomuseum is easy to get to by tram, metro (Wilhelminaplein stop) and water taxi. Five hundred paid parking spaces are available in the immediate vicinity.

Maritiem Museum...

The Rotterdam Maritime Museum brings the seafaring world of the past, present and the future to life. As well as its permanent collection, there are special exhibitions, events and guided tours on offer. It can also serve as the venue of business meetings and other gatherings.

The museum is situated in the Netherlands oldest and largest open-air harbour museum and historic ships and cranes allow you to experience how Rotterdam s world port began on this very spot. It was a hive of activity here right up to the latter part the 20th century: there were lots of local breweries and the saltwater fish market was the centre of the Rotterdam fish trade. The Rotterdam Blitz in 1940 destroyed all the buildings around the Leuvehaven.
The Maritime Museum building, designed by Dutch architect Wim Quist, was opened in 1986 right in the heart of the city s Leuvehaven. The design includes references to shipbuilding such as steel stairs and dock cranes.

The museum has six spaces suitable for staging business events and all include free WiFi coverage. The Zadkinezaal room with a ceiling height of around 4 metres can accommodate a maximum of 75 people when set up as a theatre. Larger gatherings can make use of the building s entrance hall outside the museum s opening times. This can hold up to 200 people when set up as a theatre and up to 120 for a dining event. It is also possible to use the various exhibition spaces and even the entire museum for receptions or dinners.

The Rotterdam Maritime Museum is in the Leuvehaven in the Waterfront area where there is a jetty for water taxis. Beurs metro station where various tram lines also stop is just one minute s walk away. The Beursplein parking garage is about two minutes away.

Museum Rotterdam ‘40-’45 NU...

Museum Rotterdam ‘40’45.NU (a dependency of Museum Rotterdam) can be described as an education centre about the Second World War in Rotterdam. The years 1940 to 1945 left deep scars on Rotterdam. Our second museum venue, next to Coolhaven metro station, brings you face to face with the war years and the bombing. You won’t want to miss this part of our museum, which offers an immersive multimedia experience with authentic objects and stories. We also explore the connection between past and present here - even today, peace and liberty are not as self-evident as we may think. It’s opened every Sunday and during school holidays.

Het Nieuwe Instituut...

In Het Nieuwe Instituut, the Museum of Architecture, Design and Digital Culture shows temporary exhibitions with a recurring theme of innovation. In other words: the museum examines the designed world and how it is constantly being changed by new technologies, new ideas and shifting social priorities. The presentation, Surprising Finds from the Collection, can also be viewed. Its exhibits are regularly changed and include extraordinary drawings, photographs, objects and models from the extensive archives of Het Nieuwe Instituut.

Close to the institution is Huis Sonneveld, one of the best preserved residential homes built in the Dutch functionalist Het Nieuwe Bouwen style.
The Nieuwe Instituut charges a reduced rate for groups of over 15 people. Guided tours for groups in Dutch or English are available and led by guides from ArchiGuides.

The Nieuwe Instituut is on the Museumpark road in the Museumkwartier district and is easy to get to by metro and by tram 7 and tram 20 (the Eendrachtsplein stop). It is about a 15-minute walk from Rotterdam Central Station. The Museumpark parking garage is opposite the building.

Wereldmuseum Rotterdam...

The Wereldmuseum takes you on a journey around the globe, offering insight into cultures and traditions different from our own. The exhibitions are also a reflection of Rotterdam’s wanderlust, international connections, colonial past and trading spirit. The artefacts span a time period of 2000 years and have been collected over the past 160 years by the people of Rotterdam, for the people of Rotterdam. The building and collections of the Wereldmuseum are literally and figuratively a ‘product’ of Rotterdam, and its history and mentality.

Admission tickets include an audio tour. Guided tours are available on weekends. Guided tours can also be booked privately for groups from 10 to 15 people.

The Wereldmuseum is located in the Scheepvaartkwartier and is accessible by tram (line 7) or water taxi. It’s also a 10-minute walk from Leuvehaven metro station. Parking is available in the nearby Erasmus Bridge car park.