In the 70s of the 20th century, architects wanted to create hospitable residential areas with the participation of the residents and other users in response to the large-scale and a gray modernism of the architecture of the reconstruction after WWII.
In 2011, the municipality of Rotterdam organized the first city initiative, an administrative instrument to stimulate administrative innovation and citizen participation. The inhabitants of Rotterdam were called upon to submit projects that would bring about the enlivening of the city and improve the quality of life in the city. An amount of 4 million has been set aside from the city initiative to implement the project.
A visit to an tourist information centre that will give you more information about the city and warm welcome by our mayor. Your TourGuy will accompany you through the exhibition.
before the Second World War there was no Central Station, but there were four stations around the center. In 1957, the central station was opened at its current location. In 2004 a total renovation of the central station was started, in 2014 the current end result was delivered. The old station could no longer cope with the passenger influx.
The laurenskerk is the only remnant of the medieval center of Rotterdam. The laurenskerk is a cross between a hall church (all buildings equal in height) and a cruciform basilica (here the side towers are lower than the main tower). The church was built between 1449 and 1525.
The interior façade of the Markthal is covered with an 11,000 m² (two football fields) artwork by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam, entitled Hoorn des Overvloeds. This title refers to the Cornucopia, a horn from Greek mythology that symbolizes abundance and saturation. The artwork shows greatly enlarged fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, flowers and insects. In the background you can also see the Laurenskerk with tower.
In the Middle Ages, one of the 10 city gates that Rotterdam had here. In the 30s, the city of Rotterdam grew rapidly and the gate stood in the way, as they wanted a better flow for the increasing traffic. It was decided to move the gate about 100 meters (a demolition of the gate met with a lot of resistance). During the bombardment in the Second World War, the gate was severely damaged, a year after the bombing the gate was demolished, because it could no longer be finished. Some ornamental works from the old gate were saved and incorporated into the walls of the buildings on the corner of the town hall square.
Not much of the historic center has remained intact during the Second World War, but the Oude Haven is fortunately one of those historic places that has been preserved. In the harbor are historic, charming old boats, while on the quays you will find a colourful mix of buildings.
The white house was built in 1889 and with a height of 43 meters the first skyscraper in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Currently, the meent is one of the hotspots in Rotterdam. There are many cafés, eateries and clothing shops. It is also a street where it is a bit about seeing and being seen.
Priya showed us the main places of interest in Rotterdam, Netherlands which is what we are looking for. She exhibited knowledge and made it interesting for us visitors despite some areas being not spectacular. It’s not a reflection of Priya’s ability as she is a great tour guide.
Hamza did an excellent job leading us thru different areas of Rotterdam. He combined local stories and historical information into one complete presentation. We were fortunate to only have four members in our group. It is a lot of walking but there are numerous stops and breaks along the way. We also made three stops at local eateries to test the local favorites. I would be happy to take this tour again, next time I visit Rotterdam
Excellent walking tour with great food tastings but be aware that some places may not Be open to see on the weekends.
We thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour with Jamal. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. It was a great way to view many interesting Rotterdam sites in a half day.
Our guide Sean (sorry if I got the spelling wrong) is knowledgeable and fun to walk around with. He knows the city inside out. We had a great time.
My husband and I had an amazing tour with Jamal. He is a wonderful guide, who was able to explain the history of Rotterdam with the perspective of what was happening throughout Europe and beyond. We learned much more than we expected and sampled some delicious foods available in The Netherlands. We very much enjoyed the time we spent with him.
Local guide is the best way to go. We had options and plenty of time to see sites. Our guide was knowledgeable.
We enjoyed our walking tour with the perfect guide who was so accommodating and knowledgeable about the area. We saw and learned a lot and we recommend Tracey for the best experience.
Jamal was fantastic. Showed us interesting sites and shared some cool history about Rotterdam.
Excellent overview of the Rotterdam city center with a knowledgeable and friendly guide. Mo did an Outstanding job of pointing out areas of interest and the city’s history.
Our tour guide Hamza was great and very accommodating of our group which included four seniors and two kids. We were able to see a lot of Rotterdam and were able to take it at our own pace. Highly recommend!
We had an absolutely wonderful time on our recent tour of Rotterdam! Jamal was a phenomenal guide from start to finish. Not only was he incredibly professional and punctual, but his deep knowledge of the city proved just how intelligent and passionate he is about its history and culture. What really set the experience apart, though, was his sense of humor. Jamal is incredibly funny and kept us entertained and engaged throughout the entire tour. He tailored the experience perfectly and made it a truly memorable highlight of our trip. If you are visiting Rotterdam, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Jamal. Highly recommended!
Our tour guide Jess was very informative . We enjoyed the tour and beautiful weather. Jess was very engaging and full of knowledge of Rotterdam.
We were able to set the start time for our tour & when we met Jess, she was able to customise what we wanted to see & do. Jess contacted us the night before to confirm our tour/time/meeting point & that morning, she gave us more specifics & was on time. Jess’ English was impeccable! She had so much knowledge & was able to give us a personal touch. What was included was just enough to get a Dutch experience including riding the metro & trams, sampling Dutch fries, going through the cube apts, walking through the old port, seeing various architectures building etc. We couldn’t have asked for more. What a treat it was!
We enjoyed this walking tour with Jess as she gave us a good amount of Rotterdam history. She met us at the port and also brought us back with a few train rides and a good deal of walking along the way. We made a stop for coffee/latte, however there was no lunch or street food as advertised when we booked. The tour took about 4 hours.
Jamal was the most charismatic, knowledgeable, and genuine guide. Went above and beyond. Would highly recommend tourguys for any tour they offer.
Lots of walking, great way to get acquainted with Rotterdam, we got lucky and got a great view from a special vantage point thanks to El.
Our guide was very knowledgeable, took plenty of time to answer any questions we had. He was also very friendly. This was our first trip to Rotterdam so it gave us a nice introduction to the city.
Jamal was worth a 5 star review for personality & knowledge. Really a great guide. Only reason for 4 star was that the tour was to include a street food lunch which we didn't get. There ended up being 8 of our friends that joined our group.
Mo was our guide and he was incredible. We knew very little about the city and learned so much. The tour was perfect for us. We had an infant with us and the timing and Mo, our guide, was a perfect fit. The tour size gave us time and attention to ask questions and not feel rushed. Mo answered all of our questions and was personable, professional, and very knowledgeable. The communication leading up to the trip was great and would highly recommend it.
Stella who is the tour guide is very sweet, kindly and acknowledge! We have learned a lot history of Rotterdam.
Jamaal was an excellent guide on this three + hour walking tour of Rotterdam. He was very knowledgeable, courteous, and prompt. We learned a great deal about the city, its history, people and culture. Two highlights that we especially enjoyed were the Cube houses and the Market Hall. I would highly recommend this trip, as well as Jamaal, if you would like to spend a few hours learning all about this historic and beautiful city!
Our time with Eleftheria...El was fantastic. She showed us her hometown of Rotterdam with such genuine enthusiasm that it made the experience even more enjoyable. She also introduced us to an amazing coffee shop, fantastic food, artwork, and beautiful buildings, which was a real highlight. She even scored us a water taxi to show us around via the water. El really went above and beyond!
We saw the highlights of Rotterdam. Our guide, Jamal, was very friendly, professional, knowledgeable, caring, and he made it a very special tour. He made sure we saw everything we asked about and more. His knowledge was impressive. When we asked about restrooms he immediately found them. Most importantly is that he cared about our safety and explained things with clarity.
I had a fabulous time with my tour guide, Eleftheria. She was knowledgeable and great fun to talk with. I thoroughly enjoyed my half tour of Rotterdam. Highly recommend!
This tour was awesome. It was just our family and felt like a really personalized experience. Our guide genuinely seemed excited and very knowledgeable about the city. We were able to ask a lot of questions and see so many interesting things while also learning about the history. We got to taste a few delicious foods as well. It was time well spent. I highly recommend.
Great tour to take if visiting for a day. Pick up from cruise terminal and then a short subway ride to centre ending with a water taxi ride back to terminal
Our guide, Eleftheria, was knowledgeable, very fun and energetic. We learn the history, the arts and the cultures. Wonderful walking tour.
Very informative exploring this beautiful city with a local. It was like spending the day with a friend that knew all the best places to see.
The tour covered the creatively rebuilt center of Rotterdam, with a great deal of knowlege and perspective.
Our guide, Russell, was terrific. With a mix of historic sights and informative background, we can easily understand why this walkable city is a must-do.
We had a wonderful tour of Rotterdam highlights! Our guide was so knowledgeable and was open to what we wanted to see. She also was cognizant of our energy levels and physical limitations. A great day!!
Abdullah was an excellent, informative guide! Great way to see some of the city with great descriptions of the stops. Would do it again
We had a great tour guide, Eleftheria, who did a great job guiding and keeping us informed of the interesting sights of Rotterdam. She had a great personality which made the tour very enjoyable. She guided us through the old and new parts of the city and covered the history behind the various parts of town. We would definitely recommend this tour.
Tour was goodthe guide Petrickwas well versed in the subject and could confidently explain the different sights. Lot of walking though.
We really enjoyed our tour with Russ. He took us to number of interesting sights on our walking tour. The highlight was definitely our tour of the Kube Houses.
We were thrilled with our experience and so glad we chose this tour/company to see Rotterdam prior to leaving on a cruise. They contacted us before we arrived to see if we had any requests so they could tailor this intimate tour to our wishes and our guide asked again when we met up. We just asked to see some interesting sites and that was fine, too. That meant we saw most of the notable sites and some of his favorite spots. We also decided together where to end the tour. Communication was fine through the Viator app and WhatsApp. We had the choice as we went to walk a lot or stop and sit and chat and snack or whatever. We chose to keep going and ended up probably walking about 6 miles, seeing a lot of the City from the Central Station down to the waterfront and walking under the Erasmus Bridge. We stopped to see the St. Lawrence church and were met with a fresh stroopwafel after we looked around. We saw the (interesting, but perhaps overrated) cube houses and the market hall, where we were treated to a giant cone of fries topped with mayo and peanut satay sauce. There were more sites and several beautiful parks, just fading from their summer glory as it was mid-September. All the while our guide gave us interesting info about the Netherlands and Rotterdam and generally just chatted about life there and in the USA. An energetic start to our vacation, but an enjoyable one, topped off with a great recommendation for a dinner spot. Very much recommended.
We got to experience a little culture & history in a small group setting with a fun guide who spoke excellent English!
Loved this tour! Mo was so informative and considerate. We were a little concerned about the walking and using the public transportation, as my husband is 82, a very mobile and active 82, just a little slower. Mo was so helpful and considerate. The metro was so easy and Mo took care of everything. He was so informative and really knew his stuff! We would definitely recommend this tour!
We misinterpreted the experience and thought it was a car tour, but Miranda immediately pivoted and accommodated us and we had the best time!
We had the most amazing guide in Abdullah he was very informative, easy going and we would thoroughly recommend this trip to anybody who enjoys walking (an easy walk) and lots of wonderful sites and very good food!!! Cannot recommend this highly enough 😎😎😎
Our guide, Smaranda, was wonderful!!! She took us all over the city and showed us how the locals lived! From open markets, to the cube houses, museum areas, roof top views, it was an awesome tour! I would recommend Smaranda to anyone wanting to see Rotterdam from a locals perspective.
The guide was very friendly and informative. He did a great job. He loves his city and shared his enthusiasm for it. Part of the experience is to get to know the guide. Abdul was very open and kind, and we enjoyed spending the afternoon with him.
Izzy was a wonderful guide. His wealth of knowledge was excellent and he had a great personality which made made for a very nice tour. I would highly recommend Izzy to anyone who wants a special tour of Rotterdam.
Our tour guide Issy was the best! He was an awesome guide! Knowledgeable fun informative and great to be with!
#1 walking tour we’ve done from Viator or Tours-by-Locals. Eleftheria was phenomenal in giving us a comprehensive and personal view of Rotterdam in 4 short hours that we used to decide where to spend most of our time over the next 2 days. Like the outdoor bar & restaurant on the canal from where you could watch boats pass by, the “White House” or the Cube Houses across the way. She whisked us off from our hotel and in less than a block we were on the tram headed to Central Station, where she provided the history and importance of the station and the train system that runs throughout the Netherlands. Then it was off to see the 4 main sections of the city and the main attractions and hidden gems in each. One of the hidden gems is the Rotterdam City Hall where El got us a personalized, private tour provided by one of the longest tenured stewards who worked there. We were able to see areas of building normally off limits that held historical significance for the city and the Netherlands. Highly recommended a visit to the building and the adjacent, enclosed garden. After the City Hall tour she took us to a wonderful bakery around the corner that had delicious meat filled pastries. We even had enough time for El to take us to her favorite coffee bar where we had some of the best coffee we’ve ever tasted. And to top everything off, for the grand finale she took us from across town to our hotel on a river taxi. We had a fantastic afternoon in Rotterdam with Eleftheria and strongly recommend her and TourGuys.
Amily was an amazing guide. Loved her knowledge of Rotterdam despite not being a native! She was friendly, informative and kept the tour interesting. A town like Rotterdam doesn’t have the famous sites like many other major European cities, but Amily was great at connecting Rotterdam to WWII and its impact!
Fun and interesting tour that hits a bunch of highlights within Rotterdam. Super easy to get to everywhere because the city is so compact and easy to get around. Great experience and a bit of everything! We really enjoyed Rotterdam!
My husband and I had a wonderful private tour if Rotterdam yesterday with Saad. He made sure we visited all the highlights in the city but he also ensured we experienced Rotterdam like a local. His indepth knowledge of the city made our tour so much more meaningful. Don't hesitate...book your tour with this company.
An Amazing Day in Rotterdam! Smaranda was a Wonderful Tour Guide. She and the tour company communicated highly effectively throughout the process of this tour. The tour company was most helpful in planning our Rotterdam Experience. Smaranda was very flexible, even when our cruise ship was 3 hours late. She met us at the cruise terminal, tailored our tour to the experience we wanted and energy levels. She was very passionate about her city of Rotterdam and had great insights into the cities history. We had a great experience in Rotterdam! I would highly recommend this tour and specifically Smaranda as a tour guide. Especially, for cruisers. This was one of the highlights of our time in the Netherlands. Thank you for a great experience.
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