Top attractions in Rotterdam

Having visited Euromast more years ago than I would like to own up to, I was keen to share it with my partner during a recent visit to Rotterdam to celebrate his birthday. Needless to say, he was blown away by the whole experience, but thankfully not literally despite the windy conditions at the top! The entry procedure was efficient and we were soon into a lift and whisked to the first level. However the best was yet to come. At the next level we sat in a rotating glass enclosed “pod” that went round and up in a spiral fashion and then back down again giving an excellent and changing view of the city and port with a bi-lingual commentary. On the way down we could not resist the restaurant/café that also had an excellent view in addition to a nice menu and staff. Unusually, cash is not accepted anywhere in the building which may be worth bearing in mind if visiting with a prepaid ticket and no bank cards. We will be back to Rotterdam, with Euromast high on our itinerary.

Silvia led us on a three-hour plus walking tour of Rotterdam exploring the destruction of the city by bombs in WWII and the evolution of architectural styles and choices to redevelop the city. Silvia's focus on the design and functions was a mini-course in the reasons for decisions made by architects and city planners. We learned many nuances that would have otherwise escaped our notice. For example, she pointed out the lights embedded in the sidewalks that at night outline from above the section of the city that was destroyed by the bombing, thus bearing witness to that event. Along the way we learned a great deal about life in the Netherlands today and in the past. Our group of five was able to linger in some locations, ask questions, and engage in lively conversation. Silvia is an excellent guide. Highly recommended.

Especially in this deeply designed and elaborate city, learning about the backgrounds and the architectural viewpoint, by joining this tour, is really advisable. Tania led us through all of the modern city center from central station to Maas riverbank and gave us just the right amount and kind of information, adjusted to our non-existent architecture knowledge. We also didn't have to miss any advise for restaurants, attractions and things to do, so it was a nice introduction to Rotterdam. I recommend it to everyone, who likes to walk and get a step deeper into this stylish city.

Mik took us on a captivating, special tour, packed with unconventional facts and stories. He knows a great deal about ecological and architectural things and gave us a look behind the scene and on the characteristics of Rotterdam. He gladly responded to all our questions and we felt that we had truly learnt something about Rotterdam. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and we could not believe the time went by so fast. We highly recommend Mik to all people who are tired of boring, standardized tours and are rather looking for an informative and entertaining tour!

Pietre was a very good guide...easy to understand and very knowledgeable. We did enjoy the tour but were disappointed that we missed much of the Hague (International Court) because ignorant guests don't follow instructions as to when to return to the bus. We do think that Pietre should have enforced the time restriction even if it meant leaving people behind. The rest of us paid for a tour that, because of a few inconsiderate guests, was incomplete.