Euromast is an observation tower that was built for the 1960 Floriade International Garden Festival. The imposing structure was originally 101-meters (331-feet) tall and was Rotterdam's tallest building. In 1970, the Space Tower antennae was added, and the building is now 185-meters (606-feet) tall.

The tower is built on an underground 4,200,000-pound concrete block for stability. The crow's nest observation platform is 96 meters (315 feet) tall. The observation platform is home to a restaurant that serves brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Visitors can take an elevator to the Euroscoop at the top of the 185-meter-tall (606-foot-tall) tower. Adventurous travelers can even spend the night in the Euromast. There are several luxury suites.

Thrill-seekers can abseil or cable glide down the Euromast. Abseiling will allow you to walk down the outside wall in a climbing harness. Cable gliding is much more exciting. Guests hang from a cable track while zooming down at speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour).

Erasmus Bridge crosses the Nieuwe Mass River. This combination cable-stayed and bascule bridge was completed in 1996. The modern bridge was named after Desiderius Erasmus, a Renaissance humanist and Catholic priest. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam in 1446 and is considered one of the greatest scholars of the northern Renaissance.

Erasmus Bridge is Rotterdam's most iconic landmark and is featured in the city's logo. The bridge is 802 meters (2,631 feet) long. The cable-stayed portion has a 139-meter (456-foot) asymmetrical bent pylon with an eye-catching horizontal base. This striking feature has earned it "The Swan" nickname.

The south portion of the bridge has an 89-meter (292-foot) long bascule bridge to allow large ships to pass under the bridge.

The bridge has been featured in films and events. It was in Jackie Chan's 1998 film Who Am I?. Several planes dramatically flew under the bridge during the 2005 Red Bull Air Race.

The Maritime Museum of Rotterdam focuses on Rotterdam's maritime and shipping history. Visitors can see modern exhibits and view the museum's extensive collection.

Prince Henry of the Netherlands founded the museum in 1874. The museum features an indoor museum as well as the Maritime Museum Harbour.

The museum has exhibits that young children, parents, and grandparents can enjoy. The Masterpieces section features 25 remarkable objects. The Mataró model is over six hundred years old and is Europe's oldest ship model. Jan Huygen van Linschoten's The Itinerario is one of the world's most important travel journals.

The collection also houses Willem van de Velde's pen and ink drawings in addition to Joan Blaeu's Corpus Christi sea charts.

The Maritime Museum Harbour features the Low Light of the Hook of Holland lighthouse. This red cast-iron lighthouse used to stand at New Waterway's entrance. The Museum Harbour also has steam tugs, a steam sheerleg, and a grain elevator. There are also several inland vessels on display.

Why You Should Visit:
Lots of hands-on things to do and you get to learn about ships, oil platforms and new developments.

Tip:
Some of the ships in the museum's outer part can also be looked at and explored from the inside for free. For kids, the museum offers an awesome rooftop playground with plenty of ships & boats to climb on.

Market Hall is a modern multi-use building that houses apartments, offices, retail space, and the popular market hall. In addition, there is an underground parking garage.

Market Hall opened in 2014 and features an unusual arch design, similar to a horseshoe. The building has a glass facade made up of smaller glass windows. A 34-meter (112-foot) high steel cable structure supports the glass windows. The structure is Europe's largest glass-window cable design.

Market Hall's interior features 11,000 square meters of artwork. Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam created the Horn of Plenty art that shows enlarged fish, vegetables, fruits, seeds, flowers, and insects.

The artwork was created digitally, and the file was so large that the artists used Pixar Studios servers to store the artwork. The artwork was separated into 4000 pieces. Each section was printed on perforated aluminum panels that now decorate the inside of the hall. This impressive artwork is often called The largest artwork in the world and The Sistine Chapel of Rotterdam.

A 10th-century farm was found under the building during construction. In addition, archeologists found a house with two stoves and several fireplaces. Visitors can see an excavation exhibit next to the Market Hall's central staircases.

Market Hall is Holland's largest indoor market. Visitors will find over 100 produce sellers in addition to 15 food shops and eight restaurants. Shoppers can find cheese, fish, produce, poultry, flowers, and plants. Market Hall offers indoor seating if you can't wait to taste your goods.

Witte de Withstraat Street is a trendy street filled with bars, restaurants, cultural centers, and art galleries. The street was named after Witte Cornelisz de With, who was a Dutch naval officer and led many colonial expeditions in the 1600s.

Eatery Bazar is one of Rotterdam's most vibrant and popular restaurants and offers affordable meals. Vivu serves Vietnamese cuisine, and Olivia serves fabulous Italian far. Bagel Bakery is your stop for a casual bagel. Ter Marsch & Co is known to serve the Netherlands's best hamburger.

For a coffee break, check out the Hopper Coffee & Bakery, voted the Netherlands's best coffee bar. Lonely Planet named Cafe De Witte Aap 2009's best bar in the world, and it's a must-see. Cafe De Witte is small, but it's full of character and charm. Stop by for a coffee or enjoy a beer on the heated terrace. The Nieuw Rotterdams Cafe is another hotspot.

The street also has several boutiques and shops. Betsy Palmer is a well-known shoe shop, and RSI The Attraction offers adventure outfitting.

While walking Witte de Withstraat Street, check out the various art galleries. Galerie Ecce offers contemporary art, and Galerie van Eijk features modern art, ceramics, and sculptures. Witte de With Contemporary offers an international collection of modern and contemporary art. In addition to the art galleries, visitors will find stunning art murals in connecting side streets.

Witte de Withstraat Street is home to a lively nightlife scene, where visitors can party until the morning hours.

Art Hall is an art museum that opened in 1992. The museum features a variety of temporary exhibits throughout seven exhibition spaces. In addition, the museum has a cafe.

Koolhaas designed the museum. The architecture is distinctive, and the building resembles a box while the interior has a sloping, spiraling floor. The main gallery is designed to appear like it is hovering above street level. Koolhaas used unique materials such as raw concrete, corrugated plastic, galvanized steel, and roughly sawn tree trunks.

Exhibitions range from 20th-century artists to modern artists. Exhibitions have included exhibits focusing on artists such as Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, and Arne Quinze. In addition, the museum often features current event art exhibits like the recent Drawn: Rotterdam! One-And-A-Half-Meter-Society which focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Art Hall is adjacent to the Museum Park, a beautifully landscaped outdoor area. The park has sculptures and an artistic bridge to nowhere.

Tip:
The outside museum park is great for a stroll and less touristy than expected – visit the Rose Garden!