ROAMING EN ROTTERDAM Walking / bicycle route through imposing architecture Visit Museum Boijmans ROAMING Van Beuningen and embark on an THROUGH ROTTERDAM adventure through art from the Middle Ages to Welcome to Rotterdam, the city that enjoys growing inter­ the twenty-first century. national acclaim as a popular destination for city trips. Why? Discover the museum’s You’ll find out for yourself as you roam through Rotterdam. unique collection of The walking route brings you past iconic architecture and masterpieces by Bosch, shows the eclectic mix of old and new that has made Rotter­ Rembrandt, Van Gogh dam so famous – from the Late Gothic architecture of the and Dalí. Add to this the sensational temporary Laurenskerk to the futuristic Markthal. From the Cube Hou­ exhibitions of art and ses on Blaak to the gleaming high­rise buildings on the Kop design from different van Zuid peninsula. The route also takes you through resi­ eras and the restaurant dential neighbourhoods, parks and shopping streets and with its outlook on the along sidewalk cafés, museums and the waterfront. From statue garden, and you Erasmus Bridge you’ll enjoy the view of the Maas River and are guaranteed hours the water taxis and ships sailing by. You’re looking out at of enjoyment in the one of the world’s biggest ports – not to mention that museum. spectacular skyline that Rotterdam is famous for. www.boijmans.nl Walking the entire Roaming Rotterdam route (approx. 10 km) Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled, 2001. Copyright Maurizio Cattelan, courtesy Marian Goodman Gallery, New York. Photo: Attilio Maranzano takes about half a day. It takes about two hours by bicycle (you can rent a bicycle at various locations). You’re naturally also free to opt for a shorter section of the route (see page Rotterdam Info Coolsingel 23) or take public transport for part of the way. City promotion centre Rotterdam Info ‘Coolsingel’ inspires and informs you about what’s on offer to tourists and Have lots of fun exploring Rotterdam! how to spend your free time in Rotter­ dam. You can go in to get a map of the city or a walking route, tips about going out or information about architec­ ture. Also on offer are the Rotterdam Welcome Card, gifts, gift vouchers, souvenirs, Feyenoord merchandise, Which way? and tickets for entertainment and You can start your tour at any transport. Temporary exhibitions and number you like. There are three Rondje Rotterdam a large model of the city centre give ways to navigate through the city: an idea of the latest (architectural) > the map on page 25, developments in Rotterdam. > the Roaming Rotterdam street signs ‘Rondje Rotterdam’, Rotterdam Welcome Card > the Rotterdam City Guide app The Rotterdam Welcome Card offers Rotterdam Info ‘Coolsingel’ (download it from the App Store discounts of 25% and more at 50 Coolsingel 195 – 197 or Google Play now). attractions, museums, restaurants and places of entertainment in Rotterdam Info ‘Centraal Station’ Tips about the route are provided Where the bicycle route Rotterdam and 1, 2 or 3 days of Stationsplein 20 in the margins. Some signs may deviates from the walking unlimited travel with RET metro, not be easy to see at the busier route, a note has been added tram and bus. Available at Rotterdam T +31(0)10 790 01 85 inter sections. in the margin. The alternative Info ‘Coolsingel’ and Rotterdam Info www.rotterdam.info route is shown on the map as ‘Central Station’ or order it via a dotted line, but there are no www.rotterdamwelcome card.com. /rotterdaminfo street signs marking it. See more, pay less! @rotterdaminfo Rotterdam is an authentic melting pot. The city is home to 176 different nationalities, and that international mix is ROTTERDAM reflected in the city’s many exotic restaurants and shops, IN CONSTANT famous festivals like the Summer Carnival and North Sea Jazz, but above all in the wide­ranging diversity of the people who MOTION live here. The atmosphere is open and cosmopolitan, offering fun options that cater to every taste. Many new hotels, restau­ ‘Rotterdam is a rants, coffee bars and clubs have opened in recent years, must visit city’ (Rough Guides travel often at exciting locations. guide) Rotterdam’s dynamic, cosmopolitan character is most pal ­ “Rotterdam is bursting with modern, post­modern pable on the waterfront. The ships you see in the port come and contemporary from all over the world, and the architecture around the Maas construction and offers River is internationally acclaimed. The soaring high­rise struc­ a veritable array of art, top­class restaurants and tures designed by famous architects like Álvaro Siza Vieira and atmospheric nightlife, Rem Koolhaas are along the river, not to mention the famous making it one of Lonely Erasmus Bridge designed by UNStudio. The juxtaposition of Planet’s must­see destinations for 2016” old and new architecture – high and low, long­standing and (Lonely Planet) still under construction – is a familiar sight for Rotterdam locals. It’s an intrinsic aspect of the cityscape in a metropolis that never stands still and never fails to fascinate its visitors. Rotterdam, then and now Rotterdam formed around the Binnenrotte, where the little Rotte River once flowed. A dam was built here around 1270, becoming the centre of a small fishing village.T rade and shipping flourished and ‘Rotterdam’ grew rapidly. The Nieuwe Waterweg channel was excavated between 1866 and 1872, giving Rotterdam a better connection to the sea and allowing it to grow into a truly world­ class city. On 14 May 1940, during World War II, almost the entire city centre was destroyed by bombardments. The ‘fire boundary’ is still marked today by small lights in the shape of red flames embedded in the pavement. The people of Rotterdam were pro­active and hands­on; reconstruction efforts started just two weeks after the war ended. The city had the courage to make a radical break with the past, opting for spacious design and modern architecture. Light, air and space were the watchwords. In the decades that followed, Rotterdam continued its commitment to ground­breaking architecture, creating the contemporary image the city has today. That drive for innovation is still characteristic of Rotterdam’s own. The skyline is interna­ tionally acclaimed as an ‘ode to modern Maastoren architecture’, and there’s so much more to discover here. Rotterdam: a definite must­ see? Absolutely! 04 05 1 5 1. Rotterdam Central Station The low tower is 93 metres high, while the Team CS* (2014), M. Struijs (2014) highest section soars to 151 metres. The The signposting Nearly 110,000 travellers pass this spot every building has 28 lifts. begins on Rotter­ day to take the bus, tram, metro or train. The dam Central roof over the tracks is partly covered in solar 4. Calypso Station square. panels and transitions smoothly into the roof Alsop Architects (2012) The first signpost over the station hall. Its tip points towards The façade of Calypso is designed so the is located under­ the city centre. A number of historic elements building appears to be floating. Its 22 floors neath the tip of from the former station building (1957) contain 407 luxury apartments as well as the station’s designed by Sybold van Ravesteyn have been shops, offices, cafés and restaurants, and a v­shaped roof. retained, such as the original clock on the car park. At the far right, you’ll see the reno­ façade, the letters spelling out Central Station vated Pauluskerk (rust brown), where assis­ (now in LED lights) and the ‘speculaas cook­ tance to the city’s homeless and addicts. ies’, two granite sculptures on track 1. The underground metro station and bicycle park­ 5. Schouwburgplein ing facility were designed by Maarten Struijs. A. Geuze (1992-1997) * Benthem Crouwel Architects, Meyer & Van Schooten Acclaimed and denounced in equal measure Architects and West 8. by architecture critics all over the world, the Lebkov square was built on the roof of a parking ga­ This coffee bar 2. Groot Handelsgebouw rage. Various materials were used in its con­ offers an extensive H.A. Maaskant and W. van Tijen (1953) struction, including an epoxy floor, steel and selection of This national monument is a typical symbol of natural stone plates, and wooden flooring. coffees, as well post­war reconstruction in the early 1950s. The bent red lamp posts are evocative ech­ as delicious sand­ The huge structure, 220 by 84 metres in size, oes of dockside cranes. The square is lined wiches, soup and was built in the early 1950s to accommodate in sidewalk cafés, restaurants and theatres. sweet treats. businessmen who had lost their premises Savour them at during the bombardment. It was and is the 6. De Doelen your leisure or take biggest trade centre in the Netherlands. E.H. and H.M. Kraaijvanger with R.H. your order to go. There are offices and shops distributed Fledderus (1966) / J. Hoogstad (2000) Stationsplein 50 across various levels, with a 1.5 kilometre De Doelen Concert Hall and Conference ‘road’ through them. With over 170 tenants, Centre hosts many concerts every year, the building is a small town in itself and is a encompassing every genre, from classical to leading meeting place for national and inter­ world music and jazz. The acoustics of its national entrepreneurs in Rotterdam. Bar concert halls are widely praised. De Doelen Brasserie Engels is located on the Central is also home base for the Rotterdam Philhar­ Station Square side of the building. monic Orchestra. The building was expanded in 2000 to include additional con ference 3. Delftse Poort facilities and the HMD School of Music A.