6th International Communicating the Museum Conference
Building Partnerships : How to enlarge audiences

Rotterdam

Best Places in Rotterdam: City guide pdf format, 1 Mb

The Conference gave the opportunity to many attendees to discover Rotterdam, one of the most exciting cities in Europe for its modern and contemporary architecture as well as its very lively cultural atmosphere. Thanks to an exceptional hospitality, the Conference reflected the rich diversity of the city and participants enjoyed the pleasure to be host in its most historic sites - such as the Wereld Museum or the Stadhuis - or in new buildings, such as the Kunsthal or the NAI, already landmarks for international contemporary architecture and design. To get the more of the city, some of our hosts listed some of their favourite places in town:

Jacques Börger, Historisch Museum Rotterdam

  • (Metro)station Blaak
    On the lower level of this station is a small piece of the old walls of the city, unearthed during excavations for the railway tunnel. Walk around this area, preferably on Saturday-market day, visit the library, drink a jenever and eat a raw herring, and imagine what it was once like....
  • Laurenskerk and surroundings
    The Laurens church was built in the 15th century, on the site of an earlier church. The Laurens church was built with several functions in mind and has those now too. The statue of the philosopher Erasmus on the plain in front of the church marks the probable birthplace of Erasmus, in a house in the Wijde Kerksteeg. Nothing remains of this street where he spoke his first words: "mama", for he had no "papa". Some problems in Rotterdam are very old.
  • Take a walk along the Maas, in particular along the "Boompjes".
    The Boompjes was once such a beautiful wharf that it was compared to Venice. Walking along the north bank of the Maas is a special experience now as well: take in the city-beach, a view of the Noorder island, the Erasmus bridge and the Veerhaven.
  • Statue of Count Willem IV in front of the Schielandshuis.
    The statue is not so special, but it does commemorate the person who gave Rotterdam "stadsrechten" (a privileged status as a city). Opposite the statue of Willem IV the statue of the politician Pim Fortuyn, who was assassinated in 2002 and recently voted the most important Netherlander in history in a TV-programme. Admire the statues and then visit the Schielandshuis, one of the oldest buildings in the city and the place where you can see the history of Rotterdam from Willem IV to Pim Fortuyn.
  • The Zakkendragershuisje in Delfshaven.
    The historical centre of Delfshaven is one of the few visible remnants of the history of Rotterdam. There is plenty to see: the house where Piet Hein was born, but especially the tiny building called the "Zakkendragershuisje". The building was a meeting-place for people in one of Rotterdam's oldest professions: the people who loaded the ships in the harbours. To get a good perspective on the area, visit the "Dubbelde Palmboom" and find out who Piet Hein was, and why Rotterdam has always been a bustling city. Finish your afternoon on the terrace of the Bowery (always sunny around 5 pm) and enjoy one of the beers that are brewed here. Another special historical sensation!

Saskia Cornelissen, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

  • Huis Sonneveld (fun for non art-lovers too!). Large villa next to the NAi, built in the 1930's and fully restored to it's original state, including furniture, wallpaper and kitchen fittings. Take the audiotour to find out all about the people who lived here. www.nai.nl
  • Maastunnel (especially on foot or by bicycle). Built between 1937 and 1942 and sinking to 20 metres under sealevel, it has special tunnels and escalators for cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Maasboulevard at sunset, lookout point near Tropicana, where you have the best view of Rotterdam and can see all the bridges.
  • Bram Ladage at the Binnenwegplein, the best Dutch French Fries in Rotterdam (don't forget to ask for mayonnaise with your fries).
  • Eating out / drinks in the area around the Veerhaven. Catch a watertaxi to the other side of the river if there's something on at Las Palmas or Café Rotterdam.

Carlie Janszen, Rotterdam Marketing

  • Strand aan de Maas: during the summer months Rotterdam has a mini beach close to the Erasmus bridge. Lounge, relax, catch a tan and watch the beautiful people pass by. www.strandaandemaas.nl for photo's from last year.
  • Hotel New York is a landmark in Rotterdam. Visiting this design gem is even more special if you go there by Water Taxi. www.hotelnewyork.nl
  • The Witte de With straat is the city's best street for shopping, art galleries, restaurants and the coolest people in Rotterdam.
  • Visit the Lloydkwartier, a brand new area at a former quay, now filled with daring architecture. Relax at the restaurants 'Stroom' or 'Wijn of water'. www.lloydkwartier.nl
  • Take the Fast Ferry to Kinderdijk, and see Dutch landscape as it was 300 years ago with windmills, open fields, water, waving reeds and just the sound of the wind whipping past your ears. www.kinderdijk.nl

Angela Riddering, Municipal Services for Arts and Culture

  • Rotterdam's most famous club: Now and Wow. Don't get there before 12, and count on staying till at least 5. The club is in an old grain silo and mixes beats, art and fashion in it's very own special way. www.now-wow.com
  • Prefer to start a little earlier: everybody who is anybody in the cultural world settles at the terraces of the Wester Paviljoen on the Nieuwe Binnenweg in the early evening. Half the fun is of course watching the non-cultures across the road at 'Arie', which is also a good club to visit, often with live music.
  • Most bars close at about 2 or 3 am, but there are a few places that carry on till late. Most notorious: Willens en Wetens on the Nieuwe Binnenweg, and the 'Tramhuis' at Eendrachtsplein. Both bars are filled with people who don't want to go home yet, but probably should have done so a few hours earlier.
  • Relaxing views of old boats and harbours, terraces with the last bit of sun, lots of cheerful people: all of these in ample supply at the Oude Haven and the first bit of Delfshaven.
  • Anything you had no idea existed in the world of music and film at WORM, housed in a 17th century warehouse and built entirely out of 2nd hand material, this is the place for weird, wonderfull and surprising performances. Check www.wormweb.nl to find out what's on.

Irma van Lierop, Rotterdam Festivals

  • Camping Rotterdam: a camp-camping site from the 6th to the 10th of july. Music, theatre, acts and of course a campsite where you can pitch your tent, a genuine camping-canteen and bingo!.
  • Festival op Zuid presents talents from many of the 163 different cultures living in Rotterdam, closing weekend on the 6th and 7th of July.
  • North Sea Round Town. The North Sea Jazz Festival has moved from the Hague to Rotterdam and will be on during the weekend of the 14th of July. The weekend of the 7th of July is part of the 'warming-up' with lots of open-air performances in and around town. Check www.northseajazz.nl for more information about the programme.
  • One of Rotterdams best dance companies, Danceworks, presents Mind and Matter in the St. Laurenschurch on the 7th of July. Very special place to watch it: the only church in the centre of Rotterdam that survived the bombing in 1940. www.danceworksrotterdam.nl.
  • For all musical fans: Beauty and the Beast is on at the Nieuwe Luxor Theatre. Worth a visit just for the architecture, preview on www.luxortheater.nl