Ten years ago, if I said to someone in the Netherlands that I lived in Rotterdam, I would be get a look full of pity or a scornful laugh in return. For a long time, the second largest city in the Netherlands was a place understood by few and often dismissed as cold and sterile. Nowadays, I’m met with expressions of jealousy and have dozens of friends and colleagues who would move here in a heartbeat. The reason? Rotterdam has become the hippest city in the country and is developing at breakneck speed. It has been featured in many hot lists in leading travel magazines, too.
All the same, Rotterdam is more difficult to truly comprehend for an outsider than Amsterdam or Haarlem, where the centre is concentrated around picturesque canals and medieval mansions. In Rotterdam, the best locations are spread across the city, and you more or less have to be in the know to find them. But the good news is that you’ll know exactly where to go after reading this article!