The best spots at hip Katendrecht and Kop van Zuid in Rotterdam

The main shopping streets in Rotterdam are De Lijnbaan, De Koopgoot and De Binnenweg. For the real Rotterdam atmosphere and a wide range of unique boutiques and tasty hotspots visit De Meent, De Pannekoekstraat and De Witte de Withstraat. But don't forget the iconic Market Hall! On our page shopping in Rotterdam read all you need to know. 

Most stores in the center of Rotterdam are open weekdays and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Shopping night is on Friday night until 21:00. The Market Hall is open almost daily until 20:00, on Friday until 21:00 and Sunday until 18:00. Department store De Bijenkorf is open until 8:00 p.m. on weekdays (and until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays).

There are some important sights that you should not miss while visiting Rotterdam. Rotterdam is famous for its architecture and you can find a number of iconic buildings in the city. During a city break Rotterdam, be sure to visit The Market Hall, the Cube Houses, the Euromast, the Boijmans van Beuningen Depot and the Erasmus Bridge. Also Blijdorp Zoo, the Maritime Museum and the Laurenskerk are beautiful sights in Rotterdam. Read our article about The most beautiful Instagram spots in Rotterdam for a list of photogenic sights. 

The center of Rotterdam is a popular choice for many travelers. Here you will find the bustling shopping streets, various restaurants, attractions such as the Market Hall and the Cube Houses and nightlife. A convenient and reliable way to book a hotel is through Booking.com. View the offer hotels in the city center of Rotterdam. Other neighborhoods we recommend are:

• Kralingen-Crooswijk: near the Kralingse Bos, but still close to downtown; 
  
• Delfshaven: here you will find the historic piece of city Historic Delfshaven; 
• Kop van Zuid: near the iconic Erasmus Bridge and surrounded by many fun hotspots;
• The Shipping Quarter: an emerging neighborhood in Rotterdam. 

There are more and more cozy boutique hotels in Rotterdam. We are very happy about that, because the atmosphere in boutique hotels is often so homely. We definitely recommend these! The best boutique hotels are if you ask us The Bellhop, Hotel Unplugged, Le Marin and The James. 

Curious about our personal hotel reviews? Check out our page overnight in Rotterdam. 

The best way to travel to Rotterdam is by public transportation. Rotterdam Centraal is a major train station and offers excellent connections to other cities in the Netherlands and abroad. Rotterdam Central station is within walking distance of the shopping streets De Lijnbaan and De Koopgoot. Do you travel further by metro? Then it's best to get off at metro station Beurs.

Rotterdam is also easily accessible by car. There are several parking options in and around the city center. Keep in mind that parking in the center can sometimes be expensive. In terms of parking, we recommend parking garage Schouwburgplein in the Weena tunnel. This garage is located in the center of Rotterdam, but is cheaper than other parking garages in the center. Don't mind taking public transport to the city center? Then park your car at the P+R Kralingse Zoom. 

There are lots of good restaurants in Rotterdam. The city is very multicultural, so you can find many different international cuisines in Rotterdam. We have compiled several lists of recommended restaurants. Discover for example the best Italian restaurants in Rotterdam, the tastiest sushi restaurants in Rotterdam and The best Latin American hotspots in Rotterdam. On our page hotspots in Rotterdam discover many more great addresses. 

Rotterdam has several cozy neighborhoods that are very different in character. That is exactly what makes Rotterdam such a diverse city. The nicest districts are The Shipping Quarter, the area around The Witte de With street, hip Katendrecht, the Kop van Zuid, Historic Delfshaven, Blijdorp and Kralingen. 

Rotterdam offers some beautiful parks where you can relax, walk and enjoy the green surroundings. The Park next to the Euromast and the Kralingse Bos are definitely among the most beautiful parks in Rotterdam. For a complete overview of the parks you can read our article on Rotterdam's most beautiful parks. 

Fond of markets? Then Rotterdam is the right city for you. Our favorites are the Saturday market on Blaak and the Rotterdam Harvest Market (also on Saturdays). The Rotterdam Harvest Market is a weekly farmers market on the Noordplein. You can go here for all kinds of fresh ingredients and delicacies. It is also a nice meeting place for locals.