Windmills
De Distilleerketel
De Distilleerketel 'the Distillers' Kettle was rebuilt in 1986 after the original mill was destroyed in WW2. The original mill from 1727 was meant for grinding malt for the numerous distilleries in Delfshaven. Now it works as a mill for grinding wheat on a commercial basis.
Rotterdam has only seven windmills left. Of these, only De Ster and De Lelie are open to visitors on a regular basis. Other windmills are open to visitors when the mill is turning easy enough to see, but there are some exceptions to this rule of thumb. A blue flag also indicates that the mill is open to visitors.
Windmills De Ster and De Lelie
These two windmills Star and Lily date from 1777 and 1829. They are very handsomely situated on the side of the Kralingse Plas lake. The mills do still do their original job wich is grinding ingredients for spices and snuff tobacco. Adjacent is a small shop where these products are sold.
De Prinsenmolen
De Prinsenmolen dates back to 1648 and worked until 1966 to keep the adjacent polder dry. It's a house now, but the mill is still in working order. It's a nice walk alongside the Bergse Voorplas lake.
De Vier Winden
De Vier Winden was built in 1776. Until 1964 it was used to grind wheat. Although the mill itself is not open to visitors, it has a small shop with old fashioned mill-products.
De Speelman
De Speelman was built in 1712. Heavily damaged during WW2 it was restored and moved to it's present location.
De Zandweg
De Zandweg dates from 1723. It's situated at the southern part of town called Charlois. When walking a litlle bit futher you can also see the nice Oliphant country mansion.
Monuments
Erasmus Statue
The statue of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam stands opposite the Grote of Sint Laurenskerk. It is a handsome bronze of the hand of sculptor Keijser and dates from 1622. Children are told by the elderly that Erasmus turns his page every hour.
De Verwoeste Stad Statue
This statue, "The Destroyed City", by the Franco-Belarussian sculptor Ossip Zadkine dates from 1953. Zadkine got his inspiration when visiting Rotterdam shortly after the second world war. The cubist statue depicting a man in agony who just lost his heart symbol of the bombed city centre still evokes strong feelings in Rotterdam.
City Hall
Rotterdam City Hall was built in 1914 in a somewhat exuberant Art Deco style. It is nice to walk into the monumental main hall and see the statues. The courtyard is also worth a look. As the City Hall is still in use you are free to enter the public areas and have a look. The other halls will be off limits, unless you can persuade one of the guards to open the showpiece Burgerzaal for you. The City Hall also has a belltower with carillon which is often played, while the roof of the middel tower is made of gold.
Sylvette
This large work by Pablo Picasso was erected in 1973. It is one of the elaborations Picasso made based on the portraits of his muse Sylvette David. Definitely worth a look.
Historic churches
Paradijskerk
This church only dates from 1910, but it was built on purpose to house the baroque interior from 1719 of its predecessor. It is interesting to have a look at the baroque carvings. Also noteworthy that this church belongs to the small Old Catholic denomination.
Please note that in The Netherlands churches are generally closed to visitors on Sundays.
Grote of Sint Laurenskerk
The "Great or Saint Lawrence church" Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of Rotterdam is a late-gothic inner city landmark that dates from the year 1449. It is nice to visit its spacious and attractive, but not so elegant interior. Of special interest are the large organ and the elaborate graves of Dutch sea heroes Kortenaer, Witte de With and Van Brakel. All kinds of cultural and musical venues take place here.
Pilgrimfathers' church
This historic church, the Oude Kerk old church of Delfshaven, is from which the Pilgrim Fathers set sail to the new world. The building dates from 1417. It is also possible to attend to classical concerts here.
HH. Laurentius en Elisabethkathedraal
The cathedral of Rotterdam Roman Catholic is a somewhat heavy neo romanesque creation from 1907. The interior is quite well proportioned and atmospheric. Sunday mass is at 11.00 sometimes with a good choir. Besides assisting at the normally well attended mass you can walk in before or after to have a look inside.
Museums
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
The museum, founded in 1849, houses a rich, broad collection that can be generally grouped into four wings: Old Art, with masterpieces such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder's The "little" Tower of Babel 1563. The collection of Prints and Drawings and the collection of Applied Arts and Design with their international allure. And the Modern Art wing has an important collection of surrealism, prominently featuring Salvador Dalà and René Magritte.
Kunsthal
An exhibition hall that houses some 25 expositions annually. The Kunsthal often experiments with themes that have never been used for an exhibition before. This approach produces a fascinating and widely varied repertoire. In total, the Kunsthal has 3,300 m² of exhibition space in a striking building, designed by OMA Rem Koolhaas / Fuminori Hoshino and is a true work of art all on its own.
Nederlands Fotomuseum
The Nederlands Fotomuseum focuses on photography in the broadest sense of the word. By doing so, the museum wants to show the diversity of forms of photography. Not only as an artistic form of expression, but also and especially as a medium of social expression and commentary.
NAi: Netherlands Architecture institute
The ticket for the NAI also provides access to Sonneveld House Museum.
Zoo and botanical gardens
Rotterdam Zoo
Rotterdam Zoo Dutch: Diergaarde Blijdorp, established in 1857, is one of the most popular day trips in the Netherlands. Walk through different parts of the world, seeing interesting animals that feel right at home in an approximation of their natural habitats. An interesting feature of Rotterdam Zoo is the Oceanium. Feast your eyes on your journey through this enchanting world of water, filled with ocean and coastal dwellers, including exotic fish and puffins.
Botanische Tuin Kralingen
This small botanical garden is known for its medicinal plants. As it is currently being brought back to its old glory the visit is recommended if you were to walk by, or for garden buffs.
Arboretum Trompenburg
Arboretum Trompenburg, dating back to 1820, is a lovely park filled with well-designed walking paths. The seven hectare park houses a rich collection of trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.