Alongside
the market floor you will find about 17 restaurants and food related
shops. The walls and ceiling are coverd with a fresco like work of art.
Smells from all kinds of food work on your appetite. Do your shopping
here, sit down to have lunch or dinner or just a snack. You can also
just marvel at the great architecture of the Market Hall that also
doubles as an apartment building with 200+ aparments, half of which
have windows directly looking into the hall. Under the hall are four
stories underground with a supermarket and parking for 1200 cars.
During the construction of the hall in the oldest part of the city, all
kind of archeological finds, that are exhibited around the level where
they were found.The Market floor is open 7 days a week from 10am till 8pm (Sun 12pm - 6pm). Restaurants open till late.
www.markthal.nl
The panoramic tower Euromast.
was built in 1958-60 and designed by the architect Maaskant. It was meant as
the focus of the 1961 flower show Floriade. Originally the tower was 100 meters
high, because Maaskant thought that you would not be able to recognise anything
from an even higher level. There was also concern that visitors might be
frightened off by a higher tower. In 1970 a smaller tower was bought from the
remains of yet another exhibition. This new tower was meant to stand on the
ground, but was now put on top of the Euromast. This made the Euromast once
again the highest structure in the city. This position was temporarily taken
over by the Rotterdam medical school of Rotterdam in 1966.
The Euromast has undergone substantial renovations early 2004 giving it a new lease of life as a viewing spot, party centre, congress centre and hotel!
An elevator takes the visitor to the viewing platform at 100 meters above the sea. A restaurant is situated just under the platform. With clear skies one can see as far as Delft, Dordrecht and even the Hague, but the view of Rotterdam itself is the best of course. A revolving lift, Euroscope, leaves every 30 minutes for a journey to 175 meters altitude.
The Euromast is open daily, all year round.
April up to September: from 9.30 to 23.00 hrs
October up to March: from 10.00 to 23.00 hrs
Platforms open till 22.00 hrs
Last ride Euroscoop at 21.45 hrs
Brasserie open till 23.00 hrs
Kitchen open till 22.15 hrs
Blijdorp Zoo
Blijdorp
Zoo is with 1,3 milion visitors easily Rotterdam’s main attraction. It was
built in 1937-41 according to a design by Sybold van Ravensteyn. The decorations
of the buildings represent the animals who live in them. During the years a lot
of the buildings have been replaced. This has improved the conditions for the
animals considerably, 
but
the architectural concept of the Zoo as a whole was lost. Especially during the
last 10 years many of the small cages were replaced by meadows, rocks and
the like, creating an environment that is much closer to the animals natural
habitat.
In 2000 the Oceanium was added to the zoo. An underwater complex on the other side of the railway line. Various kinds of fish, many of them native to the North Sea swim around you. No doubt the shark tunnel catches most visitors' attention. Next to the Oceanium is the Malaysian forest, a part of Zoo representing Asia with lots of interesting animals like Gibons and babirussa’s, as is the suspension bridge over the waterfall in the free flying zone for exotic birds and the Asian swamp that houses many water birds and swamp dwellers. In the Taman Indah (Malay for beautiful garden) you will find rhinos, tapirs and elephants.
In the summer of 1999 the green gorilla island with climbing trees and rocks was opened. From the african view points you get a good look at the gorilla’s. As Blijdorp participates in international breeding programmes you might be lucky to see new born elephants, pandas, gorillas and okapis.
Public transport: bus line 49 from Rotterdam Central Station. Car: on ring
road Noord (A20) take turn off 13 "Blijdorp" . Guarded parking lot.
Daily in summer 9.00-18.00 uur and in winter 9.00-17.00 hrs.
website: www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl
Hotel New York
The former head office of the Holland
Amerikalijn has been the home of Hotel New York since 1992. The HAL
commisioned the construction of its head office in 1901. The architects Müller
and Drooglever Fortuyn designed
the first part of the building that would be enlarged no less than three times.
From the original building only the northern facade remains. In 1908 the
architects were asked to design an addition together with Van der Tak on the
east side of the building. In 1916 the north facade was changed and the clock
tower was added. In 1918 the south facade got a new look and a second tower was
added. In 1920 the building got its present western front. In making the
additions the architects tried to maintain unity of style. The building has been
decorated with Jugendstil elements. The face holds four placques, each with two
male figures representing different continents.
During the refurbishment of the building into Hotel New York attention was given to the buildings maritme roots. All hotel rooms are different. Also the restaurant and the bar are worth a look inside. Next to the hotel is the jetty for the Watertaxi, connecting the Hotel with the Leuvenhaven and Veerhaven docks on the north bank.
Hotel New York, Koninginnehoofd 1. Kitchen open daily 7.00-23.00 uur.
Watertaxi: Two scheduled services: Veerhaven-Wilhelminakade v.v. en Leuvehaven-Wilhelminakde v.v. Sailings: daily every 10 minutes from 8.00 (weekend 9.00) thru midnight.
Fenix Food Factory
The Fenix Food Factory is a fresh food market and food court based
in a former warehouse on
the qays of the Rijnhaven docks. Food comes directly from its producers
or is made at the spot. A group of young and enthusiastic food loving
start ups. Go here to find locally sourced and produced dairy, coffee,
bread, meat, vegetables, fruit, cider. Fenix is not just for shopping
your groceries, but you can have a meal or drink too at this very
popular spot in the middle of hip and emerging Katendrecht, which is
now easily reached by a foot and bicycle bridge from the Hotel New York
and the Wilhelminapier.
Entrepot docks
The Entrepothaven or Freeport is dominated by the
eye catching Entrepot building "De Vijfwerelddelen" (Five
Continents). The building was completed in 1879 by the Rotterdam Trade
Corporation just before it filed for bankruptcy. It was one of the most modern
warehouses in the world at the time. In 1995 is was converted into an apartment
building. The names of the five continents on the facade still remind of its
original purpose. On the ground floor you’ll find a world supermarket
of the Jumbo chain, specialised in domestic and exotic food. Next to it is a
fair choice of restaurants. In front of Jumbo’s entrance is the
statue of L. Pincoffs, the founder of the Rotterdam Trade Corporation who, in
spite of his fraudulent schemes, has
taken a lot of initiatives furthering the development of the Rotterdam Port. The
dock itself has become a luxury marina. On the other side of the dock on
Rijksboom you’ll find a gym and a gourmet restaurant.
Erasmus Bridge
After the succes of the Willem Bridge in 1981 the
Rotterdam City Council decided in the late 1980s to built yet another eye
catching bridge. The Erasmus bridge was opened in 1996 and was
already nicknamed
"Swan" long before its completion. It is a suspension bridge and the pylon is
123 metres high. This was big news in its own right. The bridge
is an essential link to the former docklands on the sout
bank of the river and making them part of the the city centre. The monumental
character of the bridge makes it an icon of the city. The
bridge is flood lit during the evening and night.