BOTERWAAG
Grote Markt 28
BAR
070 36 238 62 www.boterwaag.nl
The vaulted ceilings in this large bar make it feel like you’re drinking in a cathedral, which seems appropriate given that so many of the excellent Belgian beers they serve were brewed by monks.
Tram #2 or 6 to Grote Markt. Or from Buitenhof, walk straight down the square with your back to the Hofijver, follow signs for Grote Kerk, and then make a left at the church. Beerfrom €2.20. Open M-W 10am-1am, Th-Sa 10am-1:30am, Su 10am-1am.
DE PAAP
Papestraat 32
BAR, CONCERT VENUE
070 36 520 02 www.depaap.nl
De Paap is simply the best rock cafe in town, attracting a fairly diverse group of rock, punk, funk, and cover bands. After the live acts end, the music keeps going until late, either with a DJ or whatever the bartenders feel like playing.
Tram #17 to Gravenstraat. Walk up Hoogstraat and left on Papestraat. Beer from €2. Open Th 7pm-4am, F 5pm-5am, Sa 7pm-5am.
PAARD VAN TROJE (TROJAN HORSE)
Prinsengracht 12
CLUB, CONCERT VENUE
070 36 018 38 www.paard.nl
Probably the largest and most diverse nightlife spot in the city, Paard van Troje hosts an assortment of bands and DJs. Things die down a bit in the summer, but at least that means there is usually no cover. Some nights are more concert-y, some more club-y—generally dancing will get going after 1am.
Tram #2 or 6 to Grote Markt. If there is cover, usually €5-12; free entrance with student ID on Th. Beerfrom €2.20. Hours vary, generally open Th-F 11pm-4am, Sa 11pm-5am.
ESSENTIALS
Practicalities
• TOURIST OFFICES: VVV. (Hofweg 1 070 36 188 60 www.denhaag.nl Open M-F 9:30am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 11am-6pm.)
• INTERNET: Bibliotheek Den Haag. (Spui 68 070 35 344 55 www.bibliotheekdenhaag.nl Tram #2 or 6 to Spui. Free Wi-Fi. Internet €2.80 per hr. Open June-Aug M noon-8pm, Tu-F 10am-8pm, Sa 10am-5pm; Sept-May M noon-8pm, Tu-F 10am-8pm, Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm.)
Emergency!
• POLICE: Politie Haaglanden is the regional police department for The Hague. (Jan Hendrikstraat 85. 070 900 88 44 www.politie.nl/haaglanden)
• LATE-NIGHT PHARMACIES: Dienstapotheeks are the 24hr. pharmacies. They rotate depending on the day. To find the nearest one in your neighborhood, check at your closest pharmacy or call 070 34 510 00.
• HOSPITALS/MEDICAL SERVICES: Bronovo Hospital. (Bronovolaan 5 070 31 241 41 www.bronovo.nl Tram #22, 23, or 28 to Bronovo Ziekenhuis.)
Getting There
Den Haag Centraal is the main train station. Trains from Amsterdam ( €10.10. 1hr., 1-6 per hr.), Rotterdam ( €4.30. 30-45min., 1-6 per hr.), and Utrecht ( €9.70. 35-40min., 1-6 per hr.)
Getting Around
HTM (www.htm.net) is the public transport network for The Hague, Scheveningen, and Delft. If you’re staying in a hotel outside the center, want to visit one of the more distant museums, or intend to check out the beach at Scheveningen, the tram network is your best bet. HTM uses the strippenkaart system that has gone out of style in Amsterdam; you can purchase the tickets (€7.60 for 15 strips) at the train station and then present the tickets to be stamped by the driver or stamp them yourself on the tram. Most rides within The Hague will cost two to three strips. Or, take a bike, which you can rent from Rijwielshop Den Haag (Koningin Julianaplein 10 070 38 532 35 www.rijwielshopdenhaag.nl) or Rent a Bike The Hague (Noordeinde 59 070 32 657 90 www.rentabikethehague.nl).
rotterdam
010
If you’ve spent a lot of time in other parts of the Netherlands, you may have forgotten what a skyscraper looks like. Rotterdam is here to remind you. It’s strategic importance as a port city drew Nazi attention during WWII, and in May 1940, a massive bombing campaign razed virtually the entire city center. The reconstruction effort that followed in the postwar period focused on building a modern, revitalized city, and those efforts have left an indelible mark, creating a legacy of fascinating architecture and cutting-edge art that continues to this day. Rebuilding also imbued Rotterdammers with a fierce sense of city pride, most evident when you hear them talk about Amsterdam, their bitter rival in soccer and just about everything else. There’s certainly a lot for the port city’s residents to be proud of: Rotterdam, in addition to being a center for architecture and culture, boasts terrific festivals, live music, and some of the hippest nightlife you can imagine—all with an extremely laid-back attitude.
ORIENTATION
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands, but pretty much all points of interest lie within a fairly small perimeter. The two main arteries are Coolsingel/Schiedamsedijk, which passes the main historical museums as it runs south from Stadhuis to the Erasmus Bridge, and Westblaak/Blaak, which stretches from the Erasmus Medical Center west toward the Cube Houses, passing Museumpark and the principal art museums along the way. These two roads intersect at Beurs, a huge commercial center filled with lots of shopping and fast food.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The accommodations in Rotterdam pretty accurately reflect its split between business-focused industrial city and youthful cultural hotspot. Some really excellent hostels can be found here in addition to a few reasonably priced hotels.
ROOM HOSTEL
Van Vollenhovenstraat 62
HOSTEL
010 28 272 77 www.roomrotterdam.nl
Ask anyone who has stayed here about the hostel, and the first thing they’ll mention is the fun-loving and extremely kind international staff. Everyone who works here loves the hostel and loves Rotterdam and they’ll help you to do the same as you chat over a beer in the popular hostel bar. The rooms aren’t half bad, either.
Tram #4 or 7 to Westplein. Walk back the way the tram came and then 1 block up Van Vollenhovenstraat. 4- to 10-bed dorms €18.50-25.50; doubles €50-55.
STAYOKAY ROTTERDAM (HI)
Overblaak 85-87
HOSTEL
010 43 657 63 www.stayokay.com
This hostel embraces the ultramodern aesthetic of its architectually unique setting: the lobby and bar are glossy and bright orange, and the rooms are done up in space-age white and gray. True to the standard of Stayokays everywhere, the rooms are impeccably clean.
Blaak. Exit the station and look up; you’ll see the houses. It’s easiest to find the hostel if you go under the houses toward the water and follow the signs up the ramp. Dorms €20.50-31.
HOTEL BAZAR
Witte de Withstraat 16
HOTEL
010 20 651 51 www.bazarrotterdam.nl
Enjoy exquisitely decorated rooms based on the Middle East, Africa, and South America: the colors of each theme are vibrant and the furnishings lovely. And you’re right in the heart of the nighttime action on Witte de Withstraat.
Tram #7 or 20 to Museumpark. Walk away from the water down Witte de Withstraat. Singles €70; doubles €80-130.
SKYLINE HOTEL
’s-Gravendijkwal 70-72
HOTEL
010 43 640 40
Skyline is surprisingly nice for the price, with a location that’s conveniently near both Centraal Station and the bustling area by Witte de Withstraat and the Binnenwegs. A brightly tiled bar is downstairs.
Tram #4 to ’s-Gravendijkwal then walk north a little. Singles €49; doubles €75; triples €95.
SIGHTS
Rotterdam’s architecture is one of its most famous attractions, and the post-war explosion of modernity has given the city not just an impressive skyline but also a vibrant contemporary art scene.
MUSEUM BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN
Museumpark 18-20
MUSEUM
010 44 194 00 www.boijmans.nl
Absolutely one of the foremost art museums in the Netherlands, Boijmans van Beuningen boasts a collection that spans hundreds of works and multiple centuries but nothing in the exhibits feels superfluous. The permanent collection begins with medieval art
from Italy and Northern Europe, then has a few rooms with works by Dutch masters like Bruegel, Bosch, and Rembrandt. Further along, there are rooms of Impressionism, a terrific group of Surrealist works (Dalì and Magritte in particular), and a remarkable set of Expressionist pieces, notably those by Kandinsky.
Eendrachtsplein. Walk south on Westersingel and make the 1st right; you’ll see the flags of the museum. €10, students €5, under 18 or with Museumjaarkaart free. Free entrance on W. Open Tu-Su 11am-5pm.
NETHERLANDS ARCHITECTURE INSTITUTE (NAI)
Museumpark 25
MUSEUM
010 44 013 58 en.nai.nl
It’s appropriate that a city with architecture as interesting as Rotterdam’s would be home to one of the best institutes for architecture in the world. The glass and steel building, designed by Jo Coenen, contains an exhibition space, library, and a huge architecture archive. The museum is scheduled to re-open from construction in January 2011. When it does, it will feature a segment dedicated to the Institute’s conception of “architecture as consequence”—the idea that architecture can be promoted as a solution to many of the world’s social and environmental problems.
Eendrachtsplein. Walk south on Westersingel and make the 1st right; it’s just past the Boijmans Museum. €8, students and seniors €5, under 18 or with Museumjaarkaart free. Museum and Sonneveld House open Tu-Sa 10am-5pm, Su 11am-5pm. Library open July-Aug M-F 10am-5pm; Sept-June M-Sa 10am-5pm.
KUBUSWONIG (CUBE HOUSES)
Overblaak 70
ARCHITECTURE
010 41 422 85 www.kubuswonig.nl
These exceptionally weird additions to Rotterdam’s architecture were designed by Piet Blom in 1982 as a new sort of housing complex. Bright yellow cubes, rotated and set atop concrete columns, form a “forest,” with commercial establishments on the lower promenade and residences inside the cube.
Blaak or tram #21 to Station Blaak. €2.50. Show Cube open daily 11am-5pm.
ST. LAURENSKERK
Grote Kerkplein 15
CHURCH
010 41 314 94 www.laurenskerkrotterdam.nl
This magnificent 17th-century building seems out of place in modern Rotterdam. It was virtually destroyed in the 1940 bombing, but its remains became a symbol of the wartime city. Since those tragic years, the building has been restored to its original design, a huge, vaulted neo-Gothic structure with amazing space and light.
Blaak or tram #21 to Station Blaak. Facing the Cube Houses, walk to your left; you’ll see the church tower a few blocks up ahead. Open Tu-Sa 10am-4pm.
MUSEUM HET SCHIELANDSHUIS (HISTORICAL MUSEUM)
Korte Hoogstraat 31
MUSEUM
010 21 767 67 www.hmr.rotterdam.nl
This excellent museum on the history of Rotterdam lies in one of the few buildings of the city center that survived the bombing. The permanent collection on the first floor consists of a well-designed exhibit that takes you on a tour of the growth, destruction, and rebuilding of the city.
Beurs or tram #8, 23, or 25 to Churchillplein. Walk down Blaak and make a left onto Korte Hoogstraat. €5, under 17 or with Museumjaarkaart free. Open Tu-Su 11am-5pm.
COFFEESHOPS AND SMARTSHOPS
Of the few coffeeshops in Rotterdam, virtually all are merely takeout spots—none of the comfy, pillow-strewn interiors familiar to smokers in Amsterdam here. On the plus side, the weed and hash do tend to be slightly cheaper. Head to Nieuwe Binnenweg to find numerous shops.
REEFER
Oppert 1
COFFEESHOP
010 41 226 13
This is one of the only coffeeshops in Rotterdam where people—virtually all locals—actually stick around after buying their weed. The large smoking room (tobacco allowed) has couches, pool, foosball, and free computers.
Tram #7 or 8 to Meent. Walk down Meent and make a right onto Oppert. Extremely strict about ID. Weed and hash €4-12 per g; joints €2.50-3.50. Open daily 10am-midnight.
FOOD
Eating is a pleasure in Rotterdam, whose international character brings in a plethora of affordable ethnic options. For cheap Chinese and shawarma, check out Witte de Withstraat, where the stores are conveniently open as late as most of the bars. Slightly nicer sit-down ethnic places are to the north on Nieuwe Binnenweg. The area north of the Cube Houses, behind the Laurenskerk, is full of interesting cafes.
BAGEL BAKERY
Schilderstraat 57a
BAGELS, MEDITERRANEAN
010 41 121 560
Both businesspeople and tourists pop into this fresh and airy restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy bagels and a variety of toppings (all kinds of cream cheese, mozzarella and tomato, tuna with olive tapenade, etc.).
Beurs or tram #8, 23, or 25 to Churchillplein. Walk south on Schiedamsedijk and make a right onto Schilderstraat. Bagels €2-8. Entrees from €11. Open Tu-W 9am-5:30pm, Th-F 9am-10pm, Sa 10am-10pm, Su 10am-5:30pm.
FAFI
Witte de Withstraat 93b
CHINESE, INDONESIAN
010 41 400 02
Just what every bar-filled street needs: a Chinese greasy spoon where you can satisfy your drunkies with some pork fried rice. This one ups the ante by adding even more kinds of noodles and curries to its extensive menu.
Tram #7 or 20 to Museumpark. It’s right on the corner with Eendrachtsweg. Sandwiches €2-3. Entrees €7-12. Open M-Th 11:30am-2am, F-Sa 11:30am-4am, Su 2pm-2am.
BAZAR
Witte de Withstraat 16
MIDDLE EASTERN
010 20 651 51 www.bazarrotterdam.com
Festive Arabian fairytale decor (including some very cool glass and beaded lanterns) makes Bazar’s dining room feel quite magical. The food is a mix of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, with an assortment of dishes that includes falafel salads, Turkish pizzas, fancy kebabs, and baked vegetarian plates.
Tram #7 or 20 to Museumpark. Walk away from the water down Witte de Withstraat. Sandwiches and lunch entrees €4-10. Dinner entrees €12-16. Open M-Th 8am-1am, F 8am-2am, Sa 9am-2am, Su 9am-midnight.
LEBKOV AND SONS
Stationsplein 50
CAFE, SANDWICHES
010 24 006 17 www.lebkov.com
You can find this purveyor of top-notch sandwiches in a random corner next to the train station. The selection of sandwiches on wonderfully plump bread is mouth-watering, though the store also does soups, salads, and desserts.
Facing Rotterdam Centraal, it’s on the left of the main square. Sandwiches €2.25-3.50. Open M-F 6am-7pm, Sa 9am-5pm.
NIGHTLIFE
Nightlife in Rotterdam is painted as the only Dutch scene to rival Amsterdam’s. The Witte de Withstraat and Oude Binnenweg area offers a fantastic bar scene, with live music or sweet stuff on the stereo at practically any watering hole you hit up. Student nightlife is centered on Oudehaven, in the west of the city. For clubs, head to the area near Kruiskade and Stadhuis just south of the station. Rotterdam’s GLBT nightlife isn’t as extensive as Amsterdam’s, but there are a few good bars and clubs surrounding Van Oldenbarneveltstraat.
DE WITTE AAP
Witte de Withstraat 78
BAR
010 41 495 65 www.dewitteaap.nl
De Witte Aap is filled with a sizeable crowd of urban-artsy locals lingering on the street patio or along the curvaceous bar pretty much every night of the week. Besides the friendly bartenders and the overall air of hip-dom, the main attraction here is the well-chosen soundtrack of mashed-up hip hop.
Tram #7 or 20 to Museumpark. Walk straight down Witte de Withstraat. Beer from €2. Open M-Th 4pm-4am, F-Sa 4pm-5am, Su 4pm-4am.
DIZZY
’s-Gravendijkwal 127
BAR, JAZZ CLUB
010 47 730 14 www.dizzy.nl
An established institution in a city renowned for the largest jazz festival in Europe, Dizzy has quite the reputation. With jam sessions on Monday, live jazz Tuesday and Thursday, funk DJs on Friday, and Brazilian jazz on Saturday, there’s no shortage of things to
hear.
Tram #4 to ’s-Gravendijkwal. Beer from €2.20. Open M-F noon-2am, Sa 4pm-2am, Su 4-11pm. Music usually starts at 10pm.
DE SCHOUW
Witte de Withstraat 80
BAR
010 41 242 53
A stubbornly simple and local bar plastered with old concert posters and photographs, De Schouw is full of regulars enjoying a drink and possibly a game of chess. Attached to the exterior is de Aanschouw Rotterdam, quite possibly the smallest gallery in the world—it’s just a glass box with a single piece of art inside.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 174