Begin our road trip:
8:00 am - Pack our bags and head to the airport. Pick up a comfortable car.
9:00 am - Enjoy a calm 30 minute drive to Castle DeHaar. Entrance €21.50 each €7.50 to park. Gardens open at 9. Castle opens at 10am. Perhaps we will have a snack at the cafe there.
Typical Time Breakdown:
- Inside the Castle: 1–1.5 hours for a self-guided tour of the rooms.
- Gardens & Park: 1–2+ hours for strolling, the maze, or visiting the deer park.
- Total Experience: 3-4 hours is ideal for a relaxed visit.
Key Tips for Your Visit:
- Timed Entry: You must select a specific entry time for the castle, but you can explore the gardens for as long as you like.
1:00pm - head to Rotterdam. Check into hotel.
2:30pm - head to Rotterdam's Dutch Pinball Museum. Those who don't want to play pinball can go with Lynne on a walking tour of Delfshaven.
5:00pm - Take the metro to Markthal.
Admire the impressive new Markthal, the renowned Cube Houses, and the Erasmus Bridge. Keep walking through beautiful shopping streets and experience the modern Rotterdam lifestyle.
The cube houses are an iconic sight of Rotterdam that you can’t miss. I’m not the biggest modern architecture lover, however these cubes are absolutely fascinating to view from all different angles. For a small fee, you can enter one of the cubes, which is a museum open to the public.
The architect of the cube houses was inspired by a forest and had the concept of a urban forest back in the 1970s. The house interior is about 100 meters although the houses incorporate cool angles. Be sure not to disturb the residents, who are annoyed by the tourists.
Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk
Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk is one of the few buildings that survived the bombing of Rotterdam although it was severely damaged. Although Rotterdam is much older than the city that you see today, it’s one of the few remnants of medieval Rotterdam. The church dates back to 1449 and it’s been restored today. Protestant church services are held here although it’s possible to enjoy the views of Rotterdam from its tower (for a fee).
Dinner at Markthal
This food hall as well as residence was opened in 2014 by the Dutch Queen, Queen Maxima. Be sure to admire the stunning artwork. Cards are generally accepted here.
There’s also an Albert Heijn downstairs in case you’re looking for something else. It’s good to keep in mind that people actually have apartments with floors looking down into the food hall, which are some of the most expensive in the Netherlands.
Dinner reservations?
I would like to try one of these restaurants -
Kyatcha Rotterdam or Gastrobar Elvy