I need suggestions of what to do in Rotterdam. We will be going there in middle November. We will take the train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and we will only be spending the day there.....we will be walking mostly if possible and I need suggestion of where to go and what to do..we enjoy museums, food and honestly we enjoy doing almost anything..any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also when we arrive by train in Rotterdam is it possible to walk to places from there....

I did a day trip to Rotterdam from Haarlem not long ago - I visited a slew of museums and walked around the modern pedestrian shopping area and ogled all the neat contemporary architecture all around.

The best museums to me were the Ship and Ship Building Museum, on the waterfront - by it is a Hollywood and Vine type sidewalk with hand prints in cement of many famous folk who performed in some concert venue here - I also enjoyed the modern art museum and a museum devoted to architecture, with a very avant garde collection and I also visited the Historical museum - be sure to get a National Museum Card for 39 euros as it lets you in all these museums plus 34 in Amsterdam, including the Anne Frank House and of course museums all over Holland. Buy it at any museum - just a few major museums make it pay off.

On previous visits to Rotterdam I visited the older part of town from where the Pilgrims sailed to the New World, after coming to Holland from England. You can also go up to the top of the EuroMast - a tall structure overlooking one of the world's busiest ports and take a boat ride out there to boot.

There are two types of trains Amsterdam to Rotterdam - via Leiden, Den Hague and Delft - many trains on this route and cheaper than the new high-speed route that goes direct Amsterdam to Rotterdam, quicker but about $12 or so more expensive each way I think and not all that much quicker. Plus on the old route if you love modern architecture you can at least see The Hague's gaggle of contemporary buildings from the train as it goes thru it.

Delfshaven is the name of the old district not much bombed out where the Pilgrim's once were and their church is a site there.

Delfshaven Rotterdam - Sights in Rotterdam - Information, opening ...
http://www.cityguiderotterdam.com/th...hts/delfshaven - Block all www.cityguiderotterdam.com results
Delfshaven Rotterdam. Here you will find information, opening hours, rates, directions and reviews about Delfshaven in Rotterdam.

Delfshaven - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DelfshavenDelfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas, in South Holland, the Netherlands. It was a separate municipality until 1886. ...

Right beside the Old (or Pilgrim Fathers) Church in Delfshaven is the Pelgrim brewpub, making nice beer and serving tasty food. I bought a souvenir glass, a distinctive small Pilsner in the European style. Here's a picture of the cafe; I can't help with the translation http://www.pelgrimbier.nl/
For more on Rotterdam "brown cafes", or pubs, go here http://patto1ro.home.xs4all.nl/rdampubs.htm They are a major attraction, although the sad truth is that these days most of the interesting beers are brought in from Belgium. Still, the brew is a major part of the culture.
For anyone with a maritimes interest, a cruise of the harbour is unbeatable. The greatest port in Europe -- it's huge, and often swept by chilly breezes -- Rotterdam still is among the top three shippers in the world (with Singapore and Shanghai.)
The port explains why it was bombed by both sides during the Second world War. That damage led to the extensive experiments in urban planning and redevelopment that has given the city-centre a unique look with both interesting and ugly experiments in creating a modern city with ancient roots.

Rotterdam is about as interesting as a concrete wall. Have you thought about Den Haag or Delft or Haarlem?

It depends on what your interests are spaarne and IMO such a blanket statement shows your cultural biases. Rotterdam to me was one of the most fascinating places I've been - totally unique - it depends on what one likes for a place to be interesting.

for one thing it is not just another old Dutch town - the Delfts, Haarlems, Goudas, etc which are lovely but lovely peas in pods in being the same. Rotterdam is something different - a Dresden of Holland, being totally rebuilt from WW2 rubble, etc.

That you make such a comment lets me know that you have had only an ephemeral look at best at Rotterdam.

For you it may be boring but it will not be for others.

I really enjoyed my trip to Rotterdam, esp if you like modern architecture. As for museums, a must-see is the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. http://www.boijmans.nl/en/

<i>PalenQ on Oct 22, 11 at 10:12am
It depends on what your interests are spaarne and IMO such a blanket statement shows your cultural biases.
Rotterdam is something different - a Dresden of Holland, being totally rebuilt from WW2 rubble, etc.
That you make such a comment lets me know that you have had only an ephemeral look at best at Rotterdam.</i>

True, I have cultural preferences. We all do. That's what makes the world interesting.

Dresden is not so bad. Leipzig is the beast. Having lived in Germany I got used to the post war buildings because that is about all they have. The house next to ours in Aschaffenburg was constructed of at least four kinds of bricks and concrete blocks, apparently picked up as rubble after a bombing.

Ephemeral? I had to look that up. I haven't used it in a long time. True again. One day was enough. Modern Dutch architecture is just wacky.

did you trek thru Delfshavn in Rotterdam, where the Pilgrims set sail from - it is a neat old part of Rotterdam every bit as old-world romantic as any Dutch town?

I do know where you are coming from and can see how aghast you may have been in what some consider perhaps to be a cement city but others may see beauty in the astounding modern architecture. Do not go to Rotterdam if you are expecting Amsterdam looks! Rotterdam, along with Frankfurt, to me are about the two most modern looking cities in Europe and the few to have skyscrapers - yup not most folks idea of romantic old world Europe.