Rotterdam is an easy drive from two European capitals (1 h from Amsterdam and 1h30 from Brussels) and a major port in Northern Europe. If you or your kid have some interest in boats or ships, this is definitely the place to go for a day of fun and adventures.

We started off early from Brussels and arrived in Rotterdam around 11h AM. The first stop of the day was The Maritime Museum. On the Museum website you will find the best recommendation for a Parking in the neighbourhood (APCOA parking). You will also benefit of 20% parking fee reduction if you stamp your parking ticket at the Museum entrance.

You can buy the Museum tickets online at 14 Euro for adults. Kids under 4 go free. We were not sure how busy it would be on a Sunday and bought the tickets online. However it all went pretty smoothly and the place was not as busy as we thought.

The Maritime Museum is huge. Has an outside part with different boats moored in the nearby port that you can visit. The Offshore Experience on Level 1 is like a playground for adults. Here you get to go on a challenging search at sea for energy. Wearing a safety vest and a helmet, you’ll think you’re on board an offshore construction in the middle of the sea. A 360° film projection stimulates the senses. Ships come and go and helicopters land. Models of the newest and most advanced offshore ships, built specifically for the exhibition, demonstrate their capabilities. Offshore employees offer a glimpse into their lives at sea and there are simulations so that you can experience for themselves how drillers, crane drivers, wind turbine specialists and helicopter pilots manage to do their spectacular jobs on the open sea, in a constant battle with the elements.

The highlight for kids is Level 2, that was entirely designed to entertain little ones. There is an inside space with sounds and light that brings to life sea creatures, pirates and treasures stories and even a play house on a little island.

A bit further away on the right side of the building is the Play area called Professor Splash. Here you have a huge ship where kids can role play as seamen, steer the boat, cook food and catch fish. Finally, there is a great outside play area where they can ride more boats, operate a harbour crane and even tag and load toy containers on ships. As they play, they learn all sorts of things about various types of ships, working in the port, navigation and how products such as their own toys are transported by ship from all over the world.

My description might not really do this place justice. But just to get an idea, we spent 2 hours on the second level only with 1h30 in the play area. It is really well made and putting kids at the centre of attention!

After so much excitement for both kids and adults it is time to head to the Market Halle, the modern covered market of the city of Rotterdam. The Rotterdam Market Hall design is cutting edge with the shape of a giant airplane hangar. The interior is one-of-a-kind due to the huge colourful panels on the walls and ceiling, depicting lots and lots of fruit. The front and back entrance of the Market Hall is made of a huge glass facade. It is open every day of the week and full of delicacies from around the world. We aimed to have a walk through the market, see what is available and then have a late lunch in one of the stands.

There is plenty to choose from as snacks go. We went for herring sandwich and fried fish, a Netherlands classic. You will find all from Burgers to Lebanese food. There is also a lovely selection of sweets. Just walk around and decide based on what looks good.

As you leave the market, you will also get to admire the Overblaak Development. This is a modern building, with a pencil shaped tower and tilted apartments. It marks the square with the same name and can be partially visited. Look for Kijk- Kubus Museum House to catch a glimpse of the inside of he futuristic building. It is open from 11AM to 5 PM and costs 2,5 Euro per adult.

Wind down the afternoon walking in the hip area surrounding Witte de Withkwartier. There is street art to admire and lots of lovely outside cafes and tiny shops. There is a small park surrounding a city river at the end of Witte de Withstraat that is a lovely place to run around or stop for a picnic.

Continue walking on Museumpark street to reach the Boijmans Museum. This is a must Museum if you like the old Dutch masters and the weather is not great. The kids however, might find it a bit boring.

Instead, you can head over to lovely Het Park, bordering Kievitslaan. There is a barbecue area, lakes and paths. Also a short walk to the West is the Euromast, 185 m tower giving you great panoramic views over Rotterdam. It is open till 10 Pm so perfect last stop after a full sightseeing day. You will take an elevator to it’s observation deck so no need to worry about climbing with little ones. The trip up is about 10 Euro for adults and free for toddlers.

If you want a memorable place for dinner, head to Hotel New York’s restaurant. This former headquarters of the Holland America shipping line has amazing views over the harbour and great food. We hope to come back and stay overnight as it looked pretty cool.

Happy travels!