Is it a happy Santa Claus holding a bell and a Christmas tree or is it a naughty Santa holding…read moresomething unmentionable?? Interesting to visit this Santa Claus by Paul McCarthy with our tour guide Nidas from Free Walking Tour Rotterdam. Had I just walked by this oversized Santa, might not have known how controversial this giant statue has been. Once the inspiration was revealed, the statue was rejected by many local businesses and it was moved from location to location. Read the other reviews to learn more about what Santa holds in his right hand. Maybe that's why he is smiling??

The Low Countries seems to house their fair share of interesting statues…read more.. The city of Rotterdam commissioned sculptor Paul McCarthy (not the Beatles member) to create a piece of public art for a square near the orchestra building. Created in 2001, the sculpture is supposed to depict Santa Claus holding a bell in one hand and a Christmas tree in the other. The locals, or rather, anyone with an imagination, thought otherwise. Reception was obviously mixed, with some finding it offensive while other people thought it symbolized Western consumerism around Christmastime gone wrong. It was eventually rejected from its original site due to the controversy and for several years moved about the city until it found a permanent place in the Eendrachtsplein. The statue was only a 15 minute walk from Rotterdam Centraal station so I visited the statue on my way back to the station. If the city can design a food hall with a mural of fruits in the ceiling and cube houses as residential spaces, surely it has room for one more unusual object?

Stadhuis Rotterdam is the Town Hall of Rotterdam, the building is a historic landmark of the city,…read moreas one of the few buildings to survive the bombings during World War Two, with the Clock Tower being an iconic point of Coolsingel. It is recognised as a Rijksmonument in The Netherlands. Stadhuis was built between 1914 and 1920 with the foundation being laid in the company of Queen Wilhelmina. The mix of the greenery at the back and the grand architecture is a stunning mix, the interior also reminds me of the Houses of Parliament of London, with the huge grand halls fit for royalty. It does close at 5 pm, which I think is a little early, especially during the summer months. Early Birds will be pleased to know they open from 8:30 in the morning. 4* - A stunning grand building and a remarkable Town Hall for one of my favouite cities in Europe. It is well worth a visit just to see the contrast between old and new, especially with so few remaining of the former in the city due to tragedies related to the war.

This is where you go for culture. Not only is it dotted with several museums, but there's also a…read morelovely garden with tons of different paths, fountains, and places to rest and relax.

We bought the museum park for access to all museums in this park cost 27€. For one entry would be…read more14€. Pretty awesome

Stayed here for a business trip…read more Pros: Convenient location Next to Central Station. Easy to get around Price is cheaper than the other major chains Cons: Rooms are smaller than the other two chains in the area (Marriott and Hilton) If you have status at Marriott, you get access to their lounge, which gives you free alcohol and snacks at night and free breakfast in the morning. Place is good and clean and I recommend this place if you have no status with the other two chains. But if you do have status, the other two chains' amenities are nicer.

Great hotel and a great location (bus line directly out front, 2 minute walk to the Metro and a 5…read moreminute walk to Rotterdam Centraal Station). Very clean and modern rooms, comfortable and just enough space. My room was on the fourth floor and there isn't a view. Check in was a breeze and the staff is very welcoming and efficient, even was able to get me a room a few hours early. No lunch or dinner options but there is a bar, snacks and drinks are a bit overpriced but convenient after being in meetings all day it's nice to just grab something quick. Breakfast is included.

Mainport Hotel is a Hilton affiliate. We stayed here for 3 nights when we visited Rotterdam and…read morechose the King City XL room. The room was large, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was nice (it had a whirlpool tub, walk-in shower and mirror TV). We did not dine in the restaurant but we did visit the bar for drinks and had a fun time. The hotel is located on the river Maas so it was beautiful seeing the views coming down the elevator each morning. It is also in a really good location to walk to places and to access public transit or a water taxi.

Front desk was efficient but not very warm or friendly. The room was beautiful and we had high…read morehopes, but the air conditioner did not work and it was one of the hottest days in Rotterdam. Management came up and fiddled with the thermostat and said give it an hour, but nothing changed. We could not enjoy the sauna or the Jacuzzi tub because it was just too stinking hot. Tried to wait in line in the morning at checkout to let the front desk staff know, but could not get even a good morning or a smile so just drop the keys and left

Known for the iconic blue & white floral dishware, Royal Delft has been making high-quality items…read moreof all kinds since 1653. This is the only surviving factory left out of 32! We stopped here as part of a bus tour from Amsterdam. We were rushed through the factory tour, which was interesting, and we were shown briefly how this earthenware is made and the different methods used to decorate it. Delft uses cobalt oxide which, when painted or transferred on, is a dark gray / black color, but when it is baked in the kiln, that's when it turns blue! We were able go through the comprehensive yet not exhausting museum portion of the factory on our own, and it was interesting to see the range and variety of Royal Delft creations. Royal Delft has survived for over 400 years because of their ability to adapt to current trends. The shop is huge and pricey. However, if this is your jam, by all means, have at it. (Going into Delft offers some slightly better deals on Royal Delft & other Delft brands.) Overall, this is a good experience if you are in the area, but for me, it wouldn't necessarily have been something I'd have gone out of my way to see if it wasn't a part of this tour "deal." Tickets are 17.50 Euros. There is a cute cafe called Brasserie 1653 on site and a lovely garden as well. If you are staying in the Delft area, the museum offers different activities such as painting your own figurine which you may find worthwhile. Peace.

If you're into pottery, tableware, or anything to do with fine china, Royal Delft is an absolute…read moremust! The museum has such a rich and fascinating history, and it's the perfect size to explore without feeling like you're in a marathon. You'll learn all about how their iconic Delft pottery is made, and it's honestly so cool to see it all come to life. Before visiting, I bought both the museum ticket and their high tea package in advance on their website -- super easy and totally worth it. The bonus? On our way there (we took the tram from Den Haag), we accidentally stumbled upon the actual spot that inspired Vermeer's "View of Delft." There's even a replica of the painting right there so you can compare it to the real view Vermeer saw back in the day. How amazing is that?? Such a serendipidous find that made our Delft experience even better. By the time we got to the museum, we were--surprise, surprise--already hungry . We showed up way too early for our high tea reservation, but the staff was so kind and told us to come back in 15 minutes while they set up a table for us. Perfect excuse to "tour" the gift shop! And wow, that gift shop is dangerous for anyone with limited luggage space. They have everything -- vases, Christmas ornaments, gorgeous tableware, adorable Miffy collections, and all sorts of Delft blue goodies. I wanted to buy everything. But alas, since this was near the end of our trip (and I still had a week in Amsterdam to go), I had to restrain myself. Next time, though? I'm coming back for the tulip vases. Sooooo pretty. And the Miffy figurines. And the Dutch houses. Ugh, the list goes on! Once I finished my ooh-ing and aah-ing, we headed back to the café for high tea, and our table was ready. The staff was so lovely -- they explained every sweet and savory treat on our tiered tray, and the tea selection was solid. The food itself? About a 3 out of 5 if we're grading just on taste. It's not like a fancy hotel afternoon tea, but it was perfectly nice. Plus, the atmosphere makes up for it -- there's a beautiful garden where you can sit outside, or cozy indoor seating with big windows looking out. We chose inside (it was too chilly for us desert people ). After tea, we did our self-guided tour through the museum and factory area, where you can actually watch artisans painting and crafting pottery by hand. It's mesmerizing! I had no idea that Delftware originally took major inspiration from Chinese porcelain -- especially the classic blue-and-white style. They even show side-by-side examples of early Dutch copies and the original Chinese pieces, and you can really see how the Dutch designs evolved over time into something uniquely their own. All in all, Royal Delft is 100% worth visiting. The museum is fascinating, the staff is warm and welcoming, and the café is a lovely spot to rest your feet (high tea optional, but fun if you have time). Prices were pretty reasonable too -- high tea was €63 (about $73 USD) for two people, and museum tickets were €34 (around $40 USD) for two. Highly recommend -- and don't forget to save some luggage space for those Delft souvenirs!

Thank you for this wonderfully put together "useum" dedicated to pinball, its history and it's…read morepresent. You've done a wonderful job of cleverly organizing your collection. Amazing.

I dragged my husband here while we were visiting Rotterdam. I love pinball machines and arcade…read morevideo games. We visited on a cold and rainy Saturday so I am surprised that it wasn't more crowded. You pay a flat fee to visit and play for two hours. There were some machines I recognized, some I didn't, and some I wish were there but weren't. On the lower level, there is a museum of sorts which was interesting to see how pinball has evolved over time. If you are in Rotterdam and love pinball, it was worth a visit.

We are outside on the terrace on a beautiful spring day. We had the duck breast appetizer and the…read morecrab cake appetizer. Both were really good. We also had the fries with the warm salmon sandwich. Very good food and atmosphere. The main negative is that it took a very long time to get our food.

We had heard great things about this iconic restaurant and were in the area on a ship for just a…read morefew hours. It was my birthday and I was excited to go for a celebratory lunch. The atmosphere was fun with high open ceilings and big windows. The host sat us close to a window for a great view of both the restaurant and outside. Our waiter was prompt to take our drink order. I had an Aperol Spritz and it was perfect. My husband tried a local beer and enjoyed it. For lunch I had the tomato soup and the grilled ham & cheese sandwich- which was delicious. Was a wonderful experience.

Het Blauwe Hart or "The Blue Heart" is a sculpture that was designed by Marcel Smink in 1998. It is…read morelocated next to the New Church in Delft. The blue color refers to the blue of Delft porcelain and the heart itself represents the 'heart of the city'. It is made of glass that is illuminated from the inside at night. It is in a convenient location to stop by to see for a quick photo opportunity.

If you're at the Het Blauwe Hart ("The Blue Heart"), congratulations! You have arrived at the…read morehistorical Nieuwe Kerk ("New Church") and are either about to enter or leave the Delft Market Square! This is a public art installation created by Marcel Smink placed on the loop of Oude Langendijk (street). It's a stylized heart symbolizing "the heart of the city" made from Delft blue glass to represent the city's trademark blue Delftware pottery and the stained glass windows of the historical buildings. It's pretty, pleasing to the eye, and lights up when it gets dark Kudos to Mr. Smink, it's a lovely piece of work. Heads up if you're still in the process of planning or haven't visited the Royal Delft yet, there are many shops selling Delftware here. If you're in a tour group with limited free time, there are various places to eat and desserts to have in this square as well. Have fun in the Olde Centre with its restaurants, multitudes of souvenir shops, the Nieuwe Kerk, and the Standhuis Delft ("Delft City Hall").