Koopgoot is a sunken shopping passage right in the heart of Rotterdam, with a nice selection of…read moreshops. The shopping centre is also known as Beurstraverse, but De Koopgoot seems to have become a more informal name to reflect the centre due to its low-lying position. The design reminds me of the Liverpool One Shopping centre, closer to home, with the balcony overlooking the shops, it is mostly exposed to the elements, with limited cover in event of rain/snow, but still, the shopping area looks modern and rather attractive. The large Christmas tree adds some festive cheer, located by the Crocs Store. (December 2022) Urban Outfitters, Crocs, Dunkin, Esprit and H&M are some of the larger brands to have physical locations within Koopgoot. Fairly clean/modern, easy to find the stores you want to find, but do be aware that the steps can be very slippy, especially during the bad winter months, so you may wish to take the escalators, or just take extra care. I prefer the overall design in comparison to Alexandrium, which is a large indoor shopping centre, a short metro ride away, even if there aren't as many shops, but there are still some unique and cool brands here, so it is worth a visit for sure. 4*

Alexandrium Shopping Center is a decent-sized shopping centre in Rotterdam, around 8 km from…read moreCentraal station but easily accessed by public transportation, with Metro and Intercity train links offered. Parts of the centre are currently undergoing a major refurbishment (December 2022), but considering this, they're doing a good job to keep the disturbance to a minimum, with shops and restaurants remaining open. They have a good selection of shops including Albert Heijn, Etos, Foot Locker, G-Star Raw, H&M, Holland and Barrett, JD and many others. While there isn't the typical American fashion mall food court, there are a number of places to eat and drink here, including McDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King, Cinnabon, Bagel and Beans and a potato place, as well as several other choices. The mall is pretty easy to follow, there is also a bridge which connects to the car park as well as a separate part of the mall which is much more modern and high-end, mainly consisting of furniture stores. The toilets were surprisingly clean for a mall too. 4* - A good mall with a good selection of places to shop and eat, while it may not have the Westfield factor, it is a good alternative if you don't want to travel too far out of Rotterdam's centre.