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10 Beautiful Day Trips to Take From Rotterdam

Market Hall Rotterdam with restaurants inside
Market Hall Rotterdam with restaurants inside | mike_van_den_bos / unsplash

Planning a trip to Rotterdam in the near future? Then make sure to check out Culture Trip’s following guide in order to discover 10 nearby towns, landmarks and destinations that are perfect for day trips. These charming local attractions include the largest network of historic windmills in the Netherlands and a village that is located inside one of the most naturally beautiful national parks in Europe.

Kinderdijk

Natural Feature

Kinderdijk windmills in the daytime in the Netherlands. Kinderdijk is a popular tourist attraction in the Netherlands.
Michael Gordon / Shutterstock

The 18 monumental windmills around Kinderdijk in South Holland were mainly built during the 18th century in order to drain the area’s swamp land and are now protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The village is around 15 kilometres away from Rotterdam and it is possible to travel there by bike.

Scheveningen

Resort

Scheveningen
© pixabay
Sheveningen is the most popular beach resort in the Netherlands and has plenty to offer sun seeking day trippers. Its pleasure pier, for example, features many attractions including restaurants, a bungee jump tower and ferris wheel, whilst Sheveningen’s beaches cover around six kilometres of coastline.

Schiedam

Schiedam, the Netherlands. 18 May 2024.Drawbridge called Appelmarktbrug in the historic town of Schiedam
PixelBiss / shutterstock
During the 18th century, around 50 gigantic windmills were built in Schiedam in order to quickly crush grain for the city’s booming jenever industry. Whilst most of these machines have been demolished, there are still eight towering windmills in Schiedam.

Otterlo

Museum, Park

Otterlo is surrounded by the largest national park in the Netherlands – de Hoge Veluwe. Besides being among the most naturally beautiful places in the country Otterlo also houses the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world which is located inside the Kröller-Müller Museum.

Delft

Architectural Landmark

Old city of Delft, Netherlands
Sina Ettmer Photography / shutterstock

As Delft lies between Rotterdam and The Hague it is easily accessible via public transport, car or bicycle. Johannes Vermeer lived in Delft his entire life and is buried beneath the city’s Oude Kerk. During the Dutch Golden Age Delft became renowned for its beautiful, tin-glazed pottery and many workshops around the city continue to manufacture this style of ceramics.

Leiden

University

Leiden
© Erik Zachte / WikiCommons
As Leiden’s university dates back to 1575 it is recognised as the oldest institute of higher learning in the Netherlands. There are many historic landmarks around Leiden that are associated with academia including the city’s observatory, botanical gardens and scientific museums.

Utrecht

picturesque landscape of Utrecht, Netherlands. Featuring charming canals, historic architecture, and lush greenery, Utrecht offers a perfect blend of natural beauty
Suripto Kencana / shutterstock
Despite being the fourth largest city in the Netherlands Utrecht is often overlooked by travellers. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the city such as its medieval town center, excellent museums and Gerrit Rietveld’s architectural masterpiece the Rietveld Schröder House.

Gouda

Market

A scenic view of Stadhuis van Gouda, is old City Hall of Gouda in the Netherlands during nighttime.
SNEHIT PHOTO / shutterstock
A traditional cheese market still takes place in Gouda every Friday between April to September where local diary merchants don old timey clothing and trade their wares. Beside cheese, Gouda’s also well-known for its Dutch Golden Age architecture like its Weigh House and Town Hall.

Nationaal Park De Biesbosch

Park

De Biesbosch
© Paul van de Velde / Flickr
De Beibosch began to develop around 600 years ago after a catastrophic flood swept through the area and turned it into a tidal wetland. Hundreds of rivers and creeks now run through the area and de Biesbosch is currently protected as a national park due to its astounding beauty and diverse biospheres. There are bike and footpaths throughout the park and it is possible to explore the wetlands by boat.

About the author

Tom Coggins writes about culture and travel. He'd really like to own a dog someday.

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