Orientation

Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands, but pretty much all points of interest lie within a fairly small perimeter. The two main arteries are Coolsingel/Schiedamsedijk, which passes the main historical museums as it runs south from Stadhuis to the Erasmus Bridge, and Westblaak/Blaak, which stretches from the Erasmus Medical Center west toward the Cube Houses, passing Museumpark and the principal art museums along the way. These two roads intersect at Beurs, a huge commercial center filled with lots of shopping and fast food. Just west of Beurs, Witte de Withstraat and Oude Binnenweg provide nice streets to wander, and the streets north of the Cube Houses around the Laurenskerk also present nice sidewalks upon which to stroll. They’re full of good restaurants, stores, and bars. The area west of ‘s-Gravendijkwal is best avoided at night.