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.

The Willemsbrug (Williams Bridge) is a bridge near the Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge) in Rotterdam…read more It is painted a bright red which sharply contrasts the light blue painted Erasmus Bridge. The Willemsbrug is a cable-stayed bridge. Be careful as there are bike lanes and car lanes as well as pedestrian lanes. The river views from the bridge are beautiful.

This Markt is reliably suffused with quality goods. Looking for fresh produce? Got it! Need cheese?…read moreThere are so many options! After fresh bread? There are at least two bakery stalls. Let's not even get into the snacks and sweets or the textiles and housewares. There's a butcher and a fishmonger. You can do all of your shopping and never set foot in a corporate store. It's a bit crowded and the pedestrian traffic isn't well organized for those of us using canes or walkers so be prepared for a some bumpy terrain.

I bought a beautiful laundry baskets at Haarlem Saturday Grote Markt. I was so happy to finally…read morecome across some quality baskets that will last a long time. You can easily find them a few steps away from the lovely Texel wool and cotton sheets market stall. They are located on the very end before you walk into the market. You will see some beautiful color mats, baskets and bags for a very good price. No where have I seen these types of quality baskets in the shops.

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?

Well worth short Uber out of city to tour this windmill and get up in it. Gorgeous town. Have lunch…read moreat pub across way and have a hard cider and amazing French onion soup. Tours happen every 30 mins or so, so might have a short wait. The museum was a five minute attraction, nothing special. Still worth the visit!

It doesn't matter your age this place will instantly put a smile on your face! They have little…read morevending machines you can put coins in to get dry kibble like food and you can feed any animal on the farm. The animals look so happy and are so social! We got to interact with goats, pigs, and a cow! If you go inside to the cafe area you can buy milk bottles to bottle feed all of the animals. We started with one bottle each and quickly realized we had to buy more. The female employee was so nice and because we kept getting bottles she even gave a small discount. The amount of endorphins that I had while here I could never count. It was a truly beautiful and magical experience to be able to love on and bottle feed all of these incredible animals. They have a nice cafe inside with locally sourced food. The menu is in Dutch and when the woman working noticed we were struggling to read it she was so kind and brought us an English menu. She ensured the whole time we were at the cafe that we were welcomed and comfortable! The lunch was AMAZING. All the food taste like grandmas home cooking and you can tell the whole family really cares about their business and animals. If I lived in Amsterdam I'm not joking we would probably be here every weekend! Go give some animals some cuddles!

My wife and I loved this place! You can freely enter one of the pens with baby goats, and for just…read more€1.50 you can get a tiny bottle to feed them. You can also pet the other animals (adult goats, horse, small cow). There was a seesaw that we enjoyed (adults need to play too!), and we ate some ice cream made from goat's milk. The staff were present, friendly, and open to answer any questions. All the signs are only in Dutch, so be sure to have either Google Translate or a dictionary with you if you don't speak the language.