It's August, the month of Indonesia's independence day and guess what? On the week of my nation's independence day, we're going to cover one of the cities in the country that colonized us in the past: the Netherlands.
Thanks to Maartje and Sebastiaan of The Orange Backpack, we're going to find out what options we could have to spend our $10 in Rotterdam.
So after Amsterdam and Haarlem, how much could we travel around the Netherlands on the budget? Check this out!
It's famous big brother Amsterdam draws in the crowds because of its characteristic canals, museums and canal houses. The less touristy city of Rotterdam is much different and all about modern architecture, culture, arts and cool restaurants.
Did you know?
Rotterdam is the home for 2 (two) football teams that play in Eredivisie, the highest level league of professional football in the Netherlands: Sparta Rotterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam. Sparta Rotterdam, established on the 1st of April in 1888, is the oldest professional football team in the country.
Rotterdam – and the Netherlands in general – is not a cheap place to visit and you can easily spend hundreds of dollars on your trip.
But $ 10 – about €9 at the time of writing – can also get you pretty far in a city like Rotterdam.
Enjoy Rotterdam's Finest Street Art with a Free Tour
Download the free map to enjoy the most beautiful street art around Rotterdam. The walking tour leads you along 28 colorful murals in the city center.
The route is about 7 kilometers, so make sure to plan the entire morning for this activity.
Along the way, you'll also pass some iconic landmarks like the futuristic central station and the yellow Cube Houses at Blaak.
Cost: free
Have some Dutch fries in the Market Hall
Spend your lunchtime at the Market Hall. It's full of stands with both local and European food. From Dutch fried snacks and fries to Spanish tapas and delicious Italian food.
There are some restaurants if you'd want to sit down, but the best way to have a cheap and very Dutch lunch is to buy fries at Bram Ladage.
The architecture is beautiful – make sure to look up at the enormous ceiling which is referred to as a modern Sistine Chapel. You'll also notice some windows when looking up, as there are beautiful apartments built inside the market hall.
Cost: € 2,75 for fries
Markthal Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Visit one of the Cube Houses
The Cube Houses in Rotterdam were one of the first examples of modern architecture and now famous Rotterdam icons.
The tilted cubes were placed upon pylons, representing an urban forest. Most of them are used as houses which is hard to imagine in these small tilted cubes.
That's why one of these innovative houses from the 70s is open for visitors. It's called the KijkKubus and you can find it on Overblaak 70.
Cost: € 3
Marvel at the Modern Architecture
After visiting the new Market Hall and the older Cubes Houses, it's time to see more of Rotterdams modern architecture.
You could join a pricey tour, but you could easily walk around the city to see them on your own.
You already saw the iconic central station at the start of your street art tour. Other must-see architectural highlights for your afternoon are the contemporary art museum Kunsthal and Boijmans Depot in the museum park, the nearby Euromast tower, the Erasmus bridge and Willems bridge, and the award winning skyscraper The Rotterdam.
The Biergarten is the best place to go during summer months. The rest of the year we love to have some afternoon drinks at De Gele Kanarie, Bokaal, Kaapse Maria, Café Boudewijn or Brewpup Reijngoud.
Cost: € 3 for a beer
Contributor: Maartje and Sebastiaan from The Orange Backpack.
Maartje and Sebastiaan are the content creators of The Orange Backpack and travel buddies since their 10th date in Cambodia. Their orange camera backpack has been with them on their first trip together, and accompanied them ever since.
