City market – The most central place in town

My favorite place in Rotterdam (in any city, actually) is the central market. More than 400 stalls sprout from the ground every Tuesday and Saturday (and on Sundays in the summer), offering anything from antiques to cheese or exotic fruit.

The central market is the ideal place to fill your picnic basket before heading out to the beach or to the park. I prefer to get to the market early in the day, when the stall-keepers still have time for a chat and you don’t get you feet chopped off by shopping trolleys.

Another reason I love the market is that it’s the place to be for a good snack whether it’s a Dutch herring, a Vietnamese egg roll or a Turkish Börek. With all this abundance it’s hard to know where to shop, so look for the stalls that are crowded early or when the weather is bad. These are usually the ones that give the best value for your money.

If you’re cold and need to wake up, grab a cup of coffee from the carts that plow the crowd. But beware – the coffee they sell is brewed to keep the market people going, so it’s strong as an elephant and hot as the heart of the sun!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
City market | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks | Free
Hoogstraat
Tue & Sat 08:00 – 17:00, Sun (Apr – Sep) 12:00 – 17:00