Last Updated on 8th January 2019 by Sarah and Justin
Of all the unique things to do in Rotterdam, our favorite is rather ordinary: shopping at the outdoor market. Every Tuesday and Saturday, one of the biggest street markets in Europe (with 400 stalls!) opens in the center of the city. This market on Binnenrotte has so many different things on offer: the freshest fruit and veg, cheese, fish and poultry, herbs and spices, flowers, fabrics and trim, antiques, second-hand items, clothes, shoes, electronics… the list goes on and on! The market is mainly frequented by locals, but we think it’s a great tourist attraction too. If you’re looking for a fun, free thing to do in Rotterdam, we’d recommend checking it out. Here are some reasons why we love it.
The perfect location
The market is located in one of Rotterdam’s most central, popular places. It starts at Rotterdam Blaak station and goes all along the long street called Binnenrotte. Here you can see some of Rotterdam’s most iconic landmarks. The cube houses, the Markthal, Laurenskerk… you’ll see them all as you weave through the stalls in the market.
Seasonal shopping
At the market you’ll be able to see and buy what’s fresh and seasonal. Right now (in early May), strawberries and white asparagus have flooded the stalls.
Local specialties
In addition to fruit and vegetables, you can buy all sorts of other local specialties. There are many stalls selling Dutch cheese, fish including herring, and Turkish baked goods.
The best deals
We are always searching for good deals, and the market is one of the best places to find them! For example, a bag of red peppers costs 1 EUR when at the supermarket you’d pay that for just one. If you go towards the end of the day, you can find even better deals as proprietors are trying to sell their goods before closing up.
A great way to learn Dutch
If you’re expats like us or just interested in learning the Dutch language, the market is a great place to brush up on your vocab and speaking skills. You’ll learn words for different foods and have the opportunity to practice speaking with locals, asking and paying for things.
Super photo opportunities
Food pictures are some of the best pictures. And there is no shortage of opportunities to take pictures at the Rotterdam market. Colorful fruit and vegetables, packets of spices, cheese, local people shopping… it’s all there for the taking.
We can’t get enough of the market and that’s why go pretty much every Tuesday and Saturday! If you’re visiting Rotterdam on one of those days, don’t miss it.
Read next: Five reasons to visit the Market Hall in Rotterdam
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Totally agree with going later, my best time is from 4.30pm onwards and you can definitely grab yourself some bargains – like twice as much since they don’t want to take it back with them!
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