Rotterdam Bingo: Spot 30 Typically Rotterdam Things
Walk the modern skyline, tick off the card, snap a photo of every typically Rotterdam thing you can find. From a bitterballen plate on a Witte de Withstraat terrace to the Erasmusbrug swan over the Maas, this is a 30-item Rotterdam bingo that turns any walk into a treasure hunt. No fixed route. Just keep your eyes open.
Challenges (30)
Spot a Rotterdam stroopwafel
Find a fresh stroopwafel in a Rotterdam bakery or market stall (Markthal has a stand making them on the spot). Photograph the warm wafer.
Spot a Rotterdam bitterballen plate
Find a plate of bitterballen on a Rotterdam café table, served with mustard. Photograph the line-up.
Spot raw herring with onions
Find raw Hollandse Nieuwe herring with chopped raw onion at a fish stall (Markthal or any haringkraam). Photograph the silver fish.
Spot a Heineken sign in Rotterdam
Find a Heineken sign on a Rotterdam café awning, beer mat or shop window. Photograph the red star.
Spot a Dutch cheese wheel in Rotterdam
Find a Dutch cheese shop or market stall with stacked yellow Gouda wheels. Photograph the stack.
Spot a Vlaamse frites cone in Rotterdam
Find a cone of Belgian-style frites with mayonnaise at a Rotterdam friet stand. Photograph the cone.
Spot a Rotterdam Dutch flag
Find a Dutch flag (horizontal red-white-blue) flying on a Rotterdam building, balcony or government facade. Photograph the colours.
Spot a Feyenoord shirt or flag
Find a Feyenoord (red-and-white) kit, flag or scarf on someone or in a shop. Photograph the colours.
Spot a Rotterdam Dutch upright bike
Find a classic Dutch omafiets or opafiets parked on a Rotterdam street. Photograph the upright bicycle.
Spot a Rotterdam tram (RET)
Find a yellow RET tram on its route through the centre. Photograph one passing a modern facade.
Spot the Erasmusbrug
Find the white Erasmusbrug (Swan Bridge) over the Maas. Photograph the asymmetric pylon and cables.
Spot the Cube Houses (Kubuswoningen)
Walk to the Cube Houses near Blaak and find the tilted yellow cubes by Piet Blom. Photograph the cluster.
Spot the Markthal arch
Find the giant Markthal horseshoe arch on Binnenrotte. Photograph the colourful interior mural through the glass facade.
Spot a Markthal stall
Walk inside the Markthal and find a stall (cheese, stroopwafels, paella, Surinamese). Photograph the stall with the painted ceiling above.
Spot the Euromast
Find a view of the 185-metre Euromast tower. Photograph it against the sky or rising over the city.
Spot a Witte Huis facade
Find Het Witte Huis, the 1898 art-nouveau tower on the Oudehaven (Europe's first skyscraper). Photograph the white tower.
Spot a Rotterdam harbour crane
Find a giant container crane in the Maas harbour or at the historic Maritime Museum harbour. Photograph the crane.
Spot Hotel New York
Find the Hotel New York on Kop van Zuid, the former Holland America Line head office with the two clock towers. Photograph the facade from the Erasmusbrug or the Wilhelminapier.
Spot a Spido harbour boat
Find a Spido tour boat at Willemskade or sailing on the Maas. Photograph the boat.
Spot a Rotterdam street artist piece
Walk into Witte de Withstraat or the Schiedamse Vest and find a piece of Rotterdam street art (Hofbogen, the famous murals near Eendrachtsplein). Photograph the wall.
Spot the Hef railway bridge
Find De Hef (the old lift-bridge over the Koningshaven). Photograph the iron structure from the riverside.
Spot Witte de Withstraat at night
Walk down Witte de Withstraat and photograph the lit-up cafés, bars and graffiti walls (or a colourful daytime alley).
Spot the Sneeuwwit Rotterdam Centraal facade
Find the modern Rotterdam Centraal station with its sharp angular roof. Photograph the entrance hall.
Spot a kibbeling or lekkerbek paper
Find a paper cone of kibbeling (battered fish chunks) at a fish stall. Photograph the golden bites.
Spot a Rotterdam balcony with hanging plants
Walk through Kralingen or the Oude Westen and find a Rotterdam balcony with hanging plants or laundry. Photograph the cascade.
Spot a Rotterdam houseboat (woonboot)
Find a houseboat moored on the Delfshaven canal or the Maas. Photograph the boat with the city behind.
Spot a Rotterdam architecture sign
Rotterdam is the modern-architecture capital of NL. Find a Rem Koolhaas/OMA-designed building, a De Rotterdam complex tower or a modern skyscraper facade. Photograph the lines.
Spot a kapsalon dish
Find a kapsalon (Rotterdam fast-food dish of fries, döner meat, salad, sauce and grilled cheese) on a takeaway counter. Photograph the box.
Spot a Delfshaven historic boat
Walk into Delfshaven (the old harbour area that survived WWII) and find a wooden boat moored in the historic harbour. Photograph the cobbled quay.
Spot a Rotterdam pancake (poffertjes)
Find a plate of poffertjes (small Dutch puffy pancakes with butter and icing sugar) at a market stall or café. Photograph the plate.
Frequently asked questions
The duration is up to the organizer when they set up the adventure. As a guideline, a focused day across the centre (Markthal, Cube Houses), the Erasmusbrug and the harbour ticks off most of the easy items, and stretching across a weekend (with the Euromast and Hef bridge) lets a determined group complete all 30.
Each of the 30 items is a camera challenge. When you spot the thing, take a photo and submit it; the bingo card tracks progress. Play solo, with friends or split into teams and race to tick off the most items.
Some items (a Spido harbour boat, a Hef Bridge view) need a slight detour. Sweep the centre for the easy items, the Erasmusbrug and Wilhelminapier for harbour views, Witte de Withstraat for cafés and street art.
The Markthal, Cube Houses and Blaak hit the most items in a walking loop. Add the Erasmusbrug to Wilhelminapier and Hotel New York for harbour views, Witte de Withstraat for the cafés, the Euromast for the panorama.
Yes. Kids love spotting Cube Houses, the Markthal mural, harbour cranes and herring stalls; adults enjoy hunting Dutch design, post-war architecture and Witte de Withstraat. No alcohol stops are required.