The Euromast: one of the most iconic Rotterdam highlights. Also, so ingrained into the Rotterdam skyline, that it just wouldn’t be the same without it. I finally ventured up there to check the view and tell you if it’s worth it (spoiler: yes!)
What is the Euromast?
The Euromast is a ‘mast’ 185m above ground – making it the tallest building in the Netherlands. It’s located in the modern and vibrant city, which is Rotterdam (the best city of course). Its current main purpose is to serve as an observation tower (which makes perfect sense, considering it’s the tallest in the Netherlands). It was constructed in 1960 and was built to mark the first ‘Floriade’, which was the international flower and garden exhibition.
The Euromast was named – ‘euro’ purely because Rotterdam was at the heart of the European Economic Area, and ‘mast’ because it is a word that is widely understood in many different languages.
The Euromast was never always this tall though. In the sixties, it stood at 101m tall. At this point, it was by the far the vocal point of the Rotterdam skyline, but as Rotterdam became more modernised, the other architecture soon caught up. One of these was the Erasmus MC building, which stole the top spot for the tallest building. The Euromast wasn’t going to let anyone else have a piece of the pie. In 1970, a ‘space tower’ (the euroscoop) was added, taking the height of the Euromast to what it is today (185m). The Euromast then regained its status of being the tallest building in Rotterdam and the Netherlands. It’s also part of the World Federation of Great Towers, joining the likes of the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building – impressive!
So, what makes the Euromast so worthy of a visit?
Since this time, the Euromast has undergone a lot of changes. The restaurants have been revamped, a hotel, an additional tower, and many other features have been added. Therefore, the Euromast is unique in so many different ways.
For a start, you get to reach the highest point in the Netherlands (which is already pretty cool in itself). You get to the top of the first tower via an elevator which takes you 4m per second (in 30 seconds you are taken 100m up)! Then you’re already impressed by what you see. You have the freedom to wander around and take lots of pictures (your Instagram is going to blow up).
Then, when you’re already satisfied with the view, you have the opportunity to go up the ‘Euroscoop.’
This is basically a circular dome, with seats all the way around, which spins slowly as you ascend up the tower to 185m. This may sound scary, but trust me, it’s really not. As you are spinning around merrily, you are greeted with a voice over the speakers telling you all about the history of the Euromast and Rotterdam. Important and interesting sites are pointed out to you and you come away knowing almost everything you need to know about Rotterdam.
Cool, huh? For me this was an absolute top-notch experience. So what else is there to do at the Euromast.
Three top things to do at the Euromast:
Enjoy the view
We need to talk about this a bit more just because the view from the Euromast is spectacular. No matter the season or the weather, the view will always blow you away. You have two choices of either sticking to the main platform, where you can walk around at almost 100m up or going up with the Euroscoop. The best bit? You don’t have to pay extra to go higher up, like a lot of other similar attractions out there do. On a clear day, you can see as far as places such as The Hague, Moerdijk and Antwerp. The thing about the Euromast is, even if the weather isn’t that great, Rotterdam still looks amazing from above.
Eat delicious food
There are two places to eat at the Euromast. Firstly is the Deli on the ground floor, where you can find a selection of delicious pastries, snacks and coffee. It’s free entry too!
The second is the main restaurant on the first platform. You are guaranteed that this will be the best restaurant-view that you will have in the whole of the Netherlands! You can dine for lunch, for dinner, go for high wine or high tea (literally ‘high’). All of this, whilst looking down at the beautiful Rotterdam skyline. You’d think that you’d be out of pocket by dining at a place like this, however the prices are really good and the food is great too. For example, their chief can surprise you with their choice of a 3-course meal and it’s only €36,50pp. That’s an amazing deal, especially with the view!
We were there at lunch-time, so we opted for the Euromast clubsandwich. We weren’t disappointed:
For those that have been there a few years back, the restaurant has been completely revamped a year ago (quite an improvement) and all in all it’s quite the dining experience up there.
Sleep amongst the stars
Just when you thought the Euromast had it all, you realize that it really does have it all. On the platform just above the restaurant are two luxury hotel rooms, equipped with all the essentials such as champagne (definitely the biggest essential), a Jacuzzi or rain shower, a minibar and an amazing view of the city (basically the Euromast IS your balcony). A delicious breakfast is also included in your stay (and you can have it served to your room)! What more could you want.
That’s not all – there are many other things to enjoy at the Euromast. These include extreme things like abseiling and zip-lining. An adrenaline junkie, or looking for a cool present for someone to love? These are your go-to!
As you can see, the Euromast is more than just a pretty view (which is good enough already). There is lots to do there, so if you’re stuck for something cool and fun to do if you are in Rotterdam, then the Euromast is worth a visit.
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