Lavender roof garden at Bijenkorf Rotterdam
This month, the Bijenkorf department store in Rotterdam has a lavender roof garden with more than 3.000 lavender plants. It was part of the Rotterdamse Dakendagen on 1,2,3 June, during which many roofs of buildings in Rotterdam were open to the public. But you can still visit it during the weekends in June and during opening hours of the Bijenkorf department store. It can be reached by going to the 3rd floor and in one of the corners of that floor (just follow the arrows on the signs), you can take the stairs to reach the roof. I have to warn you that the department store doesn't originally have a roof terrace, so everything is a bit unpolished.
You need to go past big doors that only employees could enter, climb many stairs that were not meant to be comfortable or pretty (like the hidden fire escape stairs of a high building with an elevator), and waiting for you is only a simple rooftop terrace with wooden benches and tables and with a small bar, selling iced mocktails made with Agroposta lemonade syrups and small cups of Dutch ice cream.
Although the lavender plants didn't look as impressive as I had imagined (there is just too much space between the plants, less roof coverage and more condensed patches would have been better) and the view of the Rotterdam skyline isn't as beautiful as from buildings that are a bit higher, the cool breeze and the quiet, tranquil surroundings felt nice. I could almost say that it was healing to be surrounded by many plants and the vast blue sky.
If your father is interested in architecture, you can take him here this weekend for Father's day. It also happens to be "Dag van de Architectuur" this weekend, so there is a lot more to see and explore in Rotterdam.
You need to go past big doors that only employees could enter, climb many stairs that were not meant to be comfortable or pretty (like the hidden fire escape stairs of a high building with an elevator), and waiting for you is only a simple rooftop terrace with wooden benches and tables and with a small bar, selling iced mocktails made with Agroposta lemonade syrups and small cups of Dutch ice cream.
Although the lavender plants didn't look as impressive as I had imagined (there is just too much space between the plants, less roof coverage and more condensed patches would have been better) and the view of the Rotterdam skyline isn't as beautiful as from buildings that are a bit higher, the cool breeze and the quiet, tranquil surroundings felt nice. I could almost say that it was healing to be surrounded by many plants and the vast blue sky.
If your father is interested in architecture, you can take him here this weekend for Father's day. It also happens to be "Dag van de Architectuur" this weekend, so there is a lot more to see and explore in Rotterdam.
