Rotterdam is a lovely city but with all the waterways and older streets, the geography is a bit complex to map out a ‘standard’ tour of the city centre. Instead, we’ve put together a map of central Rotterdam, suggesting a few good running options — several of which can be blended together:
Centrum. The old center of Rotterdam. Several pedestrian zones, look for ‘Lijnbann’. Lots of commercial spots. Good to go early and beat the crowds.
Canalside Running. There are some nice roads/paths along inland canals. Run for ~2 km one-way along the Heemraadspark linear park. Can go as far as Sports Complex, where there’s a great outdoor track. Also nice running nearby along the Coolhaven canal, along the Aelbrechtskade or the Spangesekade. These two canalside runs can be combined!
Het Park. Beautiful, landscaped park 1.5 km west of the Erasmus Bridge. There are 3-4 km of lovely walking paths. Combine with some waterside running east or west of there (see our routes).
Maas River Running. Run east or west of the Erasmus Bridge, for several km. See our separate routes.
Kralingse Lake. Just 3 km east of the center, enjoy a nearly perfect 5k run on the path around the perimeter of this pleasant lake. Water views much of the way. Only 0.5 km from the Voorschoterlaan metro stop. MAP
Rotterdam is a lovely city but with all the waterways and older streets, the geography is a bit complex to map out a ‘standard’ tour of the city centre. Instead, we’ve put together a map of central Rotterdam, suggesting a few good running options — several of which can be blended together:
Centrum. The old center of Rotterdam. Several pedestrian zones, look for ‘Lijnbann’. Lots of commercial spots. Good to go early and beat the crowds.
Canalside Running. There are some nice roads/paths along inland canals. Run for ~2 km one-way along the Heemraadspark linear park. Can go as far as Sports Complex, where there’s a great outdoor track. Also nice running nearby along the Coolhaven canal, along the Aelbrechtskade or the Spangesekade. These two canalside runs can be combined!
Het Park. Beautiful, landscaped park 1.5 km west of the Erasmus Bridge. There are 3-4 km of lovely walking paths. Combine with some waterside running east or west of there (see our routes).
Maas River Running. Run east or west of the Erasmus Bridge, for several km. See our separate routes.
Kralingse Lake. Just 3 km east of the center, enjoy a nearly perfect 5k run on the path around the perimeter of this pleasant lake. Water views much of the way. Only 0.5 km from the Voorschoterlaan metro stop. MAP
Paths along the Nieuwe Maas (river) are the signature running option in Rotterdam. It's not a straight river loop due to the complex geography. We've mapped out loops of 5 km, 10 km, and 21 km, with lots of options to vary.
A pleasant run near central Rotterdam incorporating several km of waterside running, with an opportunity to also enjoy the beautifully landscaped Het Park. Nearly 7 km of paths in and out of inlets from Erasmus Br. to Delfshaven. Het Park has 3-4 km of paths.
A well-known 15 km loop incorporating five bridges and lots of waterside running, and provides a good overview of Rotterdam's unique geography and some main sights. This follows the course of a popular road race that occurs in early December.
A series of trails in northern Rotterdam, forming a linear park. It's ~8 km from the Tram Museum, north through Prinsenmolenpark, Molenpark, Lage Bergse Bos Park, and Hoge Bergse Bos. Sections along water, in woods, through fields.
Pleasant 5 km loop around the perimeter of this lake. Only 3 km east of the center and easily reachable via transport. Dedicated paths and water views much of the way. Additional paths through woods on northern side of lake.
Lovely canal-side run from the historic city of Delft. Waterside path for up to 8 km to The Hague. We've also mapped a 5k loop in the Voordijkshoorn area, featuring several smaller canals and parks, the highlight of which is Hof van Delftpark.
A fabulous route in eastern Delft, nearly all off road, featuring paths along canals, around lakes, past farm fields and wetlands, and through woods. Use our mapped route as a guideline to create your own route around this area's large network of paths!
This route in Rijswijk, a few km north of central Delft, combines three adjacent parks: Elsenburgerbos, Wilheminapark, Hoekpolder. Combination of paths through woods, around fields and farms, and some canals in Hoekpolder.
A 10k 'runseeing' tour of The Hague's central sections. Features 'Museum Row', the waterside Dutch Parliament and other government buildings, embassies, Koekamp and Malieveld parks, and fun pedestrian zones.
Two wonderful wooded parks for running, easily accessible. Each features long, wide alée-like paths. Scheveningen Woods can be combined with Westduinpark for a longer run. Hague Forest is the oldest forest in the Netherlands.
Extensive network of trails through dunes and woods, ~4.5 km from end-to-end. Located in Kijkduin. Good add-ons are along the beach, or across to port of Scheveningen and its boardwalk and beach running.
Many km of wonderful beach, boardwalk, and coastal park running in The Hague, divided into two areas: Kijkduin and Scheveningen. The beach is wide and quite runnable. Paved options include the 3 km boardwalk, and paths in Westduinpark & Oostduinpark.
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