Things To Do in Utrecht

About

Utrecht is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands and also the capital city of the Utrecht province. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Netherlands

Located between the geographical separation of the sandy heathlands and the fenlands, Utrecht is one of the most picturesque and captivating cities to tour in the Netherlands.

Built around a place reachable and noticeable from all sides – the Dom Tower, Utrecht serves as the transport hub and an essential center in economic terms for the Netherlands.

Since the 8th century, being the ancient city, it offers its visitors to explore various architectures, historic buildings, and religious centers of the high middle ages. Apart, it is also the home to the famous hidden gem – Castle de Haar, the largest university of the Netherlands – the Utrecht University and the other educational institutions. 

The historical buildings, canals, museums, and other tourist attractions make Utrecht a perfect tourist destination to visit.

History and Culture

Utrecht prospered mainly during the 11th and 12th centuries, but throughout the Middle Ages it remained the most powerful and important town in the northern Netherlands. Under its bishops, it became the capital of a powerful principality and a cultural, commercial, and industrial centre until it was surpassed by Amsterdam in the 15th century. Utrecht was a major center for the cloth weaving industry during the middle ages.

Utrecht is the seat of Roman Catholic and Old Catholic (Jansenist) archdioceses and of the county court of law. The Utrecht University established in 1636 is one of the oldest and largest of the Dutch state universities. It has many special schools and a library partly housed in the palace of King Louis Napoleon. Utrecht has numerous museums, including the Central Museum the Netherlands Railway Museum, the Netherlands Gold and Silver Museum, the Clock and Watchmaking Museum, the Museum of Modern Religious Art, the Old Catholic Museum, and the National Museum

It was the site for the successive Frisian, Frankish, and the Roman Fortresses as well as for it’s role in the crowning of treaties of Utrecht.

In terms of its cultural life, Utrecht city incorporates the most active cultural life with theatres, hosting of Early Music Festival, Netherlands film festival, classical music theme, acoustics, sports, and events. It even organizes cultural Sundays to promote its culture to the coming generation. It is one of the enchanting cities in Europe and features numerous tourist attractions portraying its history and culture.

Things To Do in Utrecht

The Dom Tower

The Dom Tower of Utrecht is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands,[1] at 112.5 metres (368 feet) in height.[2] It is considered the symbol of Utrecht. The massive, oldest, and the most iconic church tower, the Dom Tower in Holland, stands separated by Saint-Martin church at the height of 112.5 meters.

The tower was constructed between the year 1321 to 1382 by John of Hainaut and as of now, it is about 600 years old. The tower is the symbol of Utrecht and since the 14th century, it is the largest tower in entire Europe. The Dome tower also leads to a protest by Geert Groote against its height but ultimately got canceled.

The Dom tower comprises two square blocks covered by a lantern The shape of the tower had a remarkable influence on other structures of the Netherlands. Upon its completion in the year 1382, the tower stood at a height of 109 meters, which later got increased due to restorations.
The most interesting feature of this tower is the fourteen ringing bells that weigh 32 tonnes of all. In addition, the tower incorporates a private chapel on the first floor of the Utrecht’s Bishop and served as the watchtower with a tower guard on its second floor.

The Castle De Haar

Castle de Haar is the hidden gem of Utrecht city, which is one of the fairy-tale-like castles, built by PJH Cuypers, the Dutch architect. Surrounded by pretty gardens, the fountains, the canals, and lakes, the Castle de Haar is the oldest and the most captivating place to explore in Utrecht.

Located at the center of the Netherlands and 16 km from Utrecht’s west, the castle features the Neo-Gothic styling amidst the spiked turrets, antiquities, paintings, tapestries, furniture, and the crenulations. Though being the oldest castle, it incorporates the use of modern gadgets, including the electrical lighting, generator, central heating of steam, etc. The spectacular interior of the castle dwells of distinct wooden carvings, Japanese coaches, and tableware.

As of now, the castle ranks as the historic monument alive allowing visitors to enjoy at several festivals and events such as the Christmas Fair, the annual country, etc. hosted in the castle premises. Also, visitors can experience the fascinating vibes at the castle, the picturesque tourist destination.

The Botanical Gardens

At the University of Utrecht and the eastern part of the city is the famous botanical gardens. Located at the heart of Utrecht’s science park, this 9 hectares green arena is the part of the Utrecht University.

The garden allows its visitors to explore different gardens, including the rock garden, discovery garden – a theme garden, birders den, evolution garden, a fort arena, tropical greenhouses, and bee hotels that entice animals and insect species in its environment. In addition, it comprises a variety of plants, fountains, trees, and the wonderful accumulation of butterflies.

The botanical garden also serves as the primary aspect and the support for research and education. One of the interesting features of the botanical gardens is they got dwelled in 1639 and are one of the oldest botanic gardens found in the entire Netherlands.

The Oudegratch Canal

After Amsterdam, Utrecht is the city comprising of the extensive canal network in the Netherlands that is lined up with the traditional antique houses. The canals begin from the Southeast of Utrecht and flow to the center of the town. In the middle of the flow to the town center, the Vaartse Rijn – the medieval canal in Utrecht and the Kromme Rijn – the central main canal of the Rhine river coincides. 

The canals provide a charming area alongside to walk relishing the colorful tall and narrow houses some of which are having doors opening into the canal. As of now, some of these houses are turned into cafes, boutiques, restaurants, shops, etc.

The Utrecht Canal network is spread throughout the town allowing visitors to tour the city via boats. Additionally, Utrecht city incorporates a street nearby the canals to walk and explore the city.

St. Martin’s Cathedral

At the Cathedral Square in the heart of the Utrecht city, lies the St. Martin Cathedral, that is commonly known as the Dom Church. The Cathedral was built in 1254 and now is one of the most prominent constructions as well as the most notable tourist destinations in the Utrecht city and the Netherlands.

Today, the Cathedral comprises the choir of the 14th century, the transepts of the 15th century, and two chapels. The cathedral also incorporates several old tombs and the crypts containing the organs of early emperors, Henry IV and Conrad II. In addition, the st. Martin Cathedral offers a marvelous cloister garden and a fountain with the bronze sculpture of a monk. During a visit to the cathedral, visitors can relish the pleasant feel in the tearoom.

The Central Museum

Located between the old Artillery Stables and the former convent remnants of the city, the Central Museum is the foremost museum of Utrecht, established back in 1838. It features the incredible collection of the archaeological artworks from the well-known artists, including Gerard Van Honthorst, Joachim Wtewael, and more.

Apart, the museum also displays the costumes from the 18th century to the present, ancient style furnished rooms, modern fashion, sculptures, art, silverware, applied art compositions, and the collection of historical artifacts.

Unlike the other museums, the central museum also incorporates the Roman coins from the reign of Limes as well as a law and order firm. The most interesting feature is that it offers a display of the ancient ship of Utrecht, known as the Utrecht Ship for visitors to see it in the cellar room.

How to get to Utrecht

By Air – Visitors need to travel to Schiphol Amsterdam airport that is the nearest from Utrecht.

By Train – From Schiphol Airport, visitors can take a train that leaves every 15 minutes for the central Utrecht station.

By Road – As the parking rates of Utrecht is expensive, visitors usually visit by train. But if it happens, they can travel by bus or taxi from the Dutch motorway hub.