Utrecht sightseeing

Utrecht sightseeing

 

Utrecht is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. From its cultural heritage to the historical and architectural sights, the picturesque in the city of Utrecht stands apart in every aspect and we bring you the best of Utrecht and how to consume all this beauty by telling the best sights to see and best places to travel.

 

 

Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands and the capital of the province of the same name, lies on the geographical divide between the country’s fenlands and sandy heathlands.

 

 

Utrecht is named as the 4th happiest city in the world and the people who live there have plenty of reasons to be happy as well. With the part-time work culture and the open european terrace restaurants and cafes, Utrecht is also arguably the most beautiful canal city in the world with it being the only city whose inner city canal consists of wharfs.

 

Some of the best sightseeing sites in the city are:

 

Cathedrals

 

• St. Martin’s Cathedral – In the heart of Utrecht lies Cathedral Square, the Domplein, where you’ll find St. Martin’s Cathedral. Most often referred to by locals as the Dom Church (Domkerk), this fine building is considered to be one of the most important churches in The Netherlands. It was built in the early 10th century and the church’s nave was attached to the Dom tower but a huge storm tore the two iconic monuments apart.

 

 

• The Domtoren Tower (Dom Tower) – Looming high over the old city of Utrecht is the old cathedral tower, the Dom Tower (or Domtoren), the massive structure that was separated from the Cathedral of St. Martin after the devastating storm of 1674. It is the tallest tower in the Netherlands standing over 112m high and consists of a climb of 465 stairs to get to the top. But it’s worth the climb, its viewing galleries offer magnificent panoramic vistas of the old city and the Domplein — on a clear day, you can see as far as the cities of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.

 

 

• Cathedral Square – Utrecht consists of many public squares but the one that is considered to be the most important among them is the cathedral square. Named after the amazing St. Martin’s Cathedral, the cathedral square houses the attractive and colorful Utrecht university building as well as the tourist information office (a good place for tourists to start their tours). But by far the most exciting attraction of this sight is what is called DomUnder.

 

DomUnder is a fascinating self-guided tour that takes you underneath Cathedral Square on an exciting journey that reveals the remains of the city’s rich 2,000-plus-year history.

 

Armed with a flashlight that doubles as a visual-guide (English language available), you find yourselves literally dozens of feet underground and wandering a route that takes in the remains of the original Roman fortress, Trajectum, which started things off.

 

 

• St. Peter’s Church – Just a short walk north of St. Martin’s Cathedral, in Pieterskerkhof, stands St. Peter’s Church (St. Pieterskerk), the first of the town’s churches to be built. Consecrated in 1048 and notable for its two Romanesque towers, the church features a crypt with a sarcophagus of the founder, Bishop Bernold. Other notable features are the capitals of the columns in the nave, the wall paintings in the north aisle, and the 12th-century reliefs created in the Maasland style.

 

 

Museums

 

• Museum Speelklok – It is also known as the musical clock museum. It is one of the most unusual tourist attractions in Utrecht. Speelklok museum consists of an enormous collection of self-playing instruments, many of which are over 200 years old. The museum was established in 1956, and it houses mechanical musical instruments from the 18th century till date. One of the must visit places if travelling to Utrecht.

 

 

• Railway Museum – It is located in the old Maliebaan train station. The railway museum is one to watch especially for train enthusiasts. It was founded in 1927 and the museum consists of the heritage of the early European railway. With an impressive collection of locomotives (including nine well-preserved steam engines) and rolling stock, kids will love the model railway and playground. There’s a shop and restaurant on-site.

 

 

 For a special treat, take the authentic shuttle train service running between the city’s main train station (Utrecht Centraal) and the museum. Frequent themed events, such as Thomas the Tank Engine days, are also held, and regular guided tours are available.

 

 

• Centraal Museum – It houses the artwork from the 15th century onwards. The museum was established in 1838 and consists of paintings from many local artists involved at the time. Most notably the group called Romanists, a group influenced by the Italian Renaissance and led by Jan van Scorel. 

 

 

The museum also has a collection of costumes from the 18th century to the present day, along with rooms furnished, a rare 17th century doll house from the Dutch East Indies, the famous “Utrecht ship” a 1000 year old vessel discovered in 1930. The museum is the hub for art and people interested will enjoy the experience.

 

 

• Miffy Museum – The creator of the world famous Miffy the cartoon bunny Dick Bruna was from Utrecht and lived his entire life in the city. In order to honor his legacy the city turned his life’s work into a museum for people to enjoy in the city.

 

This first-rate educational facility is one of the top things to do in Utrecht for families traveling with younger children. Naturally, there’s plenty of fun here, from storytelling and dancing to games and plenty of interactive playtime.

 

 

Architectural sites

 

• De Haar Castle – The castle was built by a famous architect named PJH Cuypers, De Haar castle is the biggest castle in the Netherlands. Infact, when it was built in 1822, the whole village of Haarzuilens had to be moved. Thanks to its fairytale looks the De Haar castle is the most visited architectural site in the Netherlands.

 

 

 

The castle is located 16km outside of Utrecht and is known for its displays of furniture, tapestries, paintings, antiquities, along with its rich decor. The castle also hosts many musical events throughout the year and is a must visit destination for all travellers to witness one of the finest architectural sites in all of the Netherlands. 

 

 

 

• Rietveld Schröder House – Utrecht is also home to a UNESCO world heritage site. The Rietveld Schroder house was designed and constructed in the early 1920 by a famous Dutch architect named Gerrit Rietveld. The house is famous for its design and how it was way ahead of its time when it was originally constructed with fine details and clever trickery could be seen in the house. The house is now a museum, and admission is only available as part of a guided tour. A small shop selling related books and material is located nearby.

 

 

 

• Fort Bij Rijnauwen – This epic fort was once part of an enormous line of defences that ran through the province of Utrecht. Its thick walls are completely surrounded by a star-shaped moat which can be crossed at two points. The fort is now open to the public and is located inside a nature reserve in the south of Utrecht.

 

 

 

• Huis Doorn – The Kaiser’s House is located in the little town of Doorn. The house was built in the 18th century. It is the last known home of Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was exiled after WWI. He lived there till 1941 when he died. The house was turned into a museum in 1956 and has been open to the public ever since.

 

 

 

Set in a large and beautiful park, the house has been preserved exactly as it was in the Kaiser’s day, right down to the original furniture and furnishings, the Kaiser’s personal possessions (including a collection of snuff-boxes belonging to Frederick the Great), uniforms, photos, and paintings. The property’s attractive Orangery is now a restaurant and serves a memorable, traditional high tea. English-language guided tours are available but need to be booked in advance.

 

 

 

Other popular attractions

 

• Oudegracht – The most peaceful thing to do in Utrecht is to stroll along the Oudegracht canals which are known to be one of the oldest canals in european history. The canals are a significant part of Utrecht history and the canal runs through the city center. It was built when the main flow of the river Rhine moved south, parts of the old river bed were dug to create the old canal (Oudegracht) and wharfs were added to create an inner city harbour system. It’s one of the biggest highlights of the city.

• Utrecht university botanic gardens – People who enjoy greenery will enjoy their visit to the Utrecht university. The botanic gardens present there were originally part of an 18th-century defensive line that trailed through several Dutch provinces. 

 

 

All told there are six unique gardens to explore. Favorites include the Birders Den (no surprise, it’s popular with bird-watchers), and the Bee Hotel with its diverse array of pollinating insects. The tropical greenhouses are also worth exploring.

 

The gardens are open spring through December. Try to join one of the regular and informative guided tours to ensure you get the most from your experience (and explore on your own afterwards). The pleasant Garden Café is a welcome treat, and an on-site shop is also available.

 

 

• Tivoli Vrendenburg – Utrecht’s largest music venue contains five separate stages that were custom-built to accommodate specific genres. Besides having possibly the best acoustics in the entire country, Tivoli also features bars and cafés alongside several sky-high observation areas that look onto central Utrecht.

 

• Sonnenborgh Observatory – It was founded by the Utrecht University in 1853 and has since opened to the public. Besides its stargazing apparatus, the observatory also features an astronomical museum that regularly organises specialised exhibitions. Highlights of a visit to this part museum and part still-functioning observatory include seeing this historic structure in action (guided tours are available).

 

Things to do on a budget in Utrecht

It’s not easy to travel through european cities when you are on a budget, but we got you covered. Utrecht offers some cheap ways to maximize the experience of the beautiful city. Some of them are:

 

• Free guided walking tours – The city of Utrecht offers walking tours led by a tour guide to a detailed tour of the city. Utrecht is small in size and when walking around you will get to the place from where you started easily. The tour takes around 2 hours to complete and it’s free as well and it’s highly recommended to try walking tours.

 

• Trajectum Lumen – One of the coolest free things to do is check out the project trajectum lumen. More details are provided as the best of this project can be seen at the Gazenmarkt tunnel. It is an underground tunnel under Bezembrug bridge and it is lit as is the point of the trajectum lumen project. 

 

Trajectum Lumen is a collection of light displays throughout the city with the Gazenmarkt tunnel being the most obvious and largest display. The full list of other locations being lit up is here.

 

 

• Rent a bike – The Netherlands are known for being extremely bike friendly. All the major cities in this country have dedicated bike lanes everywhere. With that being said, if you’re walking around on foot be cautious of where you’re walking so you don’t accidentally stray into a biking lane and cause an accident.

 

The Netherlands has more bikes than people at 1.3 bikes/person so there is a big demand for parking. Thankfully the Dutch have come up with a few clever options, like these underground parking garages to accommodate thousands of bikes. With some garages offering the first 24 hours of storage free of charge and rental prices as low as 6 euros a day, renting a bike is definitely one of the best cheap things to do in Utrecht. Don’t forget a helmet.

 

 

• Open terrace restaurants and cafes – The canal wharfs and many city squares are serving as restaurants, cafes, and bars. Utrecht has one of the largest outdoor open terraces in Europe which is a very fun experience and it is even better if you go on a sunday morning with the city sleeping after their saturday night out.

Utrecht is a landmark city to visit and such amazing sightseeing destinations will make you fall in love with the city even more.

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