Roaming Numeral

When people are visiting the Netherlands, 9 times out of 10, they’re visiting Amsterdam. It makes sense- the city is hugely popular for many reasons including its canal system, culture, and history, plus it’s a major transit hub for international travelers.

Every time I’ve visited Amsterdam, however, I’ve found myself to be faintly overwhelmed by the crowds- especially on my most recent visit where construction forced the visitors into a bottleneck down the Main Street.

I always try to spend some time out of the city to experience a slightly more authentic version of the country- or at least to get away from the crowds!

During my latest visit to the Netherlands, I made a quick pit stop in Utrecht. The city is located just a 30 minute train ride from Amsterdam- an easy trip that costs about €8 each direction and leaves every 20 minutes.

Once arrived at Utrecht Centraal, it’s just a short walk to the city center. Walking or biking seems to be the best way to get around- the streets near tourist sites were very narrow or non existent.

Utrecht is very much a student city with plenty of unique shops, bars, and coffee shops throughout its streets. Much like Amsterdam, canals stretch like veins throughout Utrecht.

What To Do In Utrecht

Dom Tower

The Dom Tower is Utrecht’s most iconic building- and the tallest in the city! I was treated to a Carillon Concert out of the bell tower by the supremely talented Malgosia Fiebig for almost the entirety of my visit, which made exploring the city such a treat.

Although the tower was once connected to St. Martin’s Cathedral (also known as Dom Church), the unfinished nave connecting the two buildings collapsed nearly 400 years ago and the tower has been freestanding ever since.

Visitors are able to climb the 465 steps to the top of the tower, and on a clear day both Amsterdam and Rotterdam are visible from the top!

Dom Church

Since it’s right next door to Dom Tower, check out its’ church! Admission to the church is free, though donations are appreciated.

The Gothic cathedral offers a concert every Saturday at 3:30pm and even has its own gift shop and cafe!

During my visit, the church was also displaying a series of modern art pieces, which was a cool twist for such an ancient building.

Just outside of the church, its stunning cloister garden was a lovely green oasis during my winter visit, and an enterprising street musician was taking advantage of the acoustics.

Oudegracht

The main canal is lined with shops and restaurants overlooking the water. Unlike its siblings in Amsterdam, this canal also has cellars located right along the water below street level that have often been renovated into popular pubs and terraces.

If the weather is nice, consider renting a kayak to explore the canals!

Pop up flower markers are also common along this path, and I only restrained myself from making a purchase because I had no where to put the pretty flowers!

Keep an eye out for the “Letters of Utrecht”, poetry project called wherein the city carves one letter into a stone every Saturday at 1pm, creating an unending poem. It takes about three years to finish a single sentence, at which point the next poet continues the project.

Zadelstraat

Running almost perpendicular to Oudegracht, Zadelstraat is another good option for browsing through shops and cafes. The street lines up to the Dom Tower, and there’s a great view of the landmark all along the street.

I stopped at Hop and Stork for a coffee and a pastry and they gave me a free little bowl of chocolates with my snacks.

Check out the Museums

Centraal Museum

The Centraal Museum is the main museum in Utrecht and specializes in local work. It also hosts the world’s largest collection of Rietveld designs and also runs the Rietveld Schröder House museum. It also runs the nearby Miffy Museum, which is a big hit with young children!

The Railway Museum

Where better for a rail museum than the city with the Netherland’s busiest railway station? The Railway Museum is displayed within a defunct train station (which reminds me of New York City’s Transit Museum), and offers a view of trains throughout the past, present, and future.

Museum Speelklok

This museum specializes in self playing musical instruments such as music boxes, mechanical organs, and player pianos. Museum Speelklok is particularly famous for its excellent standards of restoration- the majority of its collection is in perfect working condition and can be played for its guests.

DOMunder

If you haven’t had enough of all of the other activities around Dom Church, check out DOMunder. Visitors begin a journey through time deep under the city’s walkways. Here, you’ll explore the foundations of the Roman castellum Trajectum and medieval archaeological attractions.

Utrecht University Botanic Gardens

On a nice day, consider checking out the largest academic botanic gardens in the Netherlands. The 100,000m2 park hosts over 10,000 plant species and makes for a a great day in the fresh air.

Castle De Haar

A little further from city center, but not to be missed, is the largest castle in the Netherlands: Castle De Haar. The stunning medieval castle is surrounded by a moat, and surrounded further by a perfectly manicured park. Visitors can chose to purchase admission for just the park, but it’s probably worth getting admission tickets to the castle as well.

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