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About Utrecht
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How to describe the city of Utrecht in just a couple of words? Words most used by our visitors to describe the city of Utrecht are friendly, atmospheric, hospitable, high-quality, open-minded and a trusted surrounding.
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Utrecht, The Netherlands’ fourth largest city, is a very lively and hospitable place. Built around the centuries-old Dom Tower, the city center is branched by many picturesque canals, some with extraordinary wharf cellars that house shops, cafés, restaurants, and bars along the water. Add to that the charm of the many merchants’ houses, courts scattered throughout the city, and the ancient next to modern architecture, and you start to have an idea of what brings so much charm to this city.
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Utrecht Centraal
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Utrecht Centraal is the largest and busiest station in the Netherlands. Thanks to the central location within the Netherlands, Utrecht Centraal has grown to become the major rail transport station in the country. First opened in 1843, Utrecht Centraal underwent major reconstruction.
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Due to the high number of cyclists in the city, you'll find the world’s largest bicycle parking station next to Utrecht Centraal. If you're planning to travel around Utrecht by bicycle, there's a strong chance you'll be able to hire one from here! Bus and tram services also call at the station, providing excellent public transport services for the surrounding areas. Utrecht Centraal is situated in the centre of the city, so many of the local attractions are also accessible by foot.
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Utrecht's surroundings are of equal historical importance. The city is surrounded by impressive citadels, forts and castles, including Kasteel de Haar, the largest castle in the Netherlands. Take a tour to the forts and hear the exciting stories of the New Dutch Waterline.
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Attractions
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Dom Tower. Being 112 m and 32 cm (369 ft) in height, the Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands.
The highest viewpoint is at 95 m (312 ft). From this platform you have a magnificent panoramic view of the city of Utrecht and its surroundings. During the climb the guide will pause at various levels in the tower for a brief explanation of the tower’s history.
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Gerrit Rietveld was one of the big innovators of the well-known art movement called De Stijl (Dutch for The Style), also known as Neoplasticism. The Centraal Museum of Utrecht has the largest Rietveld collection worldwide, here you find the colourful heritage of De Stijl.
The Rietveld Schröder House was put on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000.
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Wilhelminapark is a historical city park with its many old trees and elegant fountain. The park is surrounded by stately mansions and monumental villas. It is a popular site with people flocking there throughout the entire year.
In Wilhelminapark you can also find the EXbunker exhibition space and the Wilhelminapark restaurant, where you can enjoy classic French cuisine.
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The Rijn en Zon corn mill, situated in Utrecht’s Vogelenbuurt district, is one of the last two remaining mills in Utrecht. Of the many dozens of mills that used to grace the city, only the corn mill and the De Ster sawmill in Lombok remain standing today.
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The gardens of the Oude Hortus in Utrecht consists of two gardens: the Regius garden and the Cottage garden. The former is modelled after Hortus Medicus, a 17th-century garden in Utrecht used mainly to educate medical students about medicinal herbs. The latter is an alpine garden with low walls, short stairs, ponds and dwarf conifers. The gardens are full of unique plants and trees. The greenhouses of the Oude Hortus are the oldest university garden greenhouses still in existence in Holland.
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Do you want to explore Utrecht a little further? Tourist information can be found here.
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Photography: Stichting Aquarius, Petra Appelhof,Centraal Museum, Jurjen Drenth, Juri Hiensch.
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