Utrecht is a 2000-year old city, founded by the Romans. It is located in the heart of the Netherlands and is known as a city with a personal and friendly character. Utrecht is home to the largest university in the country with 30.000 students. The mainly medieval city centre is dominated by the highest church tower in the Netherlands; the Dom tower, which is the very heart of the bustling city centre with canals, musea, old churches, open air markets, a modern city hall and unique wharf outdoor cafés. Theatre and musical events are held almost daily. Utrecht is also home to icons such as Dick Bruna and his Miffy, architect and furniture maker Gerrit Rietveld and the design brand Pastoe. With its numerous high-quality restaurants visitors can eat to their heart’s content in the culinary area as well.
Recommended
- Exploring the medieval wharves. The four-kilometre long wharf quays and wharf cellars along the canals form a unique medieval harbour complex.
- Utrecht is probably best seen from the water. Take a round trip to get a good impression of the city, or hire a canoe or pedal boat.
- The Centraal Museum with its Dick Bruna house and Rietveld Schröder House (UNESCO World Heritage).
- The National Museum for Mechanical Music – the most musical museum in the Netherlands! Instruments vary from ghost pianos to giant dance organs.
- The Catharijneconvent Museum – with everything about the past and present of Christianity in the Netherlands: a three-star ‘must see’ according to the Michelin guide.
- Dom Square – the heart of the city with the Tourist Information Office and the 112-metre high Dom tower you can climb (a challenging 465 steps!), the impressive Dom cathedral, the square with the outlines of the central part of the church blown away in a gale and the tranquil court next to the church.
For tourist information of the city of Utrecht, please visit the website of the
Utrecht Tourist Board.