Introduction
The city of Utrecht is the 4th city of The Netherlands with a little less than 300,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the province with the same name. It is centrally located in the country and functions as a crossroad of most railwaylines and highways. Although it used to be located along the Rhine, nowadays the main Rhine river does not flow here any more, only some branches like the Kromme Rijn and Oude (old) Rhine flow here. Like Amsterdam, the city has a long system of canals, along which you can enjoy a good meal or drink on one of the many terraces in the city. Take a few stairs down to the wharves along the canals. These wharves were originally made for access to the cellars of the canal side houses but nowadays most of them are restaurants and/or pubs.
Utrecht is also a very lively city, both because of its multicultural mix of people (about one third is originally not Dutch) and the fact that the largest university of the country is located here since 1636.
Neighbourhoods
1. Town Centre
2. Utrecht-East
3. Leidsche Rijn
4. Utrecht-West
5. Overvecht
6. Utrecht-South
7. Utrecht-Northeast
8. Utrecht-Southwest
9. Utrecht-Noordwest
10. Vleuten-De Meern
Sights and Activities
The old city
Just walking around the compact old city is one of the highlights. Many old buildings and the cosy atmosphere along the canals will keep you busy for at least a few days. Besides this enjoyment, there are lots of churches and museums in the city as well. If you prefer to be shown the city, Utrecht City Tours offers guided walking tours through the historic city centre. In the summer months they have a specific tour schedule, but the rest of the year they can be contacted for private tours.
The Dom
Utrecht is home to the highest church tower in the country, the Domtower. Therefore, the city is also called the Dom city. The area around the Domtower and Domsquare is the old heart of the city, where Romans established themselves almost 2,000 years ago. The city itself is younger though, around 1300 years old. The Domtower itself is about 600 years old. The Dom tower is the landmark of the city, standing bang in the middle of the old part, being seperated from the church with the same name. A tornado destroyed part of the church, and since then the tower stands alone. The tower can be visited by a guided tour, which let you gradually climb most of the 112.32-metre high tower going up 465 steps. From the top there is a great view over the city, and on the square below. Tickets can be bought at the tothe urist information shop opposite the tower, the tour also starts from here.
Apart from the Dom, also the St. Jans church is worth a visit.
A few of the main museums are:
- Centraal Museum Utrecht - A fine collection of art through the ages.
- Dick Bruna Huis - The work of Dick Bruna, the creator of Miffy (Nijntje) is on permanent display in the Dick Bruna Huis opposite the Centraal Museum.
- The Rietveld-Schröderhuis - A world-famous house designed by Gerrit Rietveld. It is part of the Centraal Museum and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The house can be visited by booking a tour.
- The Aboriginal Art Museum - Not something you would expect in Utrecht, but is is surely worth a visit.
- The Geldmuseum (Money Museum) - To this day, lots of Dutch euro coins are made in Utrecht and you can enjoy this and a display of older coins in the Geldmuseum.
- Spoorweg Museum (The Railway Museum). This is one of the finest museums in town, with several themes to enjoy, among which a collection of old locs.
- Another building worth a visit is Oudaen, an old fortified house along the canals. There are more examples of these houses of rich patricians from the 13th and 14th century.
- The Winkel van Sinkel and the Old City House located next to each other on the end of the Oude Gracht (Old Canal), in a great setting, are both examples of neoclassical building styles.
Events and Festivals
- In 2010, the Giro d'Italia will start in Amsterdam on the 8th of May and the finish of the stage on the 9th of May will be in Utrecht!
Weather
Utrecht weather is typical of what you get in the Netherlands, meaning mild winters with rare snow, and reasonably warm summers from June to September. Temperatures are slightly above 20 °C during the summer months, and slightly above zero during winters.
Getting There
Check OV9292 for information about schedules for buses and trains.
By Plane
Schiphol international airport near Amsterdam is the closest airport nearby, easily reached by direct trains from the city of Utrecht in about half an hour.
By Train
Dutch Railways offers trains to and from Utrecht, which is the center of the railways in the country. Check the website for more information about prices and schedules.
Most of the Netherlands can be reached within 2 hours by train from Utrecht.
By Car
Many highways run to and from Utrecht. The main ones are the A2 between Amsterdam and Maastricht, the A1 between Amsterdam and Apeldoorn and on to Germany, the A12 between The Hague and Arnhem and the A27 between Breda and Almere. The A28 starts in Utrecht and goes northeastwards towards Drenthe and Groningen.
By Bus
Eurolines offers a number of connections with European cities. The stop of Eurolines is at the Central Station (Jaarbeursplein.) Eurolines has its own busstop here. Within the Netherlands, most bus travel to and from Utrecht is in the region, that is the province and surroundings.
By Boat
Getting Around
By Car
It is best to leave your car as far from the centre as possible. There are enough well signed parkings but it costs at least around €2.5 an hour, much more if you are not in a parking garage! Also, traffic during rush-hours and on Thursday nights and Saturdays can be heavy and you are probably even faster when walking very slowly.
By Public Transport
Check the GVU website for local bus lines. There is also a tram line from the central station to southern suburbs/towns like Nieuwegein and IJsselstein, but these are rarely useful for tourists.
By Foot
The innercity of Utrecht is easily explored on foot.
By Bike
Utrecht, like many other cities, is a great city to explore by bike, especially if you are visiting more places than only the city centre. Biking lanes are abundant and you can park your bike at many places, either guarded (recommended when you have a rental bike or expensive bike) or unguarded.
Eat
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| B&B Utrecht City Center | Lucasbolwerk 4 | Guesthouse | 74 |
| Bed&Breakfast Kilim-centre-inn | Herenweg 28 | Guesthouse | 81 |
| Hello B&B | Herenweg 32 | Guesthouse | 83 |
| Malie Hotel -A Hampshire Classic Hotel | Maliestraat 2 | Hotel | 78 |
| Stayokay Utrecht - Bunnik | Rhijnauwenselaan 14 Bunnik | Hostel | 71 |
| Stone Hotel & Hostel | Biltstraat 31 | Hostel | 80 |
| Hotel Oorsprongpark | F.c. Dondersstraat 12 | Hotel | 83 |
| B&B Limes Oudwijk | van Alphenstraat 42bis 3581 JD Utrecht | Guesthouse | - |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
- The Utrecht University is one of the biggest in the country with numerous study options. It is located on the east side of the city and can be reached by buslines number 11 and 12.
Keep Connected
Internet
Internet cafés certainly are not ubiqutous to say the least. Although there are a few, it's best to go on the internet in your hotel, hostel or maybe in the nearest library, as they can be hard to find.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
Post
The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.46 (2010). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).
Sending items to other EU countries will cost €0.67, while the rest of the world sets you back €0.89 per piece. Stamps are sold at post offices and supermarkets; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.
Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between 500-2,000 grams will cost you €9.10 for destinations within the EU, and €17.50 to the rest of the world. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well.
If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.
On Travellerspoint
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