Navigation Menu+

Utrecht day-trip: unique architecture and canals

Posted on Sep 3, 2015 by

« Previous: Sail 2015 Amsterdam | Next: A sunflower labyrinth at Van Gogh museum »

Only half an hour by train from Amsterdam, Utrecht is another destination for a day-trip (although you could easily spend a few pleasant days there, if you wanted).  This charming old city has a young vibe from all the students studying at the largest university in the Netherlands — Utrecht University. The city centre features many old buildings, some dating back to the High Middle Ages, with beautiful architecture. Utrecht also has very special canals — their wharves and wharf cellars are unique.

Getting around is really easy, I recommend walking or cycling because most of the points of interest can be reached on foot. There are several museums and monuments worth visiting, but one day is not enough to see all of them. You’ll have to choose the ones that are most interesting to you: perhaps the Railway Museum, the Dick Bruna Huis or the Museum Speelklok (Museum of Musical Clocks), or the exhibitions at the Aboriginal Art Museum, the Central Museum or the Museum Catharijneconvent? If the weather is good and you’re not particularly interested in museums, I really recommend (as always when there’s only a little time to spend in a place) just strolling around the streets of the old city, so you can soak up a bit of the city’s feeling.

Start from the Dom Square, because Dom Tower and Domkerk are a must see. Go down the Oudegracht where you can walk along its wharves and enjoy a drink at one of the terraces. Don’t miss the small, hidden gardens that you’ll stumble upon on your way, have an ice cream from Ik smelt voor jou and enjoy, for a moment, the quiet street behind the Domkerk reverberating the sounds of the Dom Tower bells announcing the time.

Here are a few photos from my last trip, on a grey, cloudy day (but the weather didn’t stop me from having a lovely day in Utrecht):

Stay tuned for more and follow Amsterdamian on Instagram and Facebook for daily stories about life in the Netherlands. Please share this post if you liked it!

Check out my photo book: Amsterdam Through the Seasons!

For prints and other cute objects, visit our store on Society6.

2 Comments

  1. After years summering in Amsterdam I made it down to Utrecht with my friend Michou, by bicycle. Fantastic journey down and an amazing little university town. Loved the mix of Dutch cool and Oxford, or thereabouts.

    • I’m not sure I will ever dare to go there by bike, but I’m sure the trip is lovely. Maybe I’ll try someday 😉

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Day-trips from Amsterdam: 16 Dutch cities you need to visit | Amsterdamian - […] Utrecht: 40-50 min by train from Amsterdam. Province: Utrecht. […]
  2. Autumn in Utrecht | Amsterdamian - […] day off, another day-trip. This time, to the charming city of Utrecht, which I absolutely love. I enjoyed strolling…
  3. Fantasy Festival: Elfia Haarzuilens 2017 | Amsterdamian - […] I’ve wanted to go to the Elfia festival since I first heard about it a couple of years ago.…
  4. Fighting Food Waste in Amsterdam: Wasteless Dinners | Amsterdamian - […] founded in 2012 focused on the prevention of food waste, with branches in Amsterdam, Bussum, Utrecht, Bergen and already…
  5. One person, two looks: photo session with Errol | Amsterdamian - […] is a half Irish, half Dutch actor, born in Utrecht, the Netherlands. His passion for acting comes from an…
  6. Fun Museums: Speelklok Museum in Utrecht | Amsterdamian - […] can learn about street barrels history and have some fun at the same time: the Speelklok Museum in Utrecht…
  7. Things to Do in Utrecht: a Complete Guide to Discovering the City and Its Surroundings | Amsterdamian - […] the center of the Netherlands, capital to the province with the same name, you will find Utrecht, one of…

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *