5 places to visit in Utrecht – The Netherlands

Utrecht: for many tourists visiting The Netherlands not really well-known, but still a city which is definitely worth the visit. Most tourists who are going to The Netherlands, are going for the capital city of the country; Amsterdam. However, if you want to explore more in the country, you can easily combine Amsterdam with Utrecht. Utrecht is a city which is located in the centre of The Netherlands and also has the canals, Dutch architecture and nice cafes and boutiques. From Amsterdam, it’s only half an hour by train.

This article will show you 5 places in Utrecht which are worth the visit.

1 The St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Dom Tower

In the heart of Utrecht you can find the St. Martin’s Cathedral with its famous Dom Tower. Where ever you are in the city, you can see the Dom Tower from far away, it really is the image of Utrecht. In 125, the building was a Romanesque church, nowadays it consists out of the 14^th century choir, the 15^th century transepts and two chapels.

Although the St. Martin’s Cathedral and the Dom Tower are separated from each other, it definitely does belong together. The Dom Tower separated with the church after the destruction of the nave during a thunderstorm in 167. The ruins were only cleared away in 1826 when the Dom square was laid out, with restoration finally completed in 1988. It’s also worth to visit the inside of the St. Martin’s Cathedral!

The Dom Tower has a height of 112 meters and if you want, you can climb the tower to the top for a spectacular view over the city. The Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands.

2 The city centre with its canals

If you reach the canals of Utrecht, you also reach the city centre. With its Dutch architecture, you can see the nice buildings next to each other. In the city centre you can shop or you can go into a nice café or restaurants. There are also many restaurants just along the canals of the city. If you go in the narrow side streets of the city centre, you can find some boutique shops which are not that well-known, but where you can find amazing stuff. Especially the Dutch houses give the city centre a great atmosphere.

3 The Railway Museum

If you happen to a train fan, you are at the right place in Utrecht! In the city, there is situated a Railway Museum which brings you back to very start of the trains and railways. In the museum you can find plenty of models and old vehicles. In addition to the museum’s impressive collection of locomotives and rolling stock, kids will love the model railway and playground. So the museum is fun for the whole family! You can find the Railway Museum in the old Maliebaanstation, just outside the city centre of Utrecht.

4 Hoog Catharijne Shopping centre

If you are planning on going by train to Utrecht, you actually walk through Hoog Catharijne to reach the city centre of Utrecht. Hoog Catharijne is a big shopping centre, adjacent to the railway station of Utrecht and it has recently been renovated, so most of the places around Hoog Catharijne are very new. If you have more than one day in Utrecht and are in the mood to shop, you should definitely stop by Hoog Catharijne; because this is the place to be for shopping.

5 Centraal Museum

The Centraal Museum include the provincial archaeological collections and works by Utrecht-based painters from the 15^th century onwards, including the Romanists, a group influenced by the Italian Renaissance and Ied by Jan van Scorel. For art lovers, this museum really is the place to be. You can find the Centraal Museum just outside the city centre.

Shortly, the Dutch city Utrecht is perfect if you want to see more than just Amsterdam. The city has it all: from beautiful museums to good shopping locations and from historical buildings to nice cafes at the canals of Utrecht.

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Author: Tamara

This article is part of the GPSmyCity iOS app. You can download it, read this article offline and obtain travel directions (by foot, car or bicycle) to the places mentioned in this article. Click here to download it.

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