Uniquely Utrecht: A Guide to its Charming City Centre

Utrecht’s scenic canal views, rich cultural heritage and striking architecture make wandering its storied streets an unforgettable experience. It’s also home to over 100 churches, some dating as far back as the medieval era. On this walking tour, I’ll show you the city’s main sights, and a few off the well-trodden tourist path. You’ll also hear about the city’s origins which date back to the Roman Empire.

You’ll start your tour by circling St Martin’s Cathedral before making your way to the impressive Dom Tower, the highest church tower in the Netherlands. You’ll then delve into the enchanting history of the Oude Gracht, Utrecht’s former canal, which was entirely dug by hand in the 1100s. You’ll learn about the architecture of Utrecht’s library, Bibliotheek Neude, and see how its features are typical of the style of architecture known as the Amsterdam School. Alongside the Oude Gracht once more, we’ll stroll past the remnants of the city crane and hear how it was used to load and unload ships’ cargo from the Middle Ages onwards. Your journey ends in front of the neoclassical columns of Utrecht City Hall.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Learn more about the patron saint of Utrecht, Sint Maarten
• Enjoy the Belgian Beer Cafe Olivier (Belgisch Biercafé Olivier Utrecht), once a secret Catholic church during the Reformation, now a beloved watering hole
• Get to know the city’s origins as the northwestern border of the Roman Empire
• Hear how the inner city passed a law that no building may be taller than the Dom Tower
• See the enchanting Pandhof van de Dom, the Dom Cathedral’s cloister
• Hear the remarkable story of the Non Berkten, a nun who lived in voluntary seclusion within the Buurkerk for 57 years, offering advice to visitors through a window
• Try a typical Utrecht delicacy, a Domtorentje, a chocolate and cream-filled bonbon
• Find out about this bicycle-mad city’s ongoing fight against motorised traffic
• Walk past the ruins of Castle Vredenburg
• Stroll down the Oude Gracht with its beautiful stone buildings, once occupied by nobility, called ‘city castles’

By the end of this 60-minute tour of Utrecht, you’ll have a greater appreciation for the city, its rich cultural heritage, and lesser-known stories.