Things to do in Utrecht City
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Canal Tours
Canal Tours are a fine way to see the old town and the old water-level warehouses. The landing is on Oudegracht just south of Lange Viestraat. You can also rent canal bikes from in front of the municipal library.
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Blauw
Blauw is the place for stylish Indonesian food in Utrecht. Young and old alike enjoy superb rijsttafels (array of spicy dishes served with rice) amid the red decor that mixes vintage art with hip minimalism.
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Domkerk
Finished in the 14th century, the cathedral and its tower (Domtoren) are the most striking medieval landmarks in a city that once had 40 cathedrals. In 1674 the North Sea winds reached hurricane force and blew down the cathedral's nave, leaving the tower and transept behind. There is a row of paving stones that mark the extents of the nave - across this extent is the Domkerk, the surviving chancel of the cathedral, with a few tombs within.
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Polman’s
Diners at this grand cafe are welcomed in an elegant former ballroom with ceiling frescoes and extravagant floral displays. French and Italian flavours dominate the menu and the extensive wine list.
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Oudaen
Set in a restored 14th-century banquet hall, it has a varied menu of salads, steaks and seafood. Best of all, it brews its own beer, which you can enjoy under the high ceilings or outside on the canal.
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Goesting
Celebrities and wannabes flock to Goesting to eat fancies such as spit roast, Dutch asparagus, poached tournedos and 'tame duck' in a crypto-minimalist, high-society atmosphere.
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Broers
This place is a stylish, modern version of a brown cafe, with good views. It serves basic dishes such as pasta and steak, and there’s live music some nights.
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Lokaal de Reunie
One of many atmospheric cafes near the cathedral tower, Lokaal de Reunie is distinguished by its attractive, airy interior.
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Oudegracht
Scene of many a wedding photo, the photogenic bend in the Oudegracht is illuminated by lamplight in the evening; hundreds sit outside cafés here by day. South of this point is where the canal is at its most evocative, and the streets are quieter, stretching 1km to the southern tip of the old town.
A section of the Singel called the Stadsbuitengracht has its own turn as a lovely canal on the eastern side of the old quarter, where it follows many parks built on the site of the old fortifications. Stroll down beside this canal and back north through Nieuwegracht, a peaceful stretch of plush canal houses and towering, grand old elms.
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Rietveld-Schröderhuis
The Rietveld-Schröderhuis is a Unesco-protected landmark built in 1924 by Utrecht architect Gerrit Rietveld. Inside and out, the entire structure conforms to the principles of De Stijl architecture – as form really does follow function here. Only six colours are used: red, blue, yellow, white, grey and black. Visits must be booked in advance through the website, by phone or through the Centraal Museum. Visits here are included in the museum admission, but the guided tour (adult/child €16/11, which includes a shuttle from Centraal Museum) is best.
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Dick Bruna Huis
One of Utrecht’s favourite sons, Dick Bruna, is honoured at Dick Bruna Huis. Bruna is the creator of beloved cartoon rabbit Miffy, and she naturally takes pride of place, along with an extensive overview of Bruna’s career: from the book covers he designed for his family’s publishing company to multimedia demonstrations of his technique and philosophy. Kids love this place, as do adults who find their inner kid again.
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Centraal Museum
The Centraal Museum has a wide-ranging collection. It displays applied arts dating back to the 17th century, as well as paintings by some of the Utrecht School artists and a bit of De Stijl to boot – including the world’s most extensive Gerrit Rietveld collection, a wet dream for all minimalists. There’s even a 12th-century Viking longboat that was dug out of the local mud, plus a sumptuous 17th-century dollhouse.
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Winkel van Sinkel
This stately early-19th-century building houses a grand café, a nightclub and a restaurant in an absolutely divine interior. It was once the Netherlands' first department store, inspiring this popular Dutch ditty (according to a Guardian reader: 'At the big shop of Sinkel's, all things can be bought/Sweeties and shandies, undies for dandies/Needles for knitting, and tablets for shitting'.
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Museum Catharijneconvent
The Museum Catharijneconvent, has the finest collection of medieval religious art in the Netherlands – virtually the history of Christianity, in fact – is housed in a Gothic former convent and a 18th-century canal-side house. Marvel at the many beautiful illuminated manuscripts, carvings and robes and then contemplate it all in the old cloisters.
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Museum voor het Kruideniersbedrijf
The Museum voor het Kruideniersbedrijf, a charming replica of an old grocery store, isn’t a museum per se. It’s more like a sweetshop with lovely ladies in old-fashioned aprons selling sweets and tea in decorative containers. Pick up a block of white liquorice candy to add to hot milk – an old Dutch tradition.
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Domtoren
The Domtoren is 112m high, with 465 steps and 50 bells. It’s a tough haul to the top but well worth the exertion, given that the tower gives unbeatable city views; on a clear day you can see Amsterdam. The guided tour, in Dutch and English, is detailed and gives privileged insight into this beautiful structure.
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Pieterskerk
Walk down Voetiusstraat from behind the cathedral to Pieterskerk, built in 1048 and the oldest Romanesque church in the Netherlands. Much damage was caused during the storm in 1674 and again during a dodgy 1965 restoration. Opening hours are sporadic but try visiting on Friday or Saturday.
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Universiteitsmuseum
The Universiteitsmuseum is a mixed bag – and that’s the ‘toof’! There’s a re-created late-19th- century classroom, historic dentistry tools (‘Is it safe?’) and way too many models of medical maladies.
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Utrecht University Ceremonial Buildings
The 19th-century buildings on the western side of Domplein are the ceremonial buildings of Utrecht University, surrounding the old church chapterhouse where the treaty of Utrecht was signed in 1579. The Treaty formed a military alliance of the northern provinces.
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Deeg
A charming corner location in the museum quarter is but the first draw at this casual bistro, which has nightly set menus that change regularly. Fresh local produce gets a Mediterranean accent and many items – such as the cheeses – are organic.
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De Artisjok
As surprising as the pastel colours inside the flower of its namesake artichoke, this bistro has fresh and inventive fare featuring organic ingredients grown locally. It’s on a leafy and quiet stretch of the Nieuwgracht.
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Tivoli
This former monastery, now a cavernous dance hall with medieval chandeliers, is a fixture on Utrecht’s student-oriented music scene. There’s everything from big band jazz to new Brit bands such as Rolo Tomassi.
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ACU
Billing itself as a ‘political cultural centre’, ACU is a classic student dive. It combines bar, disco, lecture hall and more. Argue about whether Trotsky was too conservative while downing organic vegan food.
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Café Springhaver
This cafe is a fine place for a drink, snack or meal. It’s a little spot of charm on this sinuous old street away from the bustle. This art deco complex houses intimate cinemas that screen art-house and independent films.
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Nederlands Waterleidingmuseum
Spread throughout the various levels of a soaring brick water tower built in 1896, the Nederlands Waterleidingmuseum takes a good, hard look at what happens to water before and after humans use it.
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