©Olena Z/Shutterstock
Don't underrate the petite province of Utrecht. Its famous namesake city – with its throngs of students, tree-lined canals and medieval quarter – deserves the limelight. No set piece, it has a plethora of hip, fun bars and cafes. Those with calmer tastes can visit more than a dozen museums big and small. Or wander the back streets and revel in reminders of the 17th century.
And this is no mere city-state. By bike you can explore evocative castles such as the splendid Kasteel de Haar on Utrecht's doorstep. To the east stretches the Randstad's largest park, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, studded with more magnificent estates. Amersfoort, birthplace of abstract artist Piet Mondrian, is a major city in its own right, the centre radiating plenty of medieval character.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Utrecht Province.
Castle
The nation's biggest moated castle is a remarkable feast of Gothic spires, turrets and portcullis gates. It has a glorious chapel, and is surrounded by a large English landscaped garden with broad paths, statues and canal-like stretches of pond. The result is supposedly the way the place would have looked in the early 1500s, albeit equipped with all the creature comforts available in the late 19th century, when it was romantically restored from a set of dilapidated ruins.
Historic Building
Years ahead of its time, this small but uniquely conceived house was built in 1924 by celebrated Utrecht designer Gerrit Rietveld. He'd be amazed to find that it's now a Unesco-recognised monument. Visiting feels like walking into a 3D Piet Mondrian abstract, and things get especially interesting when the walls start to move. To see a contextualising video, arrive 20 minutes before your assigned tour time (booking ahead is mandatory; an eight-language audio guide is included).
Archaeological Site
Talented volunteer guides and fascinating educational films with CGI effects set the historical scene. Then it's your turn to become an amateur archaeologist as you're let loose in the subterranean half-dark beneath Domplein with your finger on the trigger of a smart-torch audio-gun. Finding clue-targets, you unravel the meaning of rubble-strata and the odd pottery piece, identifying relics of Utrecht's original Roman castrum and its early churches.
Museum
Entered through a gloriously restored 1874 station with magnificent art-nouveau chandeliers, the national railway museum offers countless historic locos, a vast collection of model trains and a range of rides and interactive experiences for railway fans of all ages. The superb eye for detail even extends as far as the antique-style toilets. Don't miss De Vuurproef, a Harry Potter meets Willy Wonka experience that morphs from a history of railways into an award-winning simulator ride.
Historic Building
This 15th-century Gothic tower is Amersfoort's defining architectural icon. It's the only surviving component of a church that was otherwise destroyed by an unfortunate gunpowder blast in 1787. To climb the 346 steps, buy tour tickets from the nearby tourist office.
Museum
This small but absorbing museum honours the life and work of the famous De Stijl artist Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) in the house where he was born.
Museum
Museum Catharijneconvent has the finest collection of medieval religious art in the Netherlands – virtually the history of Christianity, in fact – housed in a Gothic former convent and an 18th-century canal-side house. Marvel at the many beautiful illuminated manuscripts, look for the odd Rembrandt and enjoy the wide-ranging scope of the impressive special exhibitions.
Historic Building
Utrecht's most striking medieval landmark, this 112m tower is worth the 465-step climb for unbeatable city views: on a clear day you can see Amsterdam. Visits are by guided tour only, departing at least hourly on the hour. Buy tickets at the tourist office across the square or prebook online (advisable in summer). The tower was originally part of a splendid 14th-/15th-century cathedral complex whose nave was blown down by a freak hurricane in 1674.
Castle
Kasteel Amerongen is a moated, rectilinear castle-mansion whose sumptuous salons can be perused by joining an hourly guided tour (in Dutch). If you just want to look at the rather austere frontage you can stroll down to the very impressive Bentinck cafe-restaurant, housed in converted stables complete with statue horse heads gazing at the tables. In a walled section of grounds there's also a beautiful formal garden.