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Utrecht Province

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.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Utrecht Province.

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Rietveld-Schröderhuis
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). Book as far ahead as possible: space constraints limit tours to a maximum of 12 visitors per hour. The ticket is also valid for the Centraal Museum, which displays many of Rietveld's trademark chairs. If you start the day at the Centraal Museum they'll give you a map and lend you a bicycle for the 1.8km ride, but you need to return it by 4.45pm. By bus take route 8 to de Hoogstraat from central stops Neude or Janskerkhof.
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Dom Under
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. Allow over an hour for the experience, which is an excellent introduction to key moments in Utrecht's history. Buy tickets from the UCK culture centre. If you can show a ticket for the Domtoren you get a 20% discount on Dom Under and vice versa. Weekdays outside holiday season, ticket prices drop by €1.50 but the 12.30pm tour doesn't run.
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Museum Catharijneconvent
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.
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Domtoren
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. It was never rebuilt, which has left the tower disconnected from the remnant transept and chancel of the Domkerk. Where the nave should be is now the open square of Domplein.
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Spoorweg 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. Other highlights include the luxurious carriages of the Orient Express, the Netherlands' oldest steam locomotive, and the chance to hand-propel a pomplorrie (maintenance bogie).
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Centraal Museum
More than half the museum's 10 gallery-rooms feature temporary exhibitions (so check the schedules). Meanwhile the core collection takes a thought-provoking if disorientating thematic hopscotch through Utrecht's 2000-year history using the lens of design and counterpointed art. Highlights include surrealist delights by 'Dutch Dali' Johannes Moesman and others, plus the conceptual play-off between the city's contrasting architectural heritages, notably the Gothic intricacy of the Domtoren versus the functionalism of Rietveld furniture (which features extensively). The garden cafe is a pleasant oasis accessible without ticket. Admission for adults includes the Miffy Museum across the road, though since that's only really for toddlers (and might require prebooking), the gesture isn't especially generous.
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Miffy Museum
Designed to delight young children (age two to six), this bold, touch-everything play-museum celebrates beloved cartoon rabbit Miffy (or Nijntje as she's known in Dutch) plus other related characters designed by local artist Dick Bruna. Limited explanations are in English, Dutch and notably Japanese. Online reservations advised. Note that since the 2015 renovation, Bruna's original studio has been moved from here and re-created across the street in room 9 of the Centraal Museum. Adults visiting the Centraal Museum get free entrance to the Miffy Museum. Note that the museum can be very busy, especially at weekends and in holiday periods when visits are generally limited to those who prebooked their time slots.
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Sonnenborgh Museum & Observatory
The Sonnenborgh is actually two museums in one: upstairs has an exhibit on the history of astronomy in an 1850 building that was once among the foremost astronomical research sites on earth. Below are the foundations of the much older city-wall bastions on which it was constructed. Big redesign plans mean that by the time you read this, a new multilingual system using tablet-guides should have made the whole experience very interactive and thought-provoking. On certain days you can look through the ancient telescopes, whether at the sun (1pm to 5pm Sunday) or at the moon, stars and planets (April to September only). The latter is currently 8pm Friday and 7.30pm Saturday (€10), but check the website for updates and do prebook online.
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Museum Speelklok
Within an old church, discover a colourful collection of self-playing organs, musical boxes and assorted mechanised noise-makers dating from the 18th century onwards. Hourly tours demonstrate them with gusto. Save money with a joint ticket to Domtoren (adult/child €17/9.50). Children over 12 pay adult rates. Tickets also let you access the restoration workshop in Flora's Hof, but only at 2pm on the first Wednesday of each month.