Utrecht
University City Of Two Level Canals, With The Dom Tower (The Tallest Church Tower In The Country) And Rietveld'S Schroder House (UNESCO 2000) · Utrecht, Utrecht
Utrecht is the Netherlands' fourth city and, for many visitors, the nicest surprise of a trip: a medieval university town in the exact middle of the country, 25 minutes by train from Amsterdam, with canals unlike any others. On the Oudegracht the old wharves sit at water level below the street, and the cellars that once stored goods are now cafes and terraces right on the canal. Above everything rises the Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, left standing on its own after a storm in 1674 brought down the cathedral nave; a guided climb of about 465 steps rewards you with a view that on clear days reaches far across the flat country. Utrecht is also the home of Rietveld's Schroder House, a small 1924 family house that became a UNESCO site, of Dick Bruna's Miffy, of Museum Speelklok's singing machines, and of a station bicycle garage often described as the largest in the world. The honest caveat: the station area is a maze of malls and building sites, the Dom climb and the Schroder House must be booked, and in term time the centre belongs to students on bicycles.
Utrecht old town around the Dom Tower and the Oudegracht canal with its wharf-level cellars, Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
A city open all year; the canals, squares and wharves are free at any hour. Most museums open Tuesday to Sunday and close on Monday - confirm each one. The Dom Tower is climbed only on guided tours, roughly hourly in daytime; book a slot online ahead. The Rietveld Schroder House is visited by timed ticket only, booked through the Centraal Museum. Trains from Amsterdam Centraal take about 25 minutes and run every few minutes; from Schiphol about 30 minutes. Tap in and out with OVpay or an OV-chipkaart.