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City and municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands
Photo: Sara2605, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Utrecht is a central Dutch city with a long history. With 362,000 inhabitants (2022), it’s the fourth largest city in the Netherlands. Utrecht is known as a student city with a large population of single young people. This results in a booming nightlife with many places to have a quick meal, some drinks or a dance.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Domkerk
The Gothic Dom church (built between 1284 and 1520) is the major religious building in the city. It was a part of a larger cathedral which was partially destroyed by a severe storm while under construction. When a hurricane hit the town in 1674, the badly constructed nave collapsed, which is the reason that today the Domtoren (Bell Tower) and the church itself are separated by the Domplein (Dom Square). The interior of the church was stripped down of every sculpture during Reformation, but the exterior remains a lavishly decorated example of Dutch Gothic architecture. The 20th century stained glass windows are stunningly beautiful.
An interesting museum/guided tour under the Dom Square about the Romans in Utrecht.
cloister garden
Just sit down, relax, and listen to a Saturday morning carillon concert.
Dom Tower
112 m tall, it is the highest church tower in the Netherlands. It is also the highest building in the city by municipal mandate. Climbing up the stairs to see the magnificent view on the top is highly recommended, but beware of the narrow, steep stairs. On clear days you can look as far as Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Home to the second largest set of bells in Europe (after Cologne), and a carillon which is often played by musicians at the weekend.
Consecrated in 1048.
City Hall
It has a rather imposing look.
Perhaps it's the most famous bridge over the Oudegracht. It was created in 1547 by vaulting a space between the older two bridges: the Huidenbrug and the Broodbrug, thus creating one of the major squares in the old town.
It's another bridge over the Oudegracht which make a small square between Steenweg and Vismarkt. In the middle of the 16th century older 2 bridges – the Kalisbrug (or Visbrug) and Corduanierbrug – were connected together making the current Kalisbrug.
Rietveld Schröder House
The house, designed by Gerrit Rietveld, was built in 1923-1924 in Utrecht. The structure of the house is completely in line with the ideas of the art movement De Stijl (The Style). The house was designed and built for Truus Schröder-Schräder, who lived there from 1924 till her death in 1985. It can only be visited under supervision of a tour guide. In 2000 the house was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Hoofdpostkantoor
The former Main Post Office is an outstanding and surprising building. The Utrecht main Post Office is a great example of Dutch Art Deco architecture. The Post Office, on the Neude Square, was designed by the architect J. Crouwel and completed in 1924. The barrel-vaulted ceiling is made up of glazed yellow-brick ribs alternated with diagonal glass panes that fill the hall with natural light. The black-and-white floor is set off by five carved black statues set in the walls, each representing a continent. America is a stylized American Indian with two buffalo at his feet. Over the main entrance are magnificent stained glass windows. It was renovated in 2019/2020 and opened for public on 13 March 2020. The impressive central hallway is accessible from the Neude square and offers space for the central library, several restaurants, guarded bicycle parking and a supermarket.
campus of the Utrecht University
It is a rather strange mix between grey concrete buildings and buildings here that are designed by famous modern architects, like the Educatorium designed by Rem Koolhaas, the University Library and the Minnaert building. There is also a beautiful botanical garden that is 8 acres big, houses 6 thousand different sorts of plants and a Napoleonic fort. Also worth a look: the bicycle track at the Heidelberglaan which is broad enough to function as a two-way car-track. The university campus can be reached from the Central Station by taking tram Line 20, 21, or 22.
A notable building with a flying saucer (UFO) on its roof. The saucer is a remnant of the Utrecht art exhibition Panorama 2000, designed by Marc Ruygrok.
Pope's house
Born in Utrecht, Adrianus VI, the sole Dutch pope and the last non-Italian pope until John Paul II, had this house constructed in 1517. It is used for congresses, weddings and group dinners.
The oldest municipal museum in the Netherlands. It has a large art collection including the world’s largest collection of Rietveld designs and a permanent exhibition on Dick Bruna. There are usually several temporary exhibitions, an overview of which you can find at their site.
A large collection of historic Christian items.
Netherlands Railway Museum
The museum is housed on the site of Utrecht Maliebaan station, the former terminus of the first railway line between the city and Amsterdam, and incorporates the original station building with modern additions. It reopened in June 2005 after an intensive renovation. Static displays of trains, with some more "theme park" attractions such as the dark ride "Steel Monsters" and the not-too-serious train simulator "Trial By Fire".
Music Box Museum
A surprisingly pleasant museum on all kinds of mechanical music, including carillon clocks, musical boxes, pianolas and belly organs.
The museum of the Utrecht University.
Botanical Garden
Europe’s largest tribute to the legacy of Apple Inc. featuring vintage machines, rare artifacts, and interactive experiences. The museum is not affiliated with Apple Inc.
Lombok district
There is an attractive area of shops and eateries along Kanaalstraat in the Lombeck district between Damstraat and Lombokstraat. At the west end of Kanaalstraat is a quaint old-fashioned drawbridge. At the east end is a mosque with two minarets.
Leidsche Rijn Centrum is a modern retail/residential complex arranged in an urban grid plan with shops and cafés facing attractive, open-air public squares with a few fountains and sculptures.
Platform 9 Berlin Square
This heritage monument is a preserved portion of an old platform canopy salvaged from the renovations at Utrecht Centraal Station. It was built in 1893.
Wind mill & saw mill
This windmill and sawmill installation was built in 1721 along the waterway called Leidsche Vaart, and was renovated in 1998.
Biologische Slagerij De Molen
This windmill was built in 1913, retired in 1949 after a storm and restored 1977-1978; it was used for grinding corn (korenmolen). Today the ground floor is used as a butcher's shop (slagerij) offering organic products.
Exhibition and trade centre.
Participate in the skate parade: every Friday night in summer (roughly May - December), over 300 skaters ride about 20 km in and around Utrecht, making it a great way to see more of the city. The event is free of charge. Departure is at 20:00 exactly, so make sure to arrive well in advance.
On a sunny day, renting a canoe to paddle along the canals through the city centre is a great and affordable way to see the city from a different perspective.
Rent a canoe or kayak. Either take a tour through the city, make sure to visit the Minstroom and Oudegracht. Or take a tour outside the city on the Kromme Rijn towards Bunnik, and dock at Theehuis Rhijnauwen to eat pancakes.
Visit a jamsession or concert in t'Oude Pothuys. Skilled musicians often come here to play for free. For a more intimate experience, you could visit Touchstone, located next to the characteristic Utrecht canals.
City Theatre
The building is a city landmark. It was designed in 1937 by the famous architect Willem Dudok. Almost all theatre performances are in Dutch, but there are also dance and music performances. There are two halls inside the Stadsschouwburg, the Douwe Egberts Zaal (Douwe Egberts Hall) and the Blauwe Zaal (Blue Hall). Students can buy tickets 30 minutes before the start of a show for a reduced fee (€9 for shows in the Douwe Egberts zaal, €7 for shows in the Blauwe Zaal), provided the show is not sold out yet.
A small theatre. Every month they have a Kikker Koopje, a performance by beginning artists for €7.
One large and two small theatre rooms. This cinema, or at least the main theatre room, is generally considered most pleasant, of the chain cinemas in the city.
Also known by its former name CineMec, this is the larger but also more remote location of the two Pathé cinemas in Utrecht. Although it's farther away from the city centre, this location has more rooms and better sounds than Pathé Rembrandt.
Part of the Kinepolis chain of cinemas, this is a massive building with 14 rooms totalling 3200 seats. Most blockbuster movies will be on display here.
Slachtstraat
Film and culture centre, housed in a former police station.
Visit the festivities for the Dutch royal house on 26 April 18:00 till 27 April 18:00 in the city centre (dress code is bright orange).
Usually in the 2nd half of September. For ten days, Utrecht is the Mekka of the Dutch film.
In November every year the indie rock festival takes place in Tivoli Oude Gracht, Tivoli De Helling, Ekko, DBs and other locations.
Serves delicious Italian sandwiches for about €7. Be prepared to wait in line at lunch time though.
Sirtaki II
Take-away related to Greek restaurant "Sirtaki" opposite it.
Hip Mediterranean take-away.
This place sells Italian rolls in Utrecht, simply called Broodje Mario. They are famous among people from Utrecht; there's even a rap song about it by the local band Stropstrikkers.
This Greek snack bar serves some of the best pita gyros sandwiches in Utrecht.
Mexican.
Korean.
In this squatters cafe cheap but delicious vegan food is served on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Cozy jazz-blues restaurant with good simple food: steaks, salads, sate. The kitchen closes at 21:00, but you can get bitterballen, spring rolls, etc. after that.
A 13th-century city castle turned restaurant.
An excellent spare ribs restaurant.
Under the city hall, on the Oudegracht. The restaurant is marked by a sign and menu. The entrance is tiny and under the stairs, but the restaurant is huge with multiple halls each in their own retro style. Modern Dutch cuisine with a fixed price for a three-course meal.
Authentic (i.e., spicy) Indonesian restaurant and take-away.
Best described as Asian tapas, LE:EN (pronounced "lain") is a bit of a walk from the center, and it's not the cheapest in town, but a lot of locals think it's worth it anyway!
This small burger joint is by far the best in town, serving ten different burgers and delicious home-made fries.
Many vegetarian and vegan options, dishes and decor inspired by the travel agency that used to be in this building (i.e. by countries all over the world).
Traditional Dutch pancake restaurant. They have a lovely setting beside the small canal. They have a wide varieties of pancakes, even quirky ones like the Norwegian pancake. On Mondays and Tuesdays all-you-can-eat pancakes for students for a lower price. (valid student card required).
Blij's signature concept is that you can order two half dishes per course, i.e. you can try six different dishes in a three-course meal. (Only for groups of seven persons or fewer.)
Watertoren Utrecht
At the top of a water tower, this restaurant serves delicious food with an amazing view.
Restaurant of hotel Karel V.
Lovely terrace, and you're allowed to bring your own food.
A 13th-century city castle turned restaurant. They have their own theatre and more importantly their own brewery, where they brew the local beers Ouwe Daen, Jonge Daen en Linteloo Gold. Highly recommended.
A small and cosy café.
It has good music and a selection of 198 different beers of which 20 are draught. Also serve nice food for a reasonable price. Try the Celis White if you like white beer and try the Trock Banaan if you want to try a beer that tastes just like the banana sweets you probably ate when you were a kid (most likely you are going to get a question from the bartender like “Are you sure you want to have this?”).
At the south end of the Oudegracht has a large outdoor seating area which is packed whenever the sun is shining.
Soia
Bring your own and have a picnic lounging on the grass next to the canal at the Oog in Al beach, or order something at the Soia restaurant. Free public restrooms are available, so the perfect place to spend the afternoon with a couple of friends when the weather's good.
This is a smaller, more intimate venue and political-cultural centre. They host a large variety of things, such as a small cinema (smoking allowed), art exhibitions, cafe literature, concerts, disco, gay events, and they serve vegan food every Tuesday to Saturday.
A cafe in a basement, with live music almost every night.
Hostel run by a group of clever ex-squatters who bought their building to start this initiative. The best and most homely hostel in Utrecht. A choice of 4-, 6-, 8-,or 16-bed dorms, free internet and a relaxing shaded garden area. Free cold showers.
Bizarre hostel. Main room dominated by television and individuals sitting at computers. Free internet (when it works), free food (you cook on your own!), sometimes free beer. Showers take half an hour to warm up in the morning. 10-min walk from the Central Station.
Admittedly in a very nice area, this hostel is overpriced, but not so much as other hostels in the Utrecht area. 10 km from Utrecht in Rhijnauwen. Somewhat accessible by bus.
Nestled away in a quiet area, close to center and the Jaarbeurs Convention Center. Meeting rooms available.
Great location (city centre), modern style with nice meeting rooms overlooking Utrecht.
A large indoor shopping area next to Utrecht Centraal Station, the main railway station of Utrecht.
At Nobelstraat there is an excellent wine, life and style shop, called El Beso (Spanish for Kiss). On Saturdays you can just walk in and try a wine, no buying obligations. International crowd.
By bus
Most Flixbus services no longer depart from the city center, but instead from platform A of the bus station at This is in the western outskirts of the city, about 5 km from the city center.
By car
If you are coming in by car, park your car in one of the many parking garages around the city (follow the signs) and walk from there.
By taxi
Some taxi companies in Utrecht offer flat-rate pre-arranged transfers from airports, such as Schiphol (around €80 as of 2026 – this may or may not be less than by meter).
By bike
Using a bike is the easiest way to travel in the city centre if the weather is on your side. There are many bicycle shops near the train station where you can rent bikes.
By bus
A good alternative is taking the bus, which goes often and will take you nearly everywhere.
By public transit
a. Utrecht CS). The station has an underground tram/bus stop named Centrumzijde (meaning downtown side) on the east side of the station.
By car
Seeing Utrecht by car is not recommended. The city planners have made it as difficult as possible to navigate the city center, to discourage cars there.
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