The 11 Unmissable Things To Do in Utrecht, Netherlands 2023

Utrecht is one of the most charming cities in Europe, and it has a lot to offer because of its long history and current cultural scene. Its historic town center is also not as big as those in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, so you can see a lot of important places in the city in one day.

Rietveld Schröder House

Gerrit Rietveld, a member of the visionary group de Stijl, and a wealthy socialite named Truus Schroder-Schrader built this house on Prins Hendriklaan around 1924. The house has a lot of clever design features. For example, some of the walls can be moved to make more space. After Schroder-Schrader died in 1985, the house was taken over by the Central Museum in Utrecht. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site and is protected from damage.

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The 11 Unmissable Things To Do in Utrecht, Netherlands 2023 — Rietveld Schröder House | © frm_tokyo / flickr

Miffy Museum

Most of his life, Dick Bruna, who made Miffy, lived and worked in Utrecht. A few years ago, the Centraal Museum in Utrecht decided to honor Bruna and his illustrations by opening the Nijntje Museum in a building next door (Miffy Museum). This place is great for kids because it has a lot of play areas and rooms with themes based on Dick Bruna’s characters.

De Haar Castle

This amazing neo-gothic castle is on the northern edge of Utrecht. It was built by Pierre Cuypers, who also designed the Rijksmuseum and Amsterdam’s Central Station, two other Dutch masterpieces. The castle was made on top of a much older fortress from the Middle Ages, which is now open to the public.

The Dom Tower

Since the 14th century, the Dom Tower has stood in the middle of Utrecht. It is probably the most well-known building in the city. It was built to go with a nearby church called St. Martin’s Cathedral, but a terrible storm stopped construction and turned it into a freestanding bell tower.

DOMunder

This place is great for families because it tells the story of the city all the way back to when the Roman army came to the area and built a garrison on the land that would become Utrecht. Under Dom Tower, in an old basement that has been turned into an interactive exhibition, the tour takes place.

DOMunder | © Romeinse Limes / flickr

Museum Speelklok

This interesting museum in the center of Utrecht has a huge collection of self-playing instruments that are kept in good condition. Even though they are hundreds of years old, many of these clockwork treasures still work and chime, strum, or ding.

Museum Speelklok

TivoliVredenburg

The biggest venue in Utrecht has six different concert halls that were made for different types of music and playing styles. The building is a true work of art and stands tall over the Utrecht Central Station.

Centraal Museum

The Centraal Museum in Utrecht runs a number of smaller museums around the city, but its main location is on Agnietenstraat. The museum is known for its world-class collection of Northern Renaissance art, but it also keeps many other important works of art from the last 1000 years.

Het Utrechtse Archief

het Utrechts Archief not only stores thousands of documents, photos, and other items related to the city and province of Utrecht, but it also puts on temporary exhibits and other events related to local history on a regular basis.

Sonnenborgh Observatory

In the late 1800s, the University of Utrecht set up the Sonnenborgh Observatory. The building is now open to the public, and people can use their powerful telescopes to look at the night sky. There are also a number of specialized exhibits at the observatory.

Oudegracht

The main canal that runs through the middle of Utrecht’s city center is more than 800 years old, and it may have been built on an even older waterway. Along the canal, many underground warehouses have been built over the years. Some of these warehouses are now cafes, stores, and even homes.

Topic: The 11 Unmissable Things To Do in Utrecht, Netherlands 2023

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