Utrecht
Discover Utrecht
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. The history of the city goes back to 47 AD when the Roman emperor Claudius ordered his general Corbulo to build a defensive line along the river Rhine which was the northern most border of the empire. One of the strongholds (or Castella) along the river was built at a crossing in the river and was called Traiectum (which means crossing place). In the local language this became Trecht, Uut-Trecht (lower-Trecht) and later Utrecht. On the place where once the castellum stood now stands the Domchurch built in the 13th century.
What to Experience in Utrecht
Famous Beaches
Taste of Utrecht...
Many restaurants can be found in the city center. Especially near the canals there is a huge choice of places to eat, each with their own style of kitchen, like Italian, Thai, and American. Ask the locals for which places are recommended as not every restaurant offers the same quality. As the population of Utrecht contains a lot of students, naturally there are a lot of places where you can spend the day or night having some drinks and a dance. Most are in the city center. Main hubs for drinks are Neude, Janskerkhof, Mariaplaats and Ledig Erf. The Oudegracht is home to a lot of bars, both in- and outdoors, and both at street and at water level. From north to south: 52.0949645.0788412 Strand Oog in Al (Soia), Kanaalweg 199. 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. (updated May 2021) Utrecht, like any big town, has its fair share of business hotels of the big chains. The city's campsite (De Berekuil, on the east side of the city) has been a huge mess for a couple years now, and it is uncertain what will happen to it in the future. There are few other campsites, though some farmers also have small scale camping on their land. For instance Camping de Boomgaard, 8 km from Utrecht city. As of July 2022, Utrecht has 5G from all Dutch carriers.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Utrecht.
A ton of service positions exist in the ancient city centre. However, they usually have low wages and require fluent Dutch. Most shops are in the city centre, concentrated around the Oudegracht, Vredeburg and Neude. There is also a large shopping centre extending east from the city centre in the direction of the Wilhelminapark. For general shop info and their opening hours you can visit openingstijden.nl as it shows an overview of the most popular shops. There are half a dozen stores at the part of the Oudegracht (Old Canal) south of De Dom that sell board games, card games, wargames, roleplaying games, fantasy and science-fiction books and/or comics (e.g. Piet Snot, Elf Fantasy, the Joker and Neverneverland). Keep your eyes peeled; some of these stores are easy to miss. Many restaurants can be found in the city center. Especially near the canals there is a huge choice of places to eat, each with their own style of kitchen, like Italian, Thai, and American.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsComing from Germany with the Deutschland-Ticket, take the RE19 e.g. from Düsseldorf/Duisburg to Arnhem. And then an InterCity (every 15 min) for €7-12 to Utrecht (updated Feb 2024) The train station is at the western edge of the old city. A 5-minute walk through the Hoog Catharijne shopping center (follow signs to “Centrum”) will take you from the station to the city or the bus station. The bus station is next to the train station. International buses depart from the western side of the train station ('Jaarbeurszijde'), exit the railway station on the correct side and turn right to find the busstop next to the NH-Hotel. Flixbus has several lines to Utrecht connecting directly with many European Countries. The international buses to Belgium and Germany are often a cost effective alternative to the trains with longer (Germany) or similar (Belgium) travel duration. The regional and city buses depart from separate stations on the east and west side of the train station....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Walking or using a bike is the easiest way to travel in the city of Utrecht. To use the public transportation in the Netherlands, it is recommended to buy an OV-chipkaart. You can buy these on the central bus station (lower level of Utrecht Centraal Station), at kiosks inside the central train station or at some book stores and grocery stores. The OV-chipkaart is valid for bus, train and tram and works like a debit card that you must first charge with an amount. Buses do take cash though. 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. Alternatively, if you have a personal OV-chipkaart you can rent an OV-Fiets for €3.85 per 24 hours at one of the rail stations, you have to subscribe to the service for 1 eurocent a year on the NS website first though.
Where to Stay
Utrecht, like any big town, has its fair share of business hotels of the big chains. The city's campsite (De Berekuil, on the east side of the city) has been a huge mess for a couple years now, and it is uncertain what will happen to it in the future. There are few other campsites, though some farmers also have small scale camping on their land. For instance Camping de Boomgaard, 8 km from Utrecht city. As of July 2022, Utrecht has 5G from all Dutch carriers. Wifi is widely available in public places. Utrecht as a student city is quite safe, although there are some neighbourhoods in the outskirts that you probably don't want to visit. As always, don’t flash your wallet at markets and have a natural caution for pickpockets in the city centre. Unfortunately, bike thefts are a common nuisance, so if you travel by bike, make sure you have good locks and park your bike at a bike parking spots. Parking your bike in the city centre is easy as Utrecht has it own bike parking route.
Money & Budget
Most shops are in the city centre, concentrated around the Oudegracht, Vredeburg and Neude. There is also a large shopping centre extending east from the city centre in the direction of the Wilhelminapark. For general shop info and their opening hours you can visit openingstijden.nl as it shows an overview of the most popular shops. There are half a dozen stores at the part of the Oudegracht (Old Canal) south of De Dom that sell board games, card games, wargames, roleplaying games, fantasy and science-fiction books and/or comics (e.g. Piet Snot, Elf Fantasy, the Joker and Neverneverland). Keep your eyes peeled; some of these stores are easy to miss. Many restaurants can be found in the city center.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Utrecht as a student city is quite safe, although there are some neighbourhoods in the outskirts that you probably don't want to visit. As always, don’t flash your wallet at markets and have a natural caution for pickpockets in the city centre. Unfortunately, bike thefts are a common nuisance, so if you travel by bike, make sure you have good locks and park your bike at a bike parking spots. Parking your bike in the city centre is easy as Utrecht has it own bike parking route. Parking lots for bikes are located under the Vredenburg (entrance between Zara and The Sting), the Neude (Neudeflat), Zadelstraat, under the City Hall, under the stairs at the Stationsplein West or the Jaarbeursplein. You are unlikely to have any business in the lower-income and immigrant neighbourhoods such as Kanaleneiland and Overvecht south-west and north of the city center. While serious crime rarely takes place, they are best avoided unless you want to tempt fate.
Glimpses of Utrecht
a group of people walking on a bridge over a river
I was hanging around downtown of my city to see if I could take some street-shots but I hadn’t been to succesfull that afternoon. Just as I was about to give up, it started to rain which I decided to wait out. I had been on this square during the rain before and I knew that if it rained hard enough, I could get some nice reflections. Luckily for me, the sun broke through a little bit right after as well, setting the mood just right for some vintage city vibes.
I just love cityscapes, urban landscapes, sunsets and reflections and it king of came together in this picture. When I heard the pedestrians coming from behind me when checking out the angle, I didn’t hesitate to put them on the photo and wait for the right moment to make it
Utrecht, Lights
brown and white concrete building near body of water during daytime
lighted trees near body of water during daytime
a group of people walking around a city square
A busy street of Utrecht in the Netherlands.
a street lined with parked bikes next to tall buildings
a bridge over a body of water surrounded by trees
a group of people walking on a bridge over a river
I was hanging around downtown of my city to see if I could take some street-shots but I hadn’t been to succesfull that afternoon. Just as I was about to give up, it started to rain which I decided to wait out. I had been on this square during the rain before and I knew that if it rained hard enough, I could get some nice reflections. Luckily for me, the sun broke through a little bit right after as well, setting the mood just right for some vintage city vibes.
I just love cityscapes, urban landscapes, sunsets and reflections and it king of came together in this picture. When I heard the pedestrians coming from behind me when checking out the angle, I didn’t hesitate to put them on the photo and wait for the right moment to make it