By rail
Utrecht Centraal, ~25 min from Amsterdam
Europe · Netherlands
Utrecht, Netherlands
A canal city with wharves at water level
Getting there
By air
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), ~30 min by train
Best time to visit
April to September — mild
Don't miss
The Dom Tower
The Oudegracht wharves
The Railway Museum
The Centraal Museum
Things to do
Canal-side terraces
Climbing the Dom Tower
The Miffy museum
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Pepijntje · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
The Rietveld Schröder House, a modernist icon
Questions travellers ask
How far is Utrecht from Amsterdam by train?
About 25 minutes to Utrecht Centraal. From Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS), it's about 30 minutes.
When is Utrecht at its best?
April to September, when it's mild. Bring layers.
What's on the sightseeing list in Utrecht?
Climb the Dom Tower, then stroll the Oudegracht wharves at water level and stop at a canal-side café. For museums, pick from the Railway Museum, the Centraal Museum and the Miffy museum.
Is there an architecture gem in Utrecht?
Yes — the Rietveld Schröder House, a modernist icon.
About Utrecht
- Inland
Where it is
Utrecht is the capital of the province of Utrecht and the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, in the centre of the country on the old course of the Rhine, the Kromme Rijn, south-east of Amsterdam.
History
A Roman fort stood here on the Rhine frontier from about AD 50, and from the time of its first bishop, Willibrord, around the year 700, Utrecht was the religious centre of the Netherlands; the Dom Tower rose in the 14th century. The Union of Utrecht of 1579 laid the foundations of the Dutch Republic, and the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 ended the War of the Spanish Succession.
People
Utrechters speak Dutch, and Utrecht University, founded in 1636 and now the largest in the Netherlands, fills the city with students. Bicycles rule the streets: the garage at Utrecht Centraal station, with room for about 12,500 bikes, is the largest bicycle parking station in the world.
Known for
- The Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands
- Wharf-level terraces along the Oudegracht
- The Rietveld Schröder House (UNESCO)
- Miffy, created by Dick Bruna
- The Railway Museum
Did you know?
In 1674 a violent storm brought down the nave of the cathedral, and ever since the Dom Tower has stood apart from the rest of the church across an open square.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.