Utrecht is known as one of the nicest cities in the Netherlands. It has many nice stores, just like the big cities of Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam, but it is not yet overrun with tourists. So plenty of reason to explore the city on a city break. Here are the 6 favorites shared during a city break in Utrecht.
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1. Utrecht’s canal-side terraces.
Characteristic of Utrecht is its downtown with its charming canals. Here you will find numerous terraces and restaurants. It’s always a fun place here. First around lunchtime, then afternoon drinks and drinks on the terraces, in the evening a bite to eat at the restaurants, and then drinks late into the night. The lights go on and mood music is put on. Heartwarming! The most popular locations are on the Oudegracht, right in the center of Utrecht.
2. Canoeing through the canals
So the canals are literally and figuratively the center of Utrecht. So how nice is it that you can do all kinds of water sports here? There are several companies that rent equipment for supping and canoeing. You can also rent different types of boats to spend a long afternoon boating. So plenty of summer water fun in Utrecht.
3. Climbing Utrecht’s Dom tower
The figurehead of Utrecht is the Dom Tower. This is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. What makes it even more special is that you can climb it to the top. In advance, you can buy tickets online and must reserve a time. You cannot climb the cathedral tower on your own, but this must be done in a group with a guide. You climb a total of 495 steps, raising just over 100 meters. Pretty hefty effort. Fortunately, there are some rooms where you stop to catch your breath and the guide tells you an interesting story. For example, through this tour we found out where the term “ladder-sat” comes from (no, we are not going to give this away). You can also choose to go up by elevator in 3 minutes, but you will miss the experience of climbing and the interesting stories. Once you reach the top, you have a sweeping view of Utrecht and its surroundings. On a clear day, you can even see The Hague.
4. The Neude
Neudeplein is a lovely square in Utrecht to have “one more drink. The location is right in the center, near the canals. We slept at the Stayokay hostel, which is located on Neude Square, and which allowed us to see the terraces from our room. So from your room you walk straight into the center of Utrecht. A super location!
5. Loua juice bar: favorite breakfast spot
Right in the center of Utrecht, located on the Vismarkt you will find Loua Juicebar. This is a wonderful place to have breakfast or lunch. If it rains, you can find a place downstairs in the wharf cellar, where it is super cute. When the weather is nice, you can also sit outside by the canal. Every few minutes, boats pass by here. A very nice place.
The menu features a variety of smoothie bowls. These look festive, and even better taste really good, too. Furthermore, a variety of tropical smoothies and juices can be ordered here. So very tasty and healthy!
6. Have lunch at The Streetfood Club.
The Streetfood Club is a hip lunchroom with unusual, but delicious, dishes on its menu. There is a wide range of typical worldly dishes from Korea and Japan, among others. There are also plenty of meals to order for vegetarians and vegans. For example, we had the vegan salmon pokébowl, the texture of the salmon was just like real, delicious. The Korean waffle was also well liked.
The restaurant is very hip and originally decorated with lots of color. There are many large plants to be found and it is noticeable that there is an attention to detail.
In our opinion, Utrecht is a delightful city. There is a wide range of activities and pursuits as you would expect in a big city, but it is not yet overrun with hordes of tourists. With that, it still has a bit of the charm of a canal town.
