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Utrecht
City and municipality in Utrecht, Netherlands

Utrecht

Utrecht is the fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the province of Utrecht.

Plan a trip to Utrecht→From Rotterdam

The municipality of Utrecht is located in the eastern part of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Netherlands, and includes Haarzuilens, Vleuten and De Meern. It has a population of 378,140 as of January 2026.

Do

Things to do

Have a drink at one of the terraces at the lower docks of Oudegracht Climb the Dom tower, a full 112 metres high. You can climb to near the top. Take a tour with a boat through the canals Take a bicycle tour through the old city centre Find out the stories behind the buildings in a free tour. Rent a canal bike and pedal your own way around the canals.

  1. 01
    Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs Exhibition and Convention Centre

    Jaarbeursplein 6 (west side of central railway station).

  2. 02
    Skate

    Lucasbolwerk (start and finish is at Lucasbolwerk; the sheer number of people on skates is impossible to miss).

  3. 03
    Rent

    Oudegracht aan de Werf 275 (descend the stairs towards the wharf next to the canal), info@kanoverhuurutrecht.nl.

  4. 04
    Rent a canoe at Rijnstroom

    Either take a tour through the city, make sure to visit the Minstroom and Oudegracht.

  5. 05
    Visit a jamsession at T' Oude Pothuys

    Visit a jamsession or concert in t'Oude Pothuys.

  6. 06
    Wilhelminapark
Eat

Where to eat

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.

  1. 01
    Bigoli

    Be prepared to wait in line at lunch time though.

  2. 02
    Dimitri Petit

    Take-away related to Greek restaurant "Sirtaki" opposite it.

  3. 03
    Food and the City

    Biltstraat 467, goudenolijf@yahoo.com.

  4. 04
    Broodje Mario

    This place sells Italian rolls in Utrecht, simply called Broodje Mario.

  5. 05
    El Greco

    This Greek snack bar serves some of the best pita gyros sandwiches in Utrecht.

How locals move

Getting around Utrecht the local way

  • Get inThere is also a small ferry (pedestrians/cyclists €1.25/€1.75) across the river Lek to Vianen.
  • Go nextUtrecht IJsselstein Vianen is a short ferry ride away across the river (or a short bicycle, car or bus ride across the motorway bridge)

From Wikivoyage: Nieuwegein, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.