We were based out of Eindhoven for a week staying with our family there. With our cute lady aged four providing us entertainment on all evenings and early mornings as she kept us happily engaged. Be it my playing games with her, listening to her beautiful singing of Sanskrit shlokas or her correcting our Dutch whenever we pronounced wrongly. Our day time was also real fun time outside home. That’s when we discovered yet another beautiful city of Netherlands in Eindhoven. And we also thoroughly enjoyed all our day trips that we did from there. Be it Nuenen or Den Bosch and more. Here is how we enjoyed one such day trip to Utrecht and loved being there.
Eindhoven to Utrecht
It was a nice, cool and sunny Friday morning as we set out from our home after a sumptuous breakfast. We were putting up in Hooghstraat the high street in a lovely neighborhood Rapalenberg with homes, leading departmental chain stores and couple of restaurants and ice-cream parlors as well all around.
The bus stop ‘Sibeliuslaan’ was just a five minutes walk from our place. Both buses 15 & 16 take you to the Eindhoven Centraal station. We took the bus 16 which came first and reached in ten minutes. Then boarded the next train available in ten minutes and were soon on our way to Utrecht. The journey took us around 50 minutes and we hardly wasted any time standing in a queue as we had prebooked our return tickets on NS App.
What not to do after you reach Utrecht
As you exit the Utrecht Centraal station right in front you will find ‘Hoog Catharijne – The Mall’. You can walk through it and in a couple of minutes you would be in the heart of the city center of this beautiful destination Utrecht. Much like Amsterdam but certainly smaller and probably a little less number of tourists in comparison.
However that’s where the trap lies. If your enter you just may get distracted and head for a bit of shopping which would take your precious time away early in the morning. That’s because the mall is huge and certainly worth shopping if you would love to indulge a bit.
Hence keep it for later towards the evening when you just have enough time in hand before your train journey back. Instead we took a longish walk to the center of town and discovered many landmark buildings on the way.
How to do local travel in Utrecht
Well that’s a question that wouldn’t take much time to answer. You don’t need any transport on a day trip. All you need are a pair of strong legs and an everlasting smile will appear right away on your face. As you start your nature walk with butterflies, plants and flowers to give you company.
Our walk to the center
We took the street going right before the mall and walked down. And there we were soon enjoying the peace of an almost deserted early morning Utrecht. The city was just about gearing up for a normal working day in the month of October with fall around and a nice chill to go along.
October in Europe these days is a great idea with the summers quite hot in many a places. The weather was superb and being quite early in the morning made our walk rather carefree. We soon got a first feel of the canals and looked closely at almost every building that we passed by and appreciating their age old architecture.
We are now walking through the neighborhood of ‘Springweg’ which used to be where small companies like bakeries, ceramists, butchers, inn keepers and small stall owners were based. You can still feel the vibes of time when walking through the streets here. Enjoying the homes and shops which are a reminder of days gone by with a mix of old and the new.
Oudegracht
Oudegracht meaning the old canal is Utrecht’s most prominent landmark. The canal runs the entire length of the town from North to South. It is two kms long and connects Kromme Rijn and the Vecht rivers. We are now almost midway and from here we would take the left towards the most exciting stretch right up to the Centraal station.
And right now we are on Oudegracht 302, 3511 NX Utrecht and coffee shop in front is known as Cafca – Coffee, Design, Books & Vintage. Quite a few interesting events take place here over the week including music. You could check them out if you wish to relax over a coffee in the evening.
When the Romans settled in the area they chose the spot where the Vecht split from the Rhine. However due to Rhine’s silting a series of canals were built later to compensate for the issues. There are 16 beautiful bridges cross the Oudegracht. And this is the hotspot where tourists flock to because it’s this stretch where all the action is. Experience a bit here and more as we walk down to some important landmarks.
Dom Tower
Dom Tower is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands at 112.32 meters in height. The tower was part of the St. Martin’s Cathedral which is also called Dom Church and constructed between 1321 and 1382. You can go up the tower and experience beautiful Utrecht from 95 meters above.
Check out Domtoren for a daily guided tour, kids tour and others. There is also the DOMunder, the underground adventure tour beneath the Domplein to discover the remnants of Roman forts, medieval structures and more.
St. Martin’s Cathedral
St. Martin’s Cathedral or Dom Church is a Gothic church dedicated to St. Martin of Tours. It was the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the middle ages. It has been a Protestant church since 1580 and probably the only church in Netherlands that resembles the French Gothic architecture.
Pandhof van de Dom
The Pandhof is the monastery garden of Dom Church which dates back to the late 14th century. This lovely garden is between the church and the University Hall and is pleasing with its flowers and herbs. It is also a good spot for pre-wedding photo shoots as we witnessed.
Academiegebouw
Academiegebouw is the Utrecht University Hall on Domplein and is considered as the representative and ceremonial heart of the university. It dates back to 1892 when it was a gift by the citizens and the province to the University of Utrecht. The construction took five years to be completed and the academy building was built in neo- Renaissance style by architect Eugen Gugel.
The university gardens is also beautiful and is quite a favorite with tourists and residents. Right in front is the statue of Jan van Nassau a prominent figure in the Dutch revolt against Spain and best known as the founder of Union of Utrecht.
A Boat ride on Oudegracht
A canal boat ride is always our favorite when we are in the Netherlands. Because we love being on water and every European destination we have been to has always included boat rides and cruises on rivers, canals, oceans and fjords in plenty. So we were not one to miss an opportunity here in Utrecht as well. You will find enough parked boats you can check the price with and just get on.
It was Lunch time for us
When it comes to food, you will be spoilt with choices that you have on offer while in Utrecht. The entire Oudegracht neighborhood on both sides of the canal is packed with places offering everything under the sun. Be it fine dining restaurants, classical restaurants offering multicuisine, the Mcdonalds and Burger Kings, smaller restaurants offering inside and outside sitting, Indian restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee parlors and a coffee shop as well. And of course Dom Cafe quite a favorite of many.
We wished to sit out for our lunch and had a good look around before deciding our choice. You too could have a look at what probably would be the one you would choose. With some great options on the canal below.
We went in for the Indian restaurant option ‘Taste of India’ after seeing their board. And hoped that they had some non-veg kebabs and tandoori items as we didn’t feel like a full meal. We weren’t let down.
Right next to the canal the choice on their menu had everything Indian that you could wish for. We ordered a tandoori chicken tikka and tandoori sheek kebab followed by a mango lassi and a kulfi for each of us. The ambiance made the lunch a bit special and quite a bit romantic as well.
Utrecht for the explorer in you
Utrecht was the most important city in the Netherlands until the Dutch Golden Age. It was then that Amsterdam took over as the country’s cultural center and became the most populous city. Yet Utrecht still retains its old charm and is also proud of having the largest university in the Netherlands, the Utrecht University.
It’s quite a cool and hip place with vibey canal side culture and is compact, neat and beautifully preserved and maintained. And it’s small enough to cover all the sights in a day without really having to rush. But then you must love to walk and explore. Like most travelers do. Going for a spin.
And when going around do walk into Twijnstraat which is one of the oldest shopping streets in Utrecht situated in the middle of Museum Quarter and towards the end of Oudegracht. It has a wide range of boutiques, restaurants and specialty shops including ‘Kazerji Stalenhoef’ famous for their cheese. And then a nice place to relax is KEEK with a coffee and also organic lunch dishes if you feel hungry.
Some souvenirs, some shopping
Vrendenburg Market
The Vrendenburg market in Vrendenburgplein is a typical Dutch market offering fresh fruits, vegetables, flower, bread, fish, meat and of course cheese. And then you can check out the gift items, belts, purses, bags, clothes, shoes, electronics and personal care products which may draw your attention. The market opens every Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 5 pm & Saturdays from 8 am to 5 pm.
Street food in Vrendenburg
The market is very close to the Centraal station. You cross the mall in front and you are there. And hence the food stalls here are quite a favorite with officegoers and tourists alike. We chose the outlet above which had the maximum variety on offer. You must try out their fish kibbeling which are small battered and deep fried chunks of white fish usually made with cod or pollock. That’s what we enjoyed and ordered a second time followed by an ice cream from the next cart.
Vrendenburgplein Canal
Once you are through with your shopping and filling up at Vrenedburg market head next door towards the canal side. It’s a part of Vrendenburgplein neighborhood and a lovely place to relax a while with your family and kids with a drink or an ice-cream. And if you have the time walk to where we go next, Tivolivrendenburg.
Tivolivrendenburg
Tivolivrendenburg is one of the modern buildings of Utrecht which houses five concert halls all designed for different music types such as jazz, symphonies, pop and chamber music. You could drop in to check out the concerts going on during your visit. There is also a restaurant and cafe on the ground floor. We now move to the much talked about, huge and attractive mall next door.
Hoog Catharijne – The Mall
Hoog Catharijne is one of the largest indoor shopping centers in the Netherlands. With over 150 stores it provides a diverse range of attractive shops, boutiques, restaurants and food outlets. It also is a multi-purpose leisure mall.
Utrecht Centraal Station
After a day full of fun it was time for us to head to Centraal station for our train back to Eindhoven. The little lady had prompted her mother to call us and find out when we were expected to be home. We too were eager to be back at the earliest, to hear her say ‘Come let’s play’. Luckily we didn’t have to wait long for our train and were soon on our way bidding goodbye to Utrecht Centraal till the next time.
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