Tips for the best outings in Utrecht

Although I am from South Holland myself, Utrecht is one of my favorite cities for a day out. I love coming to Utrecht for a day of shopping, especially in the narrow side streets just at the edge of the center, or a visit to one of Utrecht’s theaters and museums. The terraces are also great, especially in the summer. Utrecht is really buzzing! In this blog I take you to the nicest places in Utrecht.

The center of Utrecht

The Dom Tower is of course the most famous hotspot in Utrecht and, at a whopping 112.32 meters, the highest church tower in the Netherlands. The Dom Tower can be found on the, how could it be otherwise, Domplein. Are you interested in the history of the Dom Tower and the Dom Square? You can discover this with the free city tour “The Story of the Dom Square. The Domplein is in the middle of the city center, so around it you’ll find plenty of great stores, restaurants and coffee bars for shopping and chilling out.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping

In the center of Utrecht you will find all the well-known chain stores. But much nicer are the smaller boutiques. How about Styled by Juuls on Korte Janstraat or La Palmerie on Schoutenstraat to complete your wardrobe? And at Le Ballon on Steenweg you’ll find the cutest children’s clothing.

For the best jewelry and accessories, visit Beadies and Pracht.nl on Oudegracht, My Silver on Vismarkt and Vonk Sieraden on Lijnmarkt. The best delicacies can be found at Koekfabriek and Bigoli on Schoutenstraat, Utregs Wijnhuis Achter de Dom and Locals Utrecht on Vismarkt. And so there are many more special and local stores to be found in the center of Utrecht.

Do you want to combine shopping and a bite to eat or a drink in the best possible way? Then Daen’s on the Minrebroederstraat, near the City Hall is highly recommended. This concept store consists of a triptych of fashion, accessories and eatery.

Hoog Catharijne

For those who have not been to Utrecht for years, be sure to visit Hoog Catharijne. This shopping center has been completely renovated in recent years and is now a beautiful mall with no less than 126 stores and 29 restaurants. Absolutely worth a visit!

The best coffee shops

Shopping makes you thirsty and tired. So during a day of shopping in Utrecht, you’ll also want to settle down at an atmospheric coffee shop. We give you a few tips:

• Broei can be found on the Oosterkade. A breakfast and lunch room where they bake their own bread, turn ice cream and besides good food they also have delicious coffee and tea on the menu.
• At 30 ml Coffee Roarsters it’s all about making the best coffee with the best roasted coffee beans. Of course you can also enjoy lunch or drinks here, but if you come here a good cup of coffee should not be missed. You can find branches on Vredenburg, the Zadelstraat and the Grauwaartsingel.
• Broodnodig on Burgemeester Reigerstraat is a Swedish Bakery and Lunchroom with a cozy and decor. Organic, soy milk, or lactose free. It’s all possible.

A little village in the city

If you walk just a little further than the customary stretch along the Oudegracht alone, you’ll find a special piece of the city center. Because if you walk from the Vismarkt down the Oudegracht- Tolsteegzijde, after a stretch of canal houses you’ll end up on the Twijnstraat.

The Twijnstraat is located in the middle of the Museum Quarter in Utrecht and is the oldest shopping street in Utrecht. Because this street is located just a bit outside the central part of the city center, this is really a piece of Utrechters.

Here you will find beautiful old facades and the butcher, the fishmonger, the florist, the cheese store and the greengrocer as you also find in the average village street. There are also cozy coffee shops, small eateries, original gift shops and fashion boutiques. The Twijnstraat is not for nothing known as ‘village in the city, where everyone knows each other’ and is definitely worth a stroll.

At the end of Twijnstraat you will find the Centraal Museum, the Filmhuis Louis Hartloper and two cozy terraces.

Weekend in Utrecht

If you want to stay overnight in Utrecht, I can definitely recommend Hotel BUNK. A beautiful hotel right on the canal on the Catharijnekade. But also the Leonardo hotel is perfectly located in the center of Utrecht on the Vredenburg. Are you looking for something really special? Then stay at Slapen onder de Dom, a guesthouse in one of the yards under the Dom.

Looking for a good restaurant in Utrecht? You’ll find them in the blog The best restaurants in Utrecht.

Discover Utrecht active

Not everyone loves shopping. Do you enjoy exploring a city in a more active way? Then there’s plenty for you to do in Utrecht, too!

At the beginning of this blog we already talked about the Dom Tower. You can climb it during the day as well as at night. You can imagine that the view is insane!

Of course, there are also plenty of canal boats that take you around Utrecht’s canals. But you can also do this yourself by renting a sloop or going supping or canoeing. Or let a guide show you around. For example, guide Raphael takes you with his Utours on a bike, in a canoe or on foot.

More than just the city of Utrecht

Utrecht is much more than just the city of Utrecht. Throughout the province there is plenty to do and you can get out and about! The most important nature reserve is the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, where you really imagine yourself in a completely different environment. There is plenty of space for extensive cycling and walking. We are also happy to give you tips about this!

Exploring Utrecht’s nature on foot

The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is of course the natural area of Utrecht! A nice walk through this area is this walk of 17 km. This route is very varied! Another nice walking route is De Groene Route, a walk through Het Groene Hart, between Harmelen and Woerden. This walk is 11 km long and goes through polder land and meadows. A walk along the Hollandse Waterlinies is also highly recommended! This route is 16 km long, so it will take you a while. The Klompenroute Daatselaarsepad of 14 km is also very nice to do. You then walk through agricultural areas, of course. Another nice wooden shoe path is the Klompenpad Lint- en Liniepad of 9.7 km. You also come across very cool places during this hike, so highly recommended!

Cycling through rural and natural areas

A beautiful, long bicycle route along the waterworks of Utrecht is the Route of Jan Blanken. This route is 75 km long and takes you past the Waterlinies, forts, polders and historic fortified towns. The Ronde Venenroute of 39 km is a beautiful bicycle route through the meadow peat area in Utrecht. In the surroundings of Veenendaal there is sometimes a lot of climbing to do. This route is no exception but the surroundings make up for that. Fortunately, the route is not very long, just over 32 km. Are you a cheese lover? Then the Farmers’ Cheese Cycle Route Pape-Copen is really nice. This 29 km route starts at Woerden’s Cheese Warehouse and returns to Woerden via Papekop, Oudewater and Driebruggen. Fond of castles? Then the Kastelen Fietsroute Groene Hart of 64 km is really something for you.

Credits photos: Dreamstime, Canva.com and Opstapmetlisa