| Page Views: 1,722 Last Visit to Utrecht: December, 2003 | Utrecht...A Charming City with Class by sargentjeff - last update: Jan 6, 2004 |
A Rainy Day in December... | Standing Guard at the Dom |
...turned out to be quite a nice time. We set out for Utrecht, not knowing what to expect, as nobody in our group had been there previously. It's easily overshawdowed by the more popular, and likely more crowded Amsterdam. Amsterdam is one place I haven't been to, but it has already given me an impression by so many people I know that have been.
Utrecht, on the other hand, is big enough to stand on its own as a tourist destination, but we never felt it was overcrowded. It is the fourth largest town in the Netherlands, and of the four it is the oldest. The pubs and restaurants were easy to enter and get tables, and the Dom tower tour was interesting, but slightly overpriced.
The city has three main canals, which were used to bring goods into the city in earlier days, but now serve as a beautiful enhancement to the city's ambience. It's a romantic place, that should be savoured like good wine.
|
|  | A City of Canals There are three primary canals in Utrecht; The Singel, Oudegracht, and Nieuwegracht. the Singel surrounds the old city centre of Utrecht. Utrecht's long struggle with water also gives it prominence as having the oldest lock in the world. There are terrace levels of the street around the canals. The upper levels are appropriately called the "Upper Roadway", and the lower levels are called "The Yards". Down on the yards there are terraces for various restaurants, which I'm sure are buzzing during good weather. Be sure to walk down there for the best views from below.
|
A City of Statues There are interesting statues all over the city. This one, outside the theater is an artists rendition of the "Tragedy & Comedy" masque. |  | |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "A fine city worth visiting" | | Cons: | "...Food from a vending machine? Yuck." | | In A Nutshell: | "Go see Utrecht" |
sargentjeff's Utrecht Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do Tips: 8 - Photos: 8 | | | Restaurants Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
Comments for sargentjeff about Utrecht | | | | |
diocletianvs Fri Jan 5, 2007 08:11 UTC I think I have just found my destination for one-day trip from Amsterdam. Thanks for the good tips! | BiancaVDH Sat Oct 9, 2004 17:45 UTC Great presentation of Utrecht, my city of birth!!!! Love the sunset pics, good job Jeff! Eating from a wall is quite normal in Holland, especially in big cities like Utrecht and Amsterdam. :-) | diamonddog Tue Mar 16, 2004 11:45 UTC Great opening pic Jeff !! a pity we had some rain there.... | Paul2001 Mon Mar 1, 2004 16:26 UTC I loved Utrecht. It's an easy daytrip from Amsterdam. Great page. |
|
|