Utrecht Travel Trade
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Utrecht travel trade The heart of Holland theheartofholland.com “ Utrecht beats the old Amsterdam hands-down” CNN, USA “ Utrecht, like a Vermeer Painting” Le Figaro, France “ Culture and Cafés in the capital of two wheels” The Times, UK contents “ A hip, vibrant city where WELcome IN UTRECHT 4 you feel right at home” TRAVEL TRADE 5 De Morgen, Belgium Facts and figures 6 UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS 8 events 14 shopping 16 FOOD AND DRINKS 18 OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION 22 REGIOn 36 OPTIONS FOR EXCURSIONS 37 UTRECHTSE HEUVELRUG 38 Gouda 40 SCHOONHOVEN 42 BUNSCHOTEN-SPAKENBURG 44 woerden 46 SPECIAL FOCUS 48 SAMPLE ITINERARIES 50 ACCESSIBILITY 56 index 58 2 3 WELCOME TRAVEL TRADE TO UTRECHT Support for group visits The heart of Holland If you are planning to spend some time in the Netherlands with a group or individually, Utrecht is the beating heart of the Netherlands. you simply must include Utrecht in your A true university town that’s teeming with life, programme. Utrecht Marketing supports Utrecht has inviting terraces, hip nightspots, tour operators, shipping companies and bus welcoming restaurants and a full cultural companies without any charge and in a agenda. ‘Green, healthy and smart’, that’s professional manner. Utrecht! The average resident in Utrecht owns two bicycles, earning it the title ‘Bicycle Capital OUR SERVICE of the World’. • Utrecht Marketing provides tourist and current information about the city. • Utrecht Marketing is happy to organise an Utrecht is a dynamic city and has the ideal size introductory visit to the city (including to explore the centre by bike or on foot, yet overnight accommodation, excursions, etc.) expansive enough to enjoy modern architecture, in accordance with your requirements. trendy shops and interesting museums for days • Utrecht Marketing provides proposals on end. Utrecht features Roman churches, and suggestions for exciting travel packages medieval wharves and naturally the magnificent and interesting information. Gothic Dom, in addition to design by Rietveld, • Utrecht Marketing provides promotional texts. royal trains and distinctive musical clocks. • Utrecht Marketing can introduce you to Utrecht has a tremendously rich culture with interesting partners, hotels, attractions lively events scheduled throughout the year, from and museums. light art, film, pioneering dance or classical music. If all of this is too much for one day, simply book your accommodation in a stylish hotel or intimate B&B to relax; Utrecht will have even more to offer tomorrow. FREE IMAGES WITHOUT COPYRIGHT Utrecht Marketing also provides visual material you can obtain by simply requesting a link to our database via [email protected]. The link TRAVEL TRADE CONTACT provides access to the Utrecht press agency media bank, a database filled with photos that can be obtained from For more information and the current traffic situation us without any charge or copyrights. For the sake in Utrecht, contact the Travel Trade department at: of convenience, the photos have been subdivided into Sander Griffioen, Account Manager categories. The databank is updated annually and T +31 (0)30-2360024, [email protected] includes photos taken during the day, in the evening theheartofholland.com and in every season. 4 5 FACTS AND FIGURES FAMOUS UTRECHT PEOPLE FACTS AND FIGURES 1459 – 1523 Adriaan Floriszoon Boeyens Residents Approx. 340,000 A summary of the rich history (the only Dutch Pope ever, from 1522 Students Approx. 70,000 until his death in 1523 in Rome) Number of nationalities 168 1495 – 1562 Jan van Scorel (artist) Surface area 99 km² 1558 – 1627 Olivier van Noort (Dutch explorer; Hotels 50 the first Dutch person to sail around the world) Restaurants 350 1883 – 1931 Theo van Doesburg (one of the most Cafés 150 important representatives of Abstract Universities & Colleges 7 art in the 20th century) Museums 13 1888 – 1964 Gerrit Rietveld (Dutch architect, Theatres/ Concert halls 14 famous for the Rietveld Schröderhuis Wharves 4 km and the Rietveld chair) 1927 – 2017 Dick Bruna (graphic designer, artist, writer. Most famous creation: Miffy) 1934 – 2010 Anton Geesink (1964 Olympic judo champion in Tokyo) 1964 – TODAY Marco van Basten (footballer of Ajax, AC Milan, the Dutch National team and others) 1984 – TODAY Wesley Sneijder (footballer of Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and the Dutch National team) 1992 – TODAY Dafne Schippers (top athlete and World Champion 200 meters sprint) Around 47 AD from 695 AD 1122 until the 1579 1713 th The Romans Willibrord, a Roman 16 century In 1579, the Union of In 1713, constructed the Catholic Archbishop and Utrecht was granted Utrecht was signed in the Treaty of castellum (fortress), missionary, redesigned a charter from 1122. Utrecht the city (the foundation Utrecht or Traiectum, which heralded the former castellum as remained the largest and most for Dutch Republic). was signed the development of Utrecht, a mission and converted important city in the Netherlands in the city. at the current Dom Square. the Netherlands. until the 16th century. 6 7 DOM CHURCH This is a historic cathedral with UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS a rich history and a beautiful venue See & Do for every visitor to Utrecht. The church was once connected to the tower, until a tornado disconnected it. After that, the Dom Square was a fact. domkerk.nl STELLING VAN UTRECHT 1 3 CANALS AND TRAJECTUM The 19th-century Stelling van Utrecht consists of 16 fortresses north, east WHARVES LUMEN and south of the city and is part of the Due to Utrecht’s continuous Trajectum Lumen involves an New Dutch Water Defence Line, which development into the trade centre exploratory expedition through the PANDHOF was to protect the larger cities in the Netherlands from hostile attacks from of the Netherlands, a canal system city in the dark, taking in artisti- The Pandhof, which dates from the east. was created in the twelfth century cally illuminated locations and the 1390-1400, is part of the Dom AD. There is no other city in the magnificent Utrecht city centre. After Church and among the most mag- visit-utrecht.com world with comparable wharves, sunset, a guide shows groups various nificent courtyards in the Nether- which were developed centuries projects by renowned national and lands. This monastery garden with ago to provide access to storage international light artists. medieval period features and where cellars. Today, many cellars have been trajectumlumen.com ornamental plants and herbs flower transformed into special restaurants was renovated in the 19th century. and friendly outdoor cafés have been The Pandhof is just one of the many created on the wharves. courtyards in Utrecht. visit-utrecht.com visit-utrecht.com PAUSHUIZE UTRECHT 2 DOM TOWER With its rich history, the Paushuize is among the most special listed SCIENCE PARK With a height of 112 metres, the buildings in Utrecht. It owes its Dom Tower is the highest church name to the only Dutch Pope ever, The largest knowledge centre in the tower in the Netherlands and Adrianus VI, who had the house Netherlands and a trendsetter of can be seen from far outside of built from 1517. With its selection contemporary architecture. The science the city. It is the ultimate symbol of magnificent period rooms and park is home to Utrecht University, of Utrecht, with 465 steps and a beautifully decorated salons, this is the Botanical Gardens, the University well-deserved magnificent view among the prettiest locations in the Medical Center and dozens of compa- of the city once you make it to the Netherlands. nies and leading research institutes. top. The personification of ‘green, healthy paushuize.nl and smart’ domtower.com utrechtsciencepark.nl 8 9 UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS See & Do Museums 1 CANAL BOAT 3 DOM UNDER 1 RIETVELD 3 MUSEUM EXCURSION DOMunder is an exploratory SCHRÖDER SPEELKLOK expedition taking in visible and The Rederij Schuttevaer shipping invisible traces from the past. HOUSE Museum Speelklok may be referred company provides interesting and to as the merriest museum in the Young and old learn about the This is the masterpiece of Gerrit enjoyable boat excursions through history of the Netherlands, Utrecht Netherlands, with a collection of the Utrecht canals. During the excur- Rietveld, the designer who built the automatic playing and renovated and the Dom Square in particular, house in 1924, commissioned by the sion, information is provided about in a fun and interesting manner. instruments on display. the hidden beauty of the city. wilful Truus Schröder. This was his domunder.com first complete dwelling and a lavish museumspeelklok.nl schuttevaer.com experiment. The Rietveld Schröder- huis is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon of the city of Utrecht. rietveldschroderhuis.nl 2 RAILWAY MUSEUM 2 GUIDED CITY Young and old alike will enjoy WALK an outing to the Railway Museum. This playful museum Explore the city from an entirely is housed in the old Maliebaan different angle accompanied by a Station and is within walking Tourist Information Office guide; distance of the city centre. The the perfect way to learn about museum has an extensive collec- Utrecht, from mystical courty- tion of historic trains. You can ards to the Dom Square and from see and experience 175-year-old narrow alleyways to canals and railways in Utrecht’s largest and wharves. most prestigious museum. utrechtvoorgroepen.nl spoorwegmuseum.nl 10 11 MIFFY MUSEUM CENTRAAL MUSEUM Only one thing created in Utrecht is more famous than The Centraal Museum is one of the leading museums in the celebrated Rietveld Chair, and that is Miffy – known Utrecht. Visitors can wander through a fine collection of in the Netherlands as Nijntje. Designer Dick Bruna more than 50,000 pieces, representing a wide array of art created the little rabbit in 1955 during a holiday spent movements and styles. The Centraal Museum is home to in Egmond aan Zee.