Utrecht travel trade The heart of Holland theheartofholland.com “ One of the world’s most happiest contents places to live. A compact city filled with delightful cafes and restaurants, thousands of students and many artists WELcome IN UTRECHT 4 and musicians. Along the Oudegracht, TRAVEL TRADE 5 the central canal, cellar-level bars Facts and figures 6 and pubs line the towpath, which is UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS 8 a charming place to watch the boats events 2016 14 and birds go by.” BBC MONDRIAAN TO DUTCH DESIGN 16 shopping 20 FOOD AND DRINKS 21 OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION 24 REGIOn 34 “Utrecht in top 10 ‘Unsung’ places of the “ If you want canals, OPTIONS FOR EXCURSIONS 35 world: “Perhaps it’s the lure of Amsterdam gothic architecture and UTRECHTSE HEUVELRUG 36 that leads people to forget Utrecht. Whatever waxy cheeses without Gouda 38 the reason, this graceful city is bizarrely having to dodge British under-visisted. Its old town is encircled by SCHOONHOVEN 40 bachelor parties yakking woerden 42 a medieval canal and you can hop on a regurgitated Heineken BUNSCHOTEN-SPAKENBURG 44 boat tour to visit the city’s bustling, vibrant onto your souvenir clogs, heritage 46 wharves.” Utrecht beats the old Amsterdam hands-down.” SAMPLE ITINERARIES 50 Lonely Planet ACCESSIBILITY 56 CNN 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. Tourism Utrecht supports tour Utrecht has inviting terraces, hip nightspots, operators, shipping companies and bus welcoming restaurants and a full cultural companies without any charge and in a agenda. ‘Green, healthy and smart’, professional manner. that’s Utrecht! The average resident in Utrecht owns two bicycles, earning OUR SERVICE it the title ‘Bicycle Capital of the World’. • Tourism Utrecht provides tourist and current information about the city. • Tourism Utrecht is happy to organise an Utrecht is a dynamic city and has the ideal size to introductory visit to the city (including explore the centre by bike or on foot, yet expan- overnight accommodation, excursions, etc.) sive enough to enjoy modern architecture, trendy in accordance with your requirements. shops and interesting museums for days on • Tourism Utrecht provides proposals and end. Utrecht features Roman churches, medieval suggestions for exciting travel packages and wharves and naturally the magnificent Gothic interesting information. Dom, in addition to design by Rietveld, royal • Tourism Utrecht provides promotional texts. trains and distinctive musical clocks. Utrecht has • Tourism Utrecht can introduce you to a tremendously rich culture with lively events interesting partners, hotels, attractions scheduled throughout the year, from light art, film, and museums. 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 Tourism Utrecht also provides visual material you can obtain by simply requesting a link to our database via [email protected]. The link provides access to the Utrecht press agency media bank, a database TRAVEL TRADE CONTACT filled with photos that can be obtained from us without For more information and the current traffic situation any charge or copyrights. For the sake of convenience, in Utrecht, contact the Travel Trade department at: the photos have been subdivided into categories. The Sander Griffioen, Account Manager databank is updated annually and includes photos taken T +31 (0)30-2360024, [email protected] during the day, in the evening and in every season. theheartofholland.com 4 5 FACTS AND FIGURES FAMOUS UTRECHT PEOPLE FACTS AND FIGURES 1459 – 1523 Adriaan Floriszoon Boeyens Residents Approx. 330,000 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 – TODAY 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 a UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS rich history and a beautiful venue for See and Do 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 UTRECHT SCIENCE PARK The largest knowledge centre in the 1 3 CANALS AND TRAJECTUM Netherlands and a trendsetter of contemporary architecture. The WHARVES LUMEN science park is home to Utrecht Due to Utrecht’s continuous develop- Trajectum Lumen involves an University, the Botanical Gardens, ment into the trade centre of the exploratory expedition through the PANDHOF the University Medical Center and Netherlands, a canal system was city in the dark, taking in artisti- The Pandhof, which dates from dozens of companies and leading created in the twelfth century AD. cally illuminated locations and the 1390-1400, is part of the Dom research institutes. The personifica- There is no other city in the world magnificent Utrecht city centre. After Church and among the most tion of ‘green, healthy and smart’ with comparable wharves, which sunset, a guide shows groups various magnificent courtyards in the Neth- utrechtsciencepark.nl were developed centuries ago to projects by renowned national and erlands. This monastery garden provide access to storage cellars. international light artists. with medieval period features and Today, many cellars have been trajectumlumen.com where ornamental plants and herbs transformed into special restaurants flower was renovated in the 19th and friendly outdoor cafés have century. The Pandhof is just one been created on the wharves. of the many courtyards in Utrecht. visit-utrecht.com visit-utrecht.com PAUSHUIZE With its rich history, the Paushuize STELLING 2 DOM TOWER is among the most special listed VAN UTRECHT buildings in Utrecht. It owes its th With a height of 112 metres, the name to the only Dutch Pope ever, The 19 -century Stelling van Dom Tower is the highest church Adrianus VI, who had the house Utrecht consists of 16 fortresses tower in the Netherlands and can built from 1517. With its selection north, east and south of the city be seen from far outside of the of magnificent period rooms and and is part of the New Dutch city. It is the ultimate symbol of beautifully decorated salons, this is Water Defence Line, which was Utrecht, with 465 steps and a well- among the prettiest locations in the to protect the larger cities in the deserved magnificent view of the Netherlands. Netherlands from hostile attacks city once you make it to the top. from the east. paushuize.nl domtower.com visit-utrecht.com 8 9 UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS See and Do Museums 1 CANAL BOAT 3 DOM UNDER 1 Rietveld 3 MIFFY MUSEUM EXCURSION DOMunder is an exploratory expedi- Schröderhuis There is only one Utrecht creation tion taking in visible and invisible more famous than the Rietveld chair, The Rederij Schuttevaer shipping traces from the past. Young and This is the masterpiece of Gerrit Miffy. Dick Bruna, renowned illustra- company provides interesting and old learn about the history of the Rietveld, the designer who built the tor and graphic designer, invented enjoyable boat excursions through Netherlands, Utrecht and the Dom house in 1924, commissioned by the his creation in 1955 while he was on the Utrecht canals. During the Square in particular, in a fun and wilful Truus Schröder. This was his holiday in Egmond aan Zee. Since excursion, information is provided interesting manner. first complete dwelling and a lavish 2006, nijntje (known as ‘Miffy’ in about the hidden beauty of the city. experiment. The Rietveld Schröder- domunder.com English) has lived in the dick bruna schuttevaer.com huis is a UNESCO World Heritage site house opposite the Centraal Museum. and an icon of the city of Utrecht. The home was temporarily closed to rietveldschroderhuis.nl the public in 2015. In February 2016, however, Nijntje will have an entirely new home: the Miffy Museum. miffymuseum.com 2 GUIDED CITY WALK 2 MUSEUM Explore the city from an entirely different angle accompanied SPEELKLOK by a Tourist Information Office Museum Speelklok may be guide; the perfect way to learn referred to as the merriest about Utrecht, from mystical museum in the Netherlands, courtyards to the Dom Square with a collection of automatic and from narrow alleyways to playing and renovated canals and wharves.