Utrecht Walking Tour
A week after our wedding, I found myself re-discovering old hobbies. What did I do when I wasn’t planning our calendars 3 months ahead and travelling between the countries? What did I enjoy when my Saturdays weren’t planned to the minute?
Having sort-of lived in Utrecht for 2,5 years, I felt weird signing up for a walking tour like a tourist. But I knew nothing about my new home and the last time I visited The Netherlands as a tourist was already 10 years ago! I was a bit hesitant at first, but then quickly motivated seeing that 15 slots had already been claimed. On a hot summer day - to get out of my comfort zone, if nothing else - I set out for a walking tour while my new husband played golf.
Romans & The Dom
We bought a Dom Christmas tree topper last year as a joke because we hadn’t seen the real one while they worked on it the 5 last years. Neither of us is religious or Catholic, so the closest we ever get to the Dom is when we eat pizza in Neude.
At 112m, it is the tallest spire in The Netherlands, but that’s not the most interesting thing I learned. A storm in 1674 separated the church from the tower but no casualties were incurred. The rubble took another 200 years to clear, but made Utrecht a popular tourist destination. Much later as cars became popular, they started digging underneath the Dom for a car park only to discover archaeological ruins! The history of Utrecht is fascinating when you consider that the walls of the former Roman forts can be traced. Archaeologists predicted the location of the closest Roman fort and the city of Utrecht bought an old lady’s house for the sole purpose of digging up her living room based on this prediction. Thankfully, their estimates were correct and now the city of Utrecht has built a replica of this fort in Leidsche Reijn!
St. Martin & the city flag
I always admired the fresh flowers that decorate the lamp posts in the city, but I never paid much attention to their colours - white and red, the colours of our city flag! But where do we get these colours from? This is where the story of St. Martin comes in. Legend has it that he was approached by a beggar for some alms. But as he had no money, he tore off a part of his red cloak and offered it to him, revealing his white skin underneath the cloak. I missed taking a picture of the plaque of St. Martin, but you can find this one quickly on Google.
Papal Murder Plot
Statue of Pope Adrian VI in front of Paushuize
The only Dutchman and last non-Italian pope until John Paul II, Adrian VI rightfully takes the place of the least popular Utrecht resident. A party-pooper in his prime, his brand identity was austerity. His appointment as Pope came as a surprise to all, including him, as he was a compromise candidate to break the deadlock between the Spanish & French cardinals. His tenure in Rome was short as did not make many friends with his beard bans. Even though he had commissioned Utrecht to build him a new house, he never got a chance to live in it. The Dutch requested his remains be returned to Utrecht but were turned down by the Vatican as his body had quickly turned bad. “It smells like almonds”, they said - any true crime follower will know to be a sign of cyanide poisoning!
Cats & Canals
Nieuwegracht
I first came to Utrecht in early 2020 and immediately fell in love with the city - so much so that I manifested my now husband from it! Nieuwegracht (new canal) while newer than Oudegracht (old canal) is still over 600 years old and was built more for passage than trade. The lack of shops is the most obvious difference when compared to the bustling Oudegracht. As trade in the city became plagued my rats, Utrecht came out with a new law - harm no cats. This brought the city long term benefits when the real plague came around and the city’s inhabitants were largely spared. This is why cats are honoured in artwork all around the city.
Flower Market, Nobelstraat
Sunflowers at the Saturday Flower Market
I am a somewhat regular on Nobelstraat but I didn’t think much of the flower market, having seen only a sliver of it on my way to my tattoo-removal appointments at UNDO. Discovered it a week too late as I would’ve loved to get our wedding flowers from here! The guide said they tend to deeply discount their wares and even give them away for free after 4pm on Saturday. My big favourite on Nobelstraat is the Luca Ijssalon - I still dream of the Bastogne ice cream I had there 2 years ago on King’s Day. Speaking of kings, the next one is my favourite discovery from this walking tour.
The Rabbit King
Rabbit on a rock, Vredenburg
The Dutch are my kind of petty. When ruled by Louis I (Louis Napoléon Bonaparte), they were not happy. The king demanded their respect, but his poor Dutch failed him as he proclaimed - “Ik ben jouw konijn”, saying konijn (rabbit) instead of Koning (king). Utrecht now has a rabbit on a rock to honour their former king.
Old Post
You have to be blind to miss the hideous display on this gorgeous old building. Apparently, the city of Utrecht had trouble attracting the younger generation to the library and asked the kids for suggestions. Well, some artist made a million euros from this and yet the visitor numbers did not increase - that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we don’t rely blindly on the results of user research.
The former post office turned library is beautiful and I do recommend a visit. You’ll also find a little fake post office inside for children to explore. It’s indeed a shame that people don’t write letters anymore and if your little one has never seen the inside of a post office, this is your chance to show them the world before emails and instant messaging.
Nijntje
Dick Bruna painted as Nijntje
What is a Utrecht tour without a mention of our most famous resident? Even though I am deeply disappointed that the Nijntje museum is closed to adults, I hold hope in my future offspring. Dick Bruna, the creator of Miffy, is honoured with this colourful statue in Vredenburg. Until his death in 2017, he walked around the city handing out free drawings to children. When asked if he’d like to challenge Hello Kitty in a copyright battle, he asked “Do the children like it? If it makes the children happy, that’s all that matters. I have enough money.” Dick Bruna’s studio is accessible to the public and remains in its original, untouched state.
Local-only shops
Zadelstraat
If you wish to support local merchants, head to Zadelstraat. Per law, only local merchandise can be sold on this street. The city of Utrecht even offers subsidies to entrepreneurs who wish to set up a shop here. This has led to some enterprising students opening vintage apparel shops on this street. Keck & Lisa and NORMAN ended up catching my eye!
Witch-hunting
Canal boating
Long before people jumped into the canals for some summer boating, they were thrown over the bridge over suspicions of engaging in witchcraft. Come on now, no medieval history is complete without some witch-hunting. On that note, I’d like to recommend a rather excellent book - Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch.
Wondering if you might have been accused in the old ages? And what your options had been, if accused? Well, the people came up with a solution - a witch weighing scale! Accused or soon-to-be accused witches could get a certificate to protect themselves. Try it for yourself at the Heksenwaag for €7,50. But be careful - certificate holders were not trusted back then and had to resort to prostitution for their livelihood. This led to the term ‘certificate-girl’ which is still commonly used in The Netherlands.
Oudaen House
Oudaen House
Hard to miss on a summer day in Utrecht, the Oudaen House on Oudegracht was not always a restaurant. It was home to the most badass family in Utrecht and was the longest-owned family house until 1945. Full of booby traps that’d put Kevin from Home Alone to shame, it was armed to attack unfriendly visitors. The family held off attacks from the Spanish and the French - the canon balls on the facade being a testament to Oudaen success - but ultimately succumbed to the German occupation, who instead of attacking the house, chose to starve the inhabitants to death by barricading them from all sides.
Secret Garden
Garden behind the Dom
If not for the walking tour, I’d have never discovered this small garden right behind the Dom. Apparently, the city gave out cuttings of the palm tree in this garden to the inhabitants of Utrecht and now 16 palm tree offsprings are scattered around the city.
Resistance Memorial
The memorial of Dutch resistance honours the likes of Hannie Schaft and Truus Overstegeen. Hannie Schaft was an assassin during the German occupation and came to be known as the “girl with red hair”. She befriended Nazi officers who mysteriously disappeared after two dates with her. When arrested, she shot the arresting officer with a pistol she carried hidden in her boot.
Cafe Olivier
Although I’m not much of a beer drinker these days, I must admit that this former church turned pub is rather fun. They often use a projector during football season for viewings in the beer cafe. It also played a role in the Dutch resistance during German occupation as the SS officers were not allowed to socialise with the locals who used bars such as this one to plot against the occupiers.
If beer is not your thing, I can recommend Anna Pancakes around the corner. Voor Clarenburg is my favourite out of their 3 locations. Do indulge in the Honey Fig on my behalf.
FREE Walking Tour
The walking tour starts and ends at the Dom. They tend to adjust the stops slightly based on the group’s preferences, but the guide told me that they are not allowed to exceed the 2-hour limit. This was perfect for me as I had a Rocycle class to rush to. We were invited to tip at the end in cash or via Tikkie. All proceeds, we were told, went to Ukrainian refugees in The Netherlands for whom state funding had run out.
About me
👋 I am Isana, a Product leader moonlighting as a blogger. After 7 years in Düsseldorf, Germany, I moved to join my husband in Utrecht, Netherlands. I write about my experiments for growing vegetables, learning languages, and creating art. Come say hi on Instagram!
