Utrecht, Netherlands walking tour

Utrecht, Netherlands walking tour

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There, is one, special, city in the, Netherlands, with a unique. Atmosphere. Created. By Terrace, restaurants. And promenades, right, at water, level along, the canals, producing. A delightful. Ambiance, in a historic, setting, and yet, also lined, with modern, shops, from restaurants, and bars it's. This wonderful, split-level. Setting, with pedestrian. Streets above and down. Below by the canals, you've, got the restaurants, on their terraces. Really. Quite special and there. Are many other delightful, aspects, to the city of bootrec it's. The fourth largest city, in the Netherlands, and it's. Got the oldest, university, and they. Claim the second, largest collection of historic, medieval, buildings, second, only to Amsterdam. Standing. High above it all is the tallest, church, tower in the country then, add to the mix typical, Dutch ingredients. Of friendly, people with. A relaxed, tolerant, attitude always. Ranked, high in global, indexes, of happiness. And quality, of life, bicycle, zooming by great, fear wonderful. Food and a compact, pedestrian. Historic, zone riddled. With picturesque, canals, this. Is a place, you would love to visit as we'll, show you in this detailed, travel, guide. No. We're, not in Venice but sometimes, it sure feels that way in these watery, cities, of the Netherlands, and in, fact here at bootrec, you couldn't get even closer to the water than. Practically. Any place in Venice, itself. Because. Of these terraces, that extend, along the main canal, through the heart of Utrecht, reaching. Four kilometers, in length these, were originally. Loading docks back in the Middle Ages in. Those, days the main harbour, was right here in the center of town which made it very convenient, for the busy trade network their, warehouses, were right along this Terrace which have been mostly converted, now - lovely, restaurants, and, just above is this lively pedestrian. Shopping, street with, modern, stores, and, more restaurants and, lots of people out walking it. Has created a, very, unusual, split-level. City you, just don't see this in very many other places in the world. It. Is the defining, characteristic. Of the city of Utrecht, in. This. Aerial, view from Google Earth we, can see how it's, all about this one section, of curved canal, with. Those terraces, and tables, and, shops and trees and, it's the magical, neighborhood, in the heart of town this. Is the actual downtown, of the city the place where locals.

Come To shop, and, take a stroll see their friends, have, a drink or just walk on their way to work while it's also the, scenic, and historic part. Of town for the visitor although, you'll notice, there don't seem to be all that many tourists, around partly. Because I'm, here, in the off season in September. And. Also. Because, you trek is just not really, high on the radar for, tourists, and that, makes it all the more desirable, a place to visit, it's loaded, with authentic. Charm proclaimed. By Lonely, Planet as one of the world's, top tens unsung. Places. Undiscovered. And ranked. By the BBC. As one of the world's happiest, places, you. Will find it worthwhile to wander, around some, other parts, of the central. Historic, area certainly, the little side lanes and, into, the church and some of the museums but. You'll always be coming back to, this one, spot. Along, the canals it is just so magical and during. The programme we'll be taking, you back here, again and again with. Sunshine, or cloudy, days in the morning or at night when it, gets even busier, with people sitting outside enjoying. Dinner it's, always, fun to be here who, trekked is in the heart of the Netherlands, and it, truly is one of the great cities of Europe to come and visit it's. Not as well-known as some other Dutch cities like Delft, perhaps, or even Leiden. And Rotterdam, but, you might find it the most charming of all cities, in the country it's, in the heart of the Netherlands, and it's. Been ranked as one, of the top 10 places to visit by various. Sources that it certainly is worthwhile it's, a city of history, it's. A city of canals. A, city of old brick buildings, there's. Lots of cafes, there, are several museums, and just. Lovely streets, for walking you, can also take the canal boat ride when you're here or you check will. Also explore the amazing, Cathedral. But, we'll spend most of our time just relaxing, and, enjoying, the. Old canal, the, Eau de gras right in the heart of the historic, centre with, beautifully. Preserved, buildings, some dating back, many centuries. Experiencing. The Dutch good life at its very best but. Hang, on before we get too sentimental and. Think this is a historic.

Artifact, An ancient city that's trapped, in amber earth some kind of old-fashioned. Museum, exhibit, of the Middle Ages with, nothing but old buildings, let's, realize. This, is a modern, city, population. Of three hundred and twenty thousand, makes it the fourth biggest city in the country and there. Is a lot of cutting-edge activity, going on here the. Biggest and oldest university, in the country large. Banks, are headquartered here, and it's, the main crossroads, of the Dutch railroad, system, when, you look at the big picture you'll, see that most of the buildings in the metropolitan. Area are not, like those old brick structures, you see along the canals. There. Is another, downtown. The more modern side of the city a lot. Of shops and busy. Streets with cars yeah, it's not a pedestrian, zone and the other, part of modern, downtown. A lot, of bicycles, of course going by always. In the Netherlands, its bicycles. That's the main system. Of, transportation. Let's. Back, up and, take it from the top when, you arrive a new track you're probably coming, in by train it's, a very good way to get here travel, by train is the best way to get around the country you don't really need to drive the, Dutch have one of the world's best rail systems, it's clean. Efficient. Prompt. Not, expensive, always. On time the. Dutch make it very easy to use their transportation, system. With a single, card it's the ovie chip card you just tap it on the ticket reader as you're boarding and then, you tap it again once you get off and that'll. Work on trains, and buses and trams, local. Or intercity. It's, a phenomenal, system the. Cards are widely available you, can purchase them in some, tobacco stores, at the airport upon arrival, at each train, station. It's. One more reason that visiting, the Netherlands, is so, enjoyable, the, rail stations, are also easy, to navigate and, you'll. Be walking right through the heart of this modern, train, station, state-of-the-art. Facilities. And then. It, will lead you right into a modern, shopping mall hug Catarina, which, recently, greatly. Expanded, in size becoming, the largest, shopping, mall in the Netherlands, with a hundred and eighty stores, and getting. Twenty six million annual, visitors and, the, neighborhood all around it and the train station, have been undergoing a, modernization. Transformation. Into a new part of the city just keep walking, and follow the signs and, you will sure, enough end up, out on the modern streets, and then. It's a couple blocks walk through a modern, section. This too is an interesting neighborhood, of, the city close, enough it's only a few blocks from the train station into, the old, historic. Part of town, so, this is a great place to stay, plenty of restaurants and can, and stores to take care of you it's where nearly all of the hotels are located I enjoyed. The Apollo, hotel clean. Simple. Not, expensive, and just two blocks from the old part of town with, the canals. Walking. From the train station to the canal as shown on the map is just about 800, meters a quick walk and then, we'll walk a little bit more along that modern Street before. Plunging into the heart of the old town along, the canal have a look at some side pedestrian, lanes into. The historic, center with shops and restaurants and, then on to, the Cathedral, a very, easy route will, continue, along this busy street for several blocks show you a bit of the modern, side of the city it's, the major Street coming through the Central City very. Busy with bicycles, as you see, pedaling. Is a way, of life here it's the basic means of transport, they're not pedaling for exercise, but to get somewhere it's. The basic vehicle of the country cycling. Has always been a tradition, here but it really took off in the 1970s. With a lot of support from the government in terms of bike, lanes to provide an alternative, to driving cars, it's. Quite safe even for visitors so you might consider renting, a bike for a day to peddle around that. Busy, Street continues, past, young skirt originally. Built in the 11th century and then rebuilt, in the 20th, century with. A busy, bus station, out front, and some, cozy sidewalk. Cafes, around this neighborhood and the. Street then continues, for about another kilometer.

With More shops, all along the way it's really quite a nice commercial, street but no, canals so we're not going that far turning, around to, go back into the old town with. The cathedral looming large at the end of this street we'll go inside it at the end of the programme after, we have another look at the autograph, that charming. Canal in the heart of town easily. Reached directly from that busy street on, a staircase. That, comes down from this old brick bridge down, to the water's edge. It's. A different world when, you're at this lower level of the canal. So close to the modern city and yet, centuries, apart, it's, quiet. No. Cars. Not even any bicycles, just a few boats going by some. Pedestrians, and mostly. People sitting. At the tables enjoying. A drink, or a meal we'll. Take a closer look at this most interesting section. Of the old canal in the heart of town this, popular, portion, is only about 500, meters in length canals. Are still, used for, transportation. Of goods although. This of course is, but a shadow of the former glory when this, canal was a major thoroughfare. Now. Most of the boat activity, is for fun it's for tourists. In there are glass top tour boats it's. For, kayakers, who rent. A little boat and pedal around for a couple of hours one. Company has their shop right here in the central canal area you could rent, one of these kayaks, or they call them canoes for, six, euro, per hour or, you could rent it for all day for 14, euro or anything, in between it's. Big on TripAdvisor, they give it an excellent rating one. Customer said we loved it spent five hours including, a break canoeing, along the, Utrecht canals, another. Person called it a wonderful change of pace after walking, kayaking. Through the city canals and outside, the city through, the smaller canals, surrounded. By nature highly, recommended, you don't need any paddling. Experience, or physical, conditioning, even, to come out here and enjoy paddling. Around but, you might want to make, a reservation with the boat company ahead of time because they do get busy, and might be sold out if you just show up without a booking tourists. Are not the only ones having fun on the water it's, for locals who very much enjoy. This ambience, on their own personal, boats having parties notice. The casual, skipper, enjoying his meal with the rest of the gang on autopilot. There's, no doubt the Dutch people love their kin it's like an open parkland. For them a major place, of recreation a, deep, part of their heritage and history, visitors. Can also join, a boat, tour with catered, meals and drinks in the open air very. Popular, option. Easily. Arranged with tour companies, as an alternative, to that glass-top, boat but, most visitors, love that typical, excursion. Boat experience, that you'll find in nearly all major, Dutch cities, or, you can rent a small electric. Boat and just go cruise around on your own typical. Prices, are about 40, euro an hour for, a boat that'll hold up to six people or, how, about cruising, along on, a stand-up, paddleboard. Everything. Can be arranged, here in the Netherlands, it's a country that does business they. Are ready to please, the customer anything. You want and, then. There are some utilitarian. Boats like the garbage boat. Something. Like in Venice where everything is done on the water we've. Been looking at the autograph, the, old canal. It's. A branch of the Rhine River here. It's sometimes, called The Crooked Rhine it's, one of many branches. Of the great Rhine that spreads, out in a delta across, much of the. Southwest. Part of the Netherlands, blue trek became, one of the great market, towns of the Middle Ages because, of its position, in the center, of the country along, the Rhine this. Enabled, the early boat traffic to connect, in many directions, throughout. South, into the heart of Europe up, to the North Sea and across. The country from Amsterdam. To Rotterdam in, that, era long before railroads. And easy land transportation, these. Watery, highways, gave, the Netherlands, a big advantage and global, trade.

And, Now they provide us with a delightful. Scenic, attraction, as we sit, at table, having a drink enjoying, the lively, waterfront, activities, you. Never know what's going to pop up next. These, terraces, function, as the outdoor living room of the city but. How do they come to be why, are these terraces, here, and not, found anywhere, else in the country part. Of the reason is that Utrecht. Is above. Sea level more, so than many, of the other Dutch cities and therefore. There's a drop down to the level of the water from the street level in the. Old days large, merchant houses, were constructed, along the canal above, the banks built. Upon barrel, vaulted cellars, down below to provide, a secure, foundation, and it's, those cellars that are now, these, restaurants, that line the canal earlier. They were used as store houses or, even, residences. And these. Restaurant terraces, which even, today are called wharves were. The docking. And loading platforms, for, the cargo, coming through town and. While the outdoor restaurants, have a delightful, ambience, you want to be sure to step, inside some, of these restaurants, as well to get that historic. Feeling, of the barrel-vaulted, stone. Structure, many. Of them beautifully, renovated with, modern, and historic. Touches, that really create. A lovely, atmosphere for, dining even, if you're not eating you're certainly always welcome, to step into a restaurant, ask if you can have a look around they will never mind figuring. That you just might want to sit down once, you see how attractive. It looks and smells check the menu have a bite and then. At night this same Canal area gets even, more lively. Of course with all of the young people in this city it is a university. Town remember, with nearly 30,000. Students so, there are going to be plenty, of people out in the evening, and well into the night plus. The lighting is so beautiful, at Twilight, to, catch that deep blue sky nice. For the eyes and for the camera, they, have, some fun with special, lighting effects, in the city at night lighting. Up the bridges with changing, shades of colour and they've. Got several illuminated. Passageways. A light, tunnel, that you can walk through it's, kind of a psychedelic, light show as you walk. This, guns and mark tunnel has a history, going back to the old days when horse, carts, rode through, this passage, from the city, center down, to, the wharfs where freak was loaded and unloaded, so. They didn't have to carry, cargo down the staircases, and now, it's been converted into this amazing light show by an artist named Erik run one. Of many, local and, international, artists. Who use light as their, medium of expression City. Hall gets lit up as well it's all part of this program called, trajector. Lumen, it's, maintained, by the government. Of the city of Utrecht all free, and open to the public every.

Day Of the year from sunset. Until midnight you, can also pay to include. A guided, walking tour where, everything, is explained and you, don't miss anything that way and you, could even include a three-course, dinner package, in the deal of course. Many private businesses, are also getting in the spirit of this movement in lighting up their own buildings, for. Comparison, here's how the same building looks during the daytime well. It's still a beautiful structure, but a little bit more magical, in the Twilight ring, Colvin's inkle not only is a nice cafe and, tapa. Bar but. In the evening, it's a big music, venue so, even more reason to consider that building at night admire. Those neoclassical. Caryatid, statues, seeming, to hold up the roof well, we're right in the heart of the old town now we've been walking along the, otic Rock Canal, into. The very center, of towns, this. Stretch along. The Eau de grot for a couple of blocks as we approach City Hall has a nice, cluster, of interesting. And high-quality shops. With a variety, of kinds of things on sale for men, and women and young and old way, more interesting, to be walking, along a shopping, street like this instead of inside a covered. Shopping, mall growing. Flowers, is an important part of their agricultural. And they loved to buy them and bring, it on home the, shopping, neighborhood, does extend, beyond the canal for a couple, of blocks along, both, sides of, the waters making, this an excellent place to meander, you'll. Certainly hear some music in the streets as you walk along from, the various buskers, lovely. Accordion, music if, you enjoy the music or stop to take a few pictures you. Certainly want to give them a nice tip. The. Atmosphere. Of the old city center, creates, a perfect, backdrop, an, environment, for a day of shopping and. You might find some treasures, in the cozy, narrow streets, that lead away from the canal. Manufacturer. Of fabrics, used to be a major, part of the Dutch economy but that ended a long time ago sidewalk, stands offer bargains, on some imported, goods of course. The major chain, stores are here but you also find a lot of independent. Boutiques, featuring. One-of-a-kind. Items it's, also a good place to sit down and have a beer and watch the passing, parade of people when. You get hungry you can do like the natives and line up have a lunch, wagon for, a delicious, sandwich, at low, cost the name of their lunch wagon is, don't. Forget. You been. This. Place is, amazing. It is so popular, people are lined, up waiting, patiently. It. Doesn't, take that long and, these workers are very efficient.

Cranking, Out the sandwiches. Delicious. Food fresh. Ingredients pretty. Healthy and a good price no wonder there's this long, line every day waiting, to get lunch when. You're ready for lunch in Utrecht, there's a lot of choices there's, restaurants on, the side lanes on the Main Street and of. Course there's a lot of dining. Along, the canal itself, on the lower Terrace, one of the things that makes. This town so very special, or. You could just wing, it and get. A sandwich to go and have. A picnic, on the steps down here by the banks. Of the canal. Any. Way you do it you're gonna have some good, eatin and, sandwiches. Are a very. Popular, item here you. Can buy your basic sandwich for three, euro or get. A fancy one for, five euro you'll. See lots of people eating a sandwich, standing. Or walking along. On the street, lunch, in hands such, people are quite, sociable, which. Makes them approachable. If you'd like to strike up a conversation and. They speak English, they're gregarious. And friendly so by all means if you see, a chance to talk with some locals, go, for it. I. Love. Your city oh yeah we, check this amazing, yeah. The. Dutch are outgoing, and friendly in a society with, high levels of, cooperation. And mutual respect. In part because of their, geography, it's a small country, it's densely, populated so. People, have, to get along there, are always other people around scenes. Another. Reason there is sociable, is the, way they get around it's either walking, or on, a bicycle rather, than being isolated, as sole occupant, of a private car as many, modern, travelers, are very. Often you'll see people having a conversation, as they pedal, along next to each other, another. Way that geography has, brought the people together is their, history, of dealing with the water about. One third of the country is below sea level and, would be under water if they didn't do something about it so they, have to work cooperatively to. Drain, it and maintain. It building, dikes and canals in a process, that started. About seven hundred years ago, cooperation. It's really a hallmark of the Dutch personality. They. Cooperate. With each other whether, it's sharing a sandwich or on the jobsite or in school or in the family it's. A very cooperative bunch, of people and they. Have created an, egalitarian. Society with. A lot of economic. Equality among. The population, they, do not have the great disparities. Of wealth that you find in many other developed, Western countries, and, you know they're famous for being thrifty. You. May call them frugal, but they are not stingy, they are not cheapskates. They've built a society, that, generously, takes, care of its population, with. Abundant, education. Support, health, care and various, kinds, of social, resources, but. They do love those take-out sandwiches, you'll see the kiosk scattered, around town and then how about some gelato, for dessert we. Mentioned earlier of that connection, with. With, all these canals well here it is a little. Touch of Italy. Reaching. The City Hall with. The country's, tallest church tower just beyond, part of the Cathedral, that we'll be visiting in just a few minutes but first some more restaurants, at this, point we've reached the canals largest, bridge which, forms, a Plaza serving, as a crossroads. In the center of the old town a couple of streets extend, beyond it with many, shops continuing. For about five or six blocks and then gradually, becoming more residential, and, while you can still walk down a staircase to the water's edge here, it's only a short terrace and the, rest of the stretch of this block of the canal is no.

Terrorists, At all just straight down there's, basements, down below but they, don't have any warps a lot of shops up above though it's a great block, for walking and shopping and eating coming. Right up another, bridge step. Onto it for a view back at City Hall and that nice, row of shops this. Bridge is, a bustle. Of activities. As you'll see with people out dining. And walking around and shops all about it things are pretty close together here in bootrec for example we've, only walked about two kilometres from the train station to. Get to this point along the canal and doing a little bit of meandering, we. Have more to see continuing. A few blocks south along the canal enjoying, more shop fronts, and restaurants, and there's another little side bunch of shopping streets, and over, to the Cathedral, and another back canal you could do it in a short, period of time you. Might even consider visiting. Bootrec as a day trip perhaps, from Amsterdam, it's. Only a half an hour train ride from Amsterdam. To get here and you. Can spend a full day walking, around and if you do that by all means stay here for, the evening you'll, want to see those illuminations. That we pointed, out and have, dinner at, one of the lovely outdoor restaurants. If the weather's fair and then, you can catch a train back. To Amsterdam, or to, whatever your home base city might be however. You will find that there is enough to see a boo Trek that a couple, of days would be worthwhile then you can enjoy the boat ride rent, a canoe go paddling, around do. Some shopping, and just really, take your time here and enjoy the place. We've. Walked a few blocks south of city hall and over on the west bank of the autograph, discovering. Another, lovely, cluster, of shops and little side lanes this, neighborhood, is loosely considered. Still part of the museum. District. Even though the main museums, are on the other side of the canal and a few, blocks further south this, quarter, has a relaxed. Attitude, just. Across the canal from the Cathedral, where we're heading next over, to the dump Line Cathedral. Square the. Dutch love, their, cats, it's the ideal, urban. Pet in these smaller, cities, it's quiet, enough place that cats can just lounge around without, being bothered, although. Sometimes they, don't get along so well with the dogs passing, by if, it's, encroaching on their territory. That's. A strong cat.

Good. Job buster, guarding. The domestic, front. We. Are heading for the Cathedral, but first we'll look behind it at a charming. Smaller canal, and that'll, be described for us by our local guy get there rosin doll we're. Standing here at the, new heart the new canal, it, was built around, the Year 1400, and, in those days there were hardly any people living in this area all. Through the ages after, fourteen hundred houses, were built and, this was always the, area, of the inner city for the more wealthy, people because. This. Is quiet here there is hardly, any traffic and, there. Are hardly any shops and it was also here in the Middle Ages because. The the trade heart was, the outer flats there, the ships came in they were loaded and unloaded horses, and carriages people, working lots of noise and if a tradesman, made, his money on the outer craft on the old canal he. Bought the house here, because, here it, was quiet quiet, as it's still now in our time no, shops no restaurants. Hardly, any traffic only some people living here schools, University. Church has main buildings, here and it's always like. This at this moment this, hope of suction of these, sellers on, the level, under, the street and under the houses is, quite it's unique in the world and we, have a few kilometers, of it on both sides of the outer and the new heart, beside. A kayak or a pedal, boat you can also make. A booking on a small electric. Boat an only, electric, boat our. Boats, are allowed to be here not with a gas oil motor or something like that because it, makes too much noise it, has to be silenced and then. It's possible to go here with a boat like this and this boat is small enough to pass in the small canal, and also, to pass under the lower bridges, and you can make an. Arrangement with, a group or something or. I can have something to eat or drink on, board off the ships like this but, you can also look, it individually. You have a tour and so, you have a great impression of a beautiful part of the old city we'll, hear a lot more from Gita and a different segment, of our visit to who trekked when he takes us on an extensive walking, tour just, a couple, blocks over we're now approaching the Cathedral, the short. Pedestrian. Lane leading over to the Cathedral is a beautiful. Sight in itself, as, you walk along it you have to look up up, up, at the tower it's, the highest, church. Tower in the, Netherlands, at a hundred and twelve meters high right. Here in the heart of the oldest, part of the city. Will. Be plunging. Through that archway into, the secret. Domain, of the cathedral, and just, a moment but first a little look around this great Street where. You're, gonna find potential. For non-stop. Eating, drinking. And, shopping, it seems, it's wall-to-wall, eateries. And drinker, easier, then, take a left just around the corner in the direction, of the, tourist, information office, the dvv, it's a great place to stop in for some free information a pleasant. Walled garden, is nearby called, Flores, HOF it's, on the location. Of the old episcopal. Palace that. Was demolished. After 1850. When the catholic church was prohibited. And now, it's a hidden gem a small garden in the heart of the oldest, part of town a nice.

Place To feed, some lunch to your cat or. Sit. On a bench and have your own picnic. Walking. Now through the passageway, at the base of the church tower, into. The dom square, a beautiful. Open, plaza and there's. Something going on today it's a graduation. Ceremony the, University, of Utrecht has one of their main academic, buildings just here in the. Netherlands, the class does not all graduate, together, it's individual. In small groups a more. Intimate, celebration, where the family can gather from. Here. There's direct, access, into the dome one, door leads right into the Cathedral and, another. Door leads into the cloister, where we shall start the. Trek. Dom has, got, an amazing history. Tragic. History it was. First built in the Gothic style starting. From the Year 1250, for and it. Took them three hundred, years to finish building it but. Then a hundred years later it, was. Knocked down by a tornado a, big. Storm, and it. Knocked down the, middle portion the, nave destroyed. It completely and they, never rebuilt, that part inside. The Cathedral there are some displays, that graphically, illustrate, what happened, construction. Of the entire church was completed. In 1580. And a. Hundred years later in, 1674. The, storm hit and totally. Wiped out the middle of the church the. Tower still, stands and the. Apse, of, the church is, still standing the choir, the. Ambulatory, the. Altar area and the. Crossing, and the, transepts, are still, surviving. From those Gothic days but. The middle portion the, nave is now gone and it's a an open. We're, in the middle of town it's the dump Line and, so. That's actually kind, of a nice place. To myspace, in town and. Especially. With, the, beautiful. Tower, of the dome still standing you, can actually walk up the steps of the tower it's about nearly 400, steps to get up there and they. Say they, say I wouldn't know but you'd have a view of all, of the Netherlands, on a clear day from the top it, was built of course as a Catholic Church and then, it became a Protestant, Church and, now. It's really a wonderful, sight to come in and see even though half, the church is gone you. Don't want to miss it because the, part, that's remaining is. Spectacular. Gothic, structure. And along. With the church there, is this cloister. Which. Is a beautiful. Peaceful, garden space, it's. The original gothic. COI ster still. Standing, attached to the church the remaining, part of the church there's a cafe, here, there. Is the nice. Garden, with the hedges and flowers, and. A, little fountain statue in the middle. Of. Course the COI ster was a place, for, prayer. And meditation and. The. Members. Of the clergy would. Generally, live around and, upstairs in the cloister. With. This garden in the center this. Is truly one of the prettiest. Oysters. You'll ever see, there's. No admission charge to, the cloister, it's a public, park and the. Church is also free you. Might give. A donation if you like a couple of euro it's up to you voluntary, and. Enjoy. That church interior, as well, as the, outside. You can see the buttresses, around, the flying buttresses, and of. Course the amazing tower. That. Completes. Our look at Utrecht, for now one, of the great cities of the, Netherlands.

2019-05-25 17:43

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Thank you for this! I’ll be visiting in a few weeks. I have a ticket to the Dom Tower.

Oh this is so great to see as dutchman,,,I love ur channel i subscribed

Beautiful reportage like always. Great city must visit place Thanks

Thank you most kindly for this great video, it was a great joy watching it. Actually Leiden University is the oldest university in the Netherlands. I studied at both universities so I'm not biased. Leiden is also after Amsterdam the town with the most historical monuments. On the other hand Utrecht has the largest festival of early music in the world lasting for ten days. I go there every year. It's my late summer vacation. I love both Leiden and Utrecht (more than Amsterdam). Very kind of you to pay attention to the Nieuwe Gracht which I find the most elegant canal in the Netherlands.

Utrecht is very beautiful

Didn’t know there were tornadoes in the Netherlands.

denniscallan Thanks and good to know!

Yes, they are quite rare in Europe but can happen, usually in conjunction with hurricanes. That storm which destroyed part of the cathedral was an extreme event...so long ago they cannot be too sure about exactly what happened, but it was enough to knock down half of a Gothic church.

Lekker Gezonde Chemtrails inademen..... Succes en bedankt voor het filteren


I love to watch your Great videos, very informative and learning experience Indeed. Love and respect from Pakistan.

So very glad you made this video.Dutch People do not know much about this very old city, except that it has thousends of students. This is why the Dutch has an overload on history.and everything seems to be no big deal for them Also you won't find many tourists in Utrecht (build bij the Romans among 2ooo years ago calling it 'Ultratrajectum' There is a Utrect 'caraveggist' school called 'Utrectse school', Leading to the other great period of the Dutch golden age And then Händel wrote an important anthem celebration of the 'peace-treaty of Utrect' after whitch our stadholder William the third became King of Brittain.

Excellent tour.


Well made video.

Always beautiful travel videos with great cinema and information. I especially love seeing the beautiful women and people of other countries.

Superb video! I strongly agree with your high praise for the Dutch railway system. I would suggest that visitors to the Netherlands base themselves in Utrecht, and travel from there to places like Amsterdam, Leiden and Delft. But one warning about the OV-chipkaart. You must remember to CHECK OUT at the end of each journey!

Their trains are amazing, best way to see the country because of two factors: 1) the country is easy to get around in because it is small, and 2) the trains deliver! And yes, be sure to check out your card at end of each trip, as I mentioned: "The Dutch have one of the world's best rail systems. It's clean, efficient, prompt, not expensive, always on time. The Dutch make it very easy to use their transportation system with a single card. It's the OV-chip card. You just tap it on the ticket reader as you're boarding and then you tap it again once you get off. And that'll work on trains and buses and trams, local or intercity. It's a phenomenal system"

Thanks so much, I really appreciate that coming from a local like yourself. And yes of course Leiden U is the oldest, which I knew but forgot, as already mentioned in my Leiden movie where I said about Leiden " It's another one of the great historic cities of the Netherlands, most famous perhaps for the University. It's the oldest university in the Netherlands, founded back in the mid-16th century and so there's a lot of university students here." see that movie also: https://youtu.be/Sc4t0xVIYWc Like you, I agree both cities are the most wonderful.

Really good video. I’m staying in Utrecht for 1 week at Christmas / New Years in 1 of those warehouses on the canal converted into an apartment. 1 week in Haarlem and 1 week in Amsterdam. This will be my fourth trip to The Netherlands. I love The Netherlands

Nicely done! Very true

I was waiting for this, I live in Utrecht. It's such a charming, vibrant, young-yet-historical university city (dating back to Roman times, when it was part of the Limes, the northern defense border of the Roman Empire). It's not overtaken by mass tourism. The historical centre is easily navigated on foot (you can't get lost, just look for the bell tower). And with a more authentic Dutch vibe than Amsterdam, I feel. Great tour! Love the Pandhof, the little cloister courtyard attached to the main body of the cathedral. It's a nice quiet little place to have a (you guessed it) sandwich

I'm very happy your wait was worthwhile. I started editing my Netherlands series 2 years ago, uploading Haarlem and a summary, promising you "more coming soon" but got distracted with my uber-successful Switzerland series (million+ viewings) but am pleased to be focusing now on the rest of Netherlands. Two more on Utrecht coming next, local guide and boat ride, then Rotterdam, Maastircht, Gouda, Alkmaar, The Hague and of course Amsterdam. But Utrecht was really something special -- waterfront restaurants, not crowded, compact, mellow! I'm already planning a return to your wonderful country in 2020 to shoot some more cities.

nice to hear from you, glad you're watching.

Thanks for that added information, which I will include in my upcoming movie about the museums and boat ride in Utrecht.

Yep. 4 Euro will be taken off every time for not checking out.

465 steps, will be worth it for that view. Next time I will do it.

That means a lot to me coming from a local, thanks.

+denniscallan I respect very much your work, very relaxing ,every sathurday nice suprise

Glad to know you are a regular viewer, thanks.

+denniscallan They skimped on building the cathedral's midship, which is why it didn't hold up in the storm and collapsed in 1674.

Queria um dia poder ir mora ai muito lindo

That should be a lovely place to stay, on the canal of Utrecht. I noticed those homes while riding past on a boat ride, which I'll show soon as another movie.

I was waiting for this, I live in Utrecht :). It's such a charming, vibrant, young-yet-historical university city (dating back to Roman times, when it was part of the Limes, the northern defense border of the Roman Empire along the Rhine). It's not overtaken by mass tourism, like Amsterdam. The historical centre is easily navigated on foot (you can't get lost, just look for the bell tower). And with a more authentic Dutch vibe than Amsterdam, I feel. Great tour!

+denniscallan Glad you enjoyed your time here! I can tell you have a bit of a soft spot for Utrecht. This seems to happen with most visitors. The city is an unexpected beauty for many.

+030 B have you climbed it? How was it?

I've been there once, love it!

Kim Brown jij lult uit je nek met je ticket to the dom tower mooie laaielichter

most of all, Utrecht has those many terraces at water level, with delightful restaurants and strolling areas.

+Felix ten Haaf You' re quite right about the monuments. It was true when I lived and studied in Leiden (1982-1988), but not anymore. Thank you most kindly for your message! Greetings from the Achterhoek. Utrecht is now my favourite town, but please don't tell my fellow alumni from Leiden University ;-)

You’re right about the university, but Utrecht has more historic buildings than Leiden (but less than Maastricht and Amsterdam).

Snakesborough I assumed you were talking about monuments. I do know Leiden has the second biggest historic city centre (after Amsterdam) so you’re probably right! It’s nice that you like Utrecht so much, I completely agree with you ;) My father has a store in Leiden so I’ve been there a lot, also a beautiful city but I certainly prefer Utrecht too :)

@030 B have you climbed it? How was it?

@denniscallan I respect very much your work, very relaxing ,every sathurday nice suprise


I was waiting for this, I live in Utrecht :). It's such a charming, vibrant, young-yet-historical university city. It's not overtaken by mass tourism, like Amsterdam. The historical centre is easily navigated on foot (you can't get lost, just look for the bell tower). And with a more authentic Dutch vibe than Amsterdam, I feel. Nice tour!

The official ranking of cities with monuments= Amsterdam with 7504 monuments, Maastricht 1681, Utrecht 1439, Leiden 1242, The Haque 1164 and Haarlem with 1144 monuments.

I enjoyed this...I miss being there..

This was really a detailed video. I really loved it and subscribing your channel. Every second of it I played attention to the video and really liked it. I would love to visit and looking forward for more videos like this from you. Mainly from Amsterdam, Utretch. Thank you.

May I ask what kind of camera you use for these excellent travel guides?

I shot the Dutch series with my SONY FS5, a brilliant 4k pro model, super in every way. I just wish I had mastered the complicated controls (which are pretty easy once you figure it out). I had to do a lot of exposure correction in post-production, using Premiere Pro.

Thanks very much, I like to provide lots of practical details to help you plan your own trips. I've completed many Netherlands videos now, with more to come soon. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLke86NFI6R8yHA2T5e7P38pniCONuuN_3

dennis is the boss tack för en härlig resa the wiking

Best Dutch. citty guides ever!! Is there a Maastricht one?

at 25:13: I've been there many times during sunny days!

WARNING TO ALL TOURISTS WHO LIKE VISIT UTRECHT: BEWARE OF BLUE PHONE!!! That's a smart phone reparing shop! Don't go there!!! You will be cheated and scammed!!!

Stadsie Utrech! I can be found there quite often! Beautiful city! Easily reached by train! Than you go to Manneken Pis to have a quite descent meal of French fries and kibbeling which I can barely manage to finish eating it... For only € 6,95! That'll be around 8 Dollar or so... But, you gonna love it!

Yeah, they are still there but will be rarely seen and are really small! Piece of cake compared to the Tornado Alley in US! It's like a beetle compared with a mammoth!

Darnit. Here i am, living in a different city, watching my birthplace through new eyes. The video hits 21:37 and this guy wearing a brown jacket walks past the camera holding a sammich of utter glory.. And now i want a Broodje Mario.. Roll on to 23:53 and there they are, the old boss level dispensers of delectable foodstuffs. past midnight, miles away, and i'm waving at my screen like an idiot. "Wait! Take my money and make me one with extra peppers!"

By the way,... the University of Utrecht (1636) is *not* the oldest one in the Netherlands. At least 4 Universities preceded the Utrecht one, of which two still exist...; the University of Leiden (1575) and the University of Groningen (1614).

The Pandhof cloister garden next to the cathedral is one of my favorite little spots in the city centre. I often used to eat my lunch there when I was a university student. Good times. Nice tour!

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