We woke up ready to move on from Amsterdam and take on something different. We were ready for our next stop, Utrecht. While we had fun for the first two nights of our trip, we had seen Amsterdam before and were ready for some fresh sights.
The next stop on our travels was Utrecht;
The fourth largest city in the Netherlands, twenty minutes by train from Amsterdam. Upon arriving at Utrecht Central station, we immediately felt a different energy from that of Amsterdam. The station is newer and is adjacent to a large shopping mall in the centre of the city.
As we made our way to our hotel, it was obvious that the pace there was much slower. The canals that run through the city are reminiscent of Amsterdam, with its crooked buildings and bridges. But at the same time the streets emanate a much different “vibe”: relaxed.
Gone are the groups of tourists and souvenir shops. This definitely felt more local than tourist attraction.
The hotel was located on a quiet street just steps away from the Dom Tower.
The Court Hotel was built in the mid fourteenth century on the spot the city originated, nearly two thousand years ago. Utrecht definitely felt old; incredible that it has been preserved through centuries of conflict. After checking in to the hotel we headed back out to take in the area and have some lunch.
We visited the Domkerk Cathedral first.
It is absolutely astounding to think that there has been a building occupying that exact location since 47 A.D.. It was first a Roman fortress before the building of the Cathedral started in 1254. This took over three centuries to totally complete. The gothic Cathedral has stood there since, surviving reformation and war. At one point the Dom Tower was actually part of the original building but the Great storm of 1674, destroyed the nave that once adjoined the two.
The shops occupying the buildings were quaint and had a mixture of local businesses and more popular retail stores.
It is also uncommon to walk past the storefronts without seeing a cafe, with people enjoying their fares at tables, out front.
We ate lunch at Winkel van Sinkel. It is a building that once was the first department store in the Netherlands dating back to 1839. There we enjoyed some food on a wonderful sun-kissed terrace overlooking a canal. Hayley had a seafood salad and I had a croquette sandwich (deep fried meat or fish with cheese on a bun).
After feeling fuelled up, we headed over to take some photos of huis Zoudenbalch.
Huis Zoudenbalch a fortified home for a wealthy family built in 1467. Years after it became an orphanage and now serves as an apartment building. Imagine living in an apartment that old!!
We wandered along the canals for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the lovely weather and the atmosphere.
One noticeable difference from Amsterdam is that there were restaurants occupying the lower levels of the canals. This made for a very cool spot to have a few drinks. We had a late dinner at The Sea Salt Saloon. A local seafood restaurant and retired to our room after a long day.
The next morning we made our way back to the train station to catch a ride to Kastle de Haar.
After a train ride and a connecting bus, we arrived and walked down the long driveway that took us to the castle. It was truly amazing to see such a magnificent structure on a property occupied since 1391. The current structure dates from the early sixteenth century, although it had fallen into disrepair a hundred years later.
While the wealthy Van Zuylen family maintained ownership of the property for the next two hundred years, they did not have have the funds to repair it. That is, until the late nineteenth century, when Baron Etienne Van Zuylen married Hélène de Rothschild, who was the richest woman in all of France at the time.
Not surprisingly, there was now enough money for the Baron to restore the castle to its former glory. And boy, they spared no expense! It was built using what little was left of the original castle,which were a few walls and the base of the tower. After being completed, the castle was used every September to host parties for the family and their friends.
After they played host to famous celebrities, politicians and other people of influence it sat unused the other eleven months. The interior of the castle is stunning and lavish, with only the most expensive decor and furnishings.
It is very obvious that the rich couple and their family continued to use it to impress other rich people right up until 2005.
We then made the commute back to Utrecht.
Dinner was at The Vegitalian, a vegan pizzeria, then enjoyed some fancy cocktails at Behind Bars, a very busy establishment close to our hotel. It was another long day of walking and soaking up the information from years gone by and we were ready for the night’s rest.
The next day was the Tulip Festival at the Kuekenhof Gardens, the event that brought us to the Netherlands.
It felt so good to be travelling again
We were ready to move on to a city we’d never visited before. The thrill that new places can bring is unrivalled to us, and we were excited to find out what Utrecht had to offer.
Research done before visiting a city can almost never give you any indication as to what you can feel there and we were not disappointed.
- For more information on what to do in Utrecht, click here!
- For more information on where to eat and drink in Utrecht, click here!