Dom Tower

Museum Quarter

Canal Cruises

Almshouses
Fortresses of the Dutch Waterline

Dom Tower

Utrecht's most visible landmark and its symbol, the Dom Tower is over 600 years old, and stands on the spot where the city was founded, over 2000 years ago. Visitors are welcome to climb all 465 steps to the top of the tower for the magnificent view - but in summer, it's best to make an appointment first.

Museum Quarter

Tightly clustered in the historic centre of Utrecht are a number of the city's most popular museums: The National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ, Museum Catharijne Convent, the Netherlands Railway Museum, the University Museum/Hortus Botanicus, Central Museum, Sonnenborgh Observatory and the Aboriginal Art Museum. There are also historic houses, stores, galleries, restaurants and other attractions here - you could easily spend a week just exploring this quarter alone.

Canal Cruises

Much like Amsterdam, a cruise along the canals of Utrecht is a scenic way to see the city. The tours are a popular draw for foreign visitors, and there's also an option of taking a water-bike along the waters - more work maybe, but you can also get off whenever you want to and have a snack in one of the quayside cafes.

Almshouses

These lovely heritage-listed houses were built by the wealthy during the 14th century, to be used by the poor during their old age. Though that requirement no longer holds, most of the houses are still occupied; the houses themselves are well-preserved examples of the architecture of the period. They are also notable for differing from the almshouses of other cities, in that they are rows of terrace houses rather than built around a central courtyard.

Fortresses of the Dutch Waterline

The Dutch Waterline was a strip of land that, when flood, acted as a defense line. 46 fortresses were built to guard it, and almost 1000 hydraulics works were constructed to control the waters. This is the place in the world where such extensive defensive measures were built. Nowadays, since the area has no practical defensive use, it has become better known for the beauty of the area, and for the fortresses themselves, some of which are open to visitors.