Utrecht, Netherlands

Utrecht is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands. It is an historical city dating back to 47 AD with many buildings and stsructures from the Early Middle Ages. Utrecht is also known as a student city with a large population of single young people. This results in a booming nightlife with many places to have a quick meal, some drinks or a dance.

Utrecht is famous for the Dom Tower of Utrecht, belonging to the former cathedral (Dom Church).The city has a minor skyline, dominated by the Dom tower. Another landmark are the old centre and the canal structure in the inner city. The Oudegracht is a curved canal, due to its origins as an arm of the Rhine. It is lined with the unique wharf-basement structures that create a two level street along the canals.The inner city has largely retained its Medieval structure, and the moat ringing the old town is largely intact.

Things to See & Do

* Dom Church
* Oudegracht - canal going through heart of the city
* City Hall
* Domtoren - highest church tower in the Netherlands
* The Vismarkt - fishmarket

General Information

Cruise Season - March - Nov
Currency - Euro (€) (EUR)
Language - Dutch
Population - 312,650 approx
Land Area - 95.67 km2
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - +31

Travel Links - Utrecht Centraal Station forms the hub of the Dutch rail network, and is easily accessible directly, or with one change of train, from almost every station in the Netherlands.

The bus station is located next to the train station. International buses depart from the western side of the train station ('Jaarbeurszijde'), while the regional and city buses depart from separate stations on the east side of the train station. The reqional buses are much slower than the trains.