Utrecht and the surrounding area - Part 3

Places worth a visit

Domtoren:- Historic site

This is the remains of Utrecht' s original 14th-century cathedral; the tower is 112m high, with 50 bells. It' s defiantly worth climbing the 465 step stairway to the top for unbeatable city views. If you happen to visit on a very clear day then you can see all the way to Amsterdam. Visiting is by guided tour only and these depart on the hour. You can get your tickets by buying online or at the tourist office which is just across the square. The cathedral and its tower are probably the city' s most striking medieval landmarks. It took almost 300 years of construction. However in 1674, there were hurricane force winds and they blew down the nave, leaving only the tower, transept and chancel that you can see today.

Domkerk:- Old church

Immediately north of the Domtoren, you will find a row of paving stones that marks what were once the extent of the nave and the position of the columns. Looking back is the Domkerk which is the surviving chancel of the cathedral. When you come back out of the cathedral look for the horizontal metallic plates which show where the limits of the Roman town were.

Behind the church is a charming part of this ecclesiastical area. It is the Kloosterhof which is a monastic garden and peaceful refuge. A recently added new experience of a Domkerk visit is DOMunder. This lets you go underground and view the excavated foundations of the Roman fortress that stood here. If this is something you want to do then you need to special purchase tickets. You pay and sign up for the tours to go to the DOMunder next to the tourist office.

One thing that is not mentioned on most maps is Flora' s Hof Gardens. This is a small garden immediately to the right of the Domtoren entrance. It makes a great place to just have a quiet rest and still be able to observe the tower.

Utrecht University:- Historic site

On the eastern side of Domplein, you will find the ceremonial buildings of Utrecht University. They surround the old church chapterhouse where the Treaty of the Union of Utrecht was signed in 1579. It was this treaty that marked the founding of the Netherlands as a republic.

Centraal Museum

Applied arts are the centre of a wide-ranging collection that also features paintings by artists of the Utrecht School and a bit of De Stijl as well. It is here that you can see the world' s most extensive Gerrit Rietveld collection which will be heaven for all minimalists. There' s plenty to cater for most tastes including a Viking longboat that was dug out of the local mud and a sumptuous 17th-century dollhouse.

Continued in part 4