Why Utrecht?
Few cities are as strongly defined by a single mode of transport as Utrecht. Bicycles are chained to every metal railing or lamppost; cycle lanes swarm with pedal power at all hours of the day. Utrecht is, therefore, a fitting starting point for the 2015 Tour de France. The world’s greatest cyclists will charge around the fourth-largest Dutch city’s streets tomorrow and Sunday, but a population of 330,000 is happy to do so on a daily basis.
On two wheels or on foot, Utrecht is happily manageable. The medieval centre is clearly defined by the canals that encircle it, and the cityscape is one of carefully maintained redbrick prettiness rather than grandiose architectural statements.
A huge student population adds energy to the amiability, while the museum collection veers towards the enjoyably niche rather than lazily falling back on second-tier old paintings.
A comfortable bed
The Mary K (0031 30 230 4888) has let local artists loose to give the rooms a highly individual look. Street-art-style stencil work, 17th-century wooden beams and a dedication to making everything as green as possible make it extra endearing. Rooms cost from €120 (Dh494) per night.
Perhaps even cooler is the Mother Goose (0031 30 303 6300), where furnishings, walls and pretty much everything else follow a different colour scheme on every floor. There's a playful sense of inventiveness throughout. Double rooms cost from €110 (Dh453).
The Mitland (0031 30 271 5824) is inconveniently located on the outskirts of town – you'll need to hire a bike to explore. But it does have a gorgeous park and waterside location, plus child-friendly facilities, such as a pool and bowling alley. Doubles cost from €145 (Dh597).
Find your feet
The Domplein square is the heart of the city, and the 112-metre-tall Domtoren (0031 30 236 0010) is Utrecht's symbol. The climb up to the top is a brute, with 465 seemingly never-ending steps, but it's worth it – and not just for the views for miles around at the top. The first of the chambers looks like a throne room, and the bell chamber is borderline psychedelic.
The Domtoren was once attached to the cathedral, but half of it collapsed in a 17th-century storm. The gap eventually became the Domplein, and much of the rubble – some of it exceptionally detailed – can be explored underneath. The recently opened Domunder (0031 30 233 9999) also uncovers layers of the city's history dating back to the Roman era.
From there, head to the moderately interesting, all-sorts-covering Centraal Museum (00 31 30 236 2362) and the linked Dick Bruna Huis, which covers the weirdly popular rabbit cartoon character Miffy.
Meet the locals
The city walls were done away with in the 19th century, but the space they once took up is now the long, thin Zocherpark. It’s a jogger’s haven, and a cracking place for a stroll, with canal views.
Book a table
For wow factor, Café Olivier (0031 30 236 7876) should be first choice. It's inside an old church – the organ's still there on the upper level – and serves up Belgian classics. The Ghent waterzooi with guinea fowl, vegetables and roseval potato costs €16.50 (Dh68).
But the best of the bunch on Utrecht's commendably globe-trotting food scene is Blauw (0031 30 234 2463). It does Indonesian dishes that smell phenomenal from outside and taste even better once served up. A Padang-style fried cod fillet costs €24.50 (Dh101).
Shopper’s paradise
The area between the hideous central station and the Oudegracht canal has plenty of chain stores, plus the unsightly but functional Hoog Catharijne mall. Head north along Oudegracht for a mix of mid-market chains and Dutch fashion stores, but go south for a far more interesting assortment of galleries, comic book stores, indie jewellers and antiquarian book shops.
What to avoid
The bike is supreme monarch here, and it doesn’t take too kindly to challenges. So be very careful about that pavement you’re stepping on – it may well be a cycle path, and you may be about to get clattered into by cyclists.
Don’t miss
The Rietveld Schroeder House (0031 30 236 2310) is an astonishing piece of De Stijl modern architecture, and is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site as a result. Everything was built with function in mind, with the interior and exterior designed together. The upstairs level, in particular, is astonishing. At first glance, it's all open-plan, but a remarkable collection of sliding and unfolding walls can be used to divide it into bedrooms, a bathroom and a living area. It can be visited by guided tour only, so book ahead.
Getting there
Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam from Dh3,405. Direct trains from the airport to Utrecht cost €9.50 (Dh39) and take about half an hour.
weekend@thenational.ae
