"She is a university town, very cheerful and lively" says Sara, a young Italian who moved to Utrecht to do a PhD in Communication
Utrecht is the ideal destination for a special weekend. Half an hour by train from Amsterdam airport, a splendid historic city enclosed by canals, easy to get around on foot or by bike due to its small size and very lively for the large number of students who bring joy and life.
Would you recommend Utrecht as a destination to reach for a weekend, Sara?
In Utrecht, Sara says, “often what you see is not what it seems”.
The Dutch are a very pragmatic people. So if something is no longer needed, they have no qualms about eliminating or transforming it. Going around the city we can see numerous examples.
There are churches that have become local, like the famous one Cafe Olivier (Achter Clarenburg 6a). Churches transformed into homes, such as the Martin's Church on the Oudegracht.
In ancient times there were numerous convents. Three of these have become respectively: the De Rechtbank restaurant (Korte Niewstraat 14), the only 5-star hotel in the city, the Karel V (Geertebolwerk 1), and a museum complex, the Catharijneconvent (Lange Newstraat 38).
What are the must-see places in Utrecht?
There are three places not to be missed. The first is the Museum Speelklok (steenweg) in the Buurkerk, the oldest church in Utrecht. It houses the mechanical instruments, so fashionable from the XNUMXth century until the advent of the gramophone. On display are musical boxes, clocks, accordions, up to the great Orchestrions, real mechanical orchestras that played in fairs and dance halls.
The second is the Railway Museum (Maliebaanstation), a splendid collection of vehicles and materials housed in a historic station.
The third place is there St. Willibrord Catholic Church (Minrebroederstraat 21), the most decorated in Holland, a neo-Gothic masterpiece of 900th century architecture.
Light is the protagonist of Utrech
For some years now, Sara says, the Trajectum Lumen. A Latin name that combines the Roman origin of the city, Trajectum (hence Utrech) with light.
It is an itinerary in the historic center with light installations, which enhance churches, bridges, tunnels, canals. In some places there may be only one point of light. Elsewhere a play of colors.
A curiosity. The last official act of Queen Beatrix before abdicating her son Wilhelm Alexander in 2013 was the inauguration of a place of the Trajectum Lumen.
There is a whole path along the different stations. Just follow the orange arrows on the ground. A blue eye indicates things to see.
“This is the itinerary that I recommend you to follow if you intend to spend a weekend in this wonderful city” - says Sara. "I love Italy. I love our country. But now my life is here. Like other students, I decided to emigrate from Italy to find a job ”.
http://Visit-utrecht.com
