A Day Trip: Utrecht

There are many reasons what makes Amsterdam a great place to be and one of them is the great train connections it has.

If you get bitten by travel bug yet lack time or money, a day (or weekend) trip to one of the neighbouring cities is always a considerable option.

This is how I planned a day trip to Utrecht myself on a lazy Sunday. It takes only 30 minutes to get there from Centraal Station. Going there on a Sunday was a rookie mistake because almost all of the shops were closed. But the weather was sunny (despite the cold) so could there be a better place to stroll around?

Utrecht is like  a smaller and older version of Amsterdam minus big tourist groups and crazy cyclists.

You are welcomed by a big city map and free WiFi after you get off from Utrecht Central Station. This is a good point to check which direction to go and decide on your route.

I decided to start with the Dom Tower which was very easy to find as it is the tallest church tower of the Netherlands. There you will also find Utrecht University, one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. Just go a bit further, and you will end up in Flora’s Hof, colourful and extremely peaceful.

Beautiful weather comes with fresh air and birds chirping all around. I took a long walk along Kromme Rijn, appreciating every tiny bits of peace Mother Nature offered me that day.

I discovered KEEK (Kunst En Eerlijke Koffie, located on Wijnstraat which dates back to 13th century) and made a quick stop here to get lunch. KEEK is a cozy place serving organic food and amazing coffee. I tried farmer’s lunch followed by their brownie with cream cheese and coffee. Everything was fresh and extremely delicious, and have my full recommendation.

After this short break, I continued my tour and took hundreds of pictures.

I did not mind shops being closed until I arrived to Blunder. I DO LOVE spending time snuggling with books and comics and buying myself souvenirs. And it was very, very devastating missing this chance in Utrecht.

I decided to end my trip slowly, as the sunshine was beaten by the autumn cold. I said goodbye to each and every autumn leaf I saw on the way, filled my lungs with fresh air while waving to canals, had a farewell beer at Stairway to Heaven and took the train back to my second home, Amsterdam.