Utrecht

We did a little day trip down to Utrecht last weekend. It’s the fourth largest city in Holland and one of the few that was founded by the Romans back in the first century AD. Our only impressions of the place prior to this visit were from a distance as we sat in the atrocious traffic jams that always seem to plague the area around the city. Unfortunately, Utrecht lies at the apex of four major highways, all of which seem to be under constant construction and must be used if you want to get down to the Ardennes Mountains - a favorite weekend playground of ours.

This time we took the train, which made for a relaxing trip. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised with Utrecht. It has a very young and energetic vibe to it. Probably due to the large university that is situated there, but apparently it’s also the hub of the Dutch film industry and we were surprised to see that it was also loaded with theaters and acting schools.

We had a lot of fun exploring the city and after we saw our third Greek restaurant, we figured that it was a local specialty and decided to stop for lunch. A great choice for an outstanding, and authentic Greek meal.

But there are two things that Utrecht is really famous for- the sunken Oudegracht canal, lined with restaurants and shops, and the massive Domtoren. After our experience with the tall tower in Delft, we decided not to climb the Domtoren, but we certainly enjoyed the way that it constantly dominated our views of the city.