Utrecht is a city and municipality in the Netherlands and the capital
of the province of Utrecht. With 368,024 inhabitants on 31 January 2023,
Utrecht is the fourth-largest municipality in the Netherlands in terms
of population. These inhabitants are divided over four residential
areas, namely Utrecht with 308,965, Haarzuilens with 555, Vleuten with
27,810 and De Meern with 21,815 inhabitants. As of January 1, 2019, the
agglomeration of Utrecht had 712,700 inhabitants. In 2021, Utrecht was
the fastest growing city in the Netherlands.
Utrecht is one of
the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It originated as a Roman
fortification on the Limes. In the seventh century a church was built on
the spot where this fort was located and in the following centuries
larger churches arose here. From there, large parts of the present-day
Netherlands were Christianized. In 1122, Utrecht was one of the first
cities in what is now the Netherlands to receive city rights. Thanks to
its location on the river Rhine, Utrecht grew into one of the most
important trading cities in Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. With
the emergence of the county of Holland, this trade moved there and
Utrecht became less important, although Utrecht remained the largest
city in the Northern Netherlands until the beginning of the 16th
century. In the year 1808, Utrecht was briefly the capital of the
Kingdom of Holland. At the time of the industrial revolution, Utrecht
was the center of the national steel and railway industry.
Utrecht is currently the second largest economy in the northern wing of
the Randstad, after Amsterdam. The Utrecht region is one of the most
competitive economic regions in Europe. The city is the road and rail
hub of the Netherlands. With a throughput of more than 57 million
passengers per year, Utrecht Central Station is the largest station in
the Netherlands. Partly for this reason, many companies and authorities
have their headquarters there, including bol.com, NS, Prorail,
Jaarbeurs, Rabobank, De Volksbank, DHL, Capgemini, ASR Nederland,
Aalberts and trade union FNV. In addition, a number of agencies and ZBOs
are located in the city, such as the Social Affairs and Employment
Inspectorate, the Education Inspectorate, the Health and Youth Care
Inspectorate, the Medicines Evaluation Board and the Dutch Healthcare
Authority. The Board for Human Rights, the Central Appeals Board and the
Public Prosecutor's Office CVOM also have their headquarters there.
In addition to Utrecht University, Utrecht also houses the
Hogeschool Utrecht, the University of Humanistics and the Utrecht School
of the Arts. There are approximately 67,000 students in total, of which
more than 33,000 live in the city. Utrecht is therefore known as a
student city.
Utrecht is the headquarters of the Catholic Church
in the Netherlands and of the Archdiocese of Utrecht. At 112.5 meters,
the Domtoren is the highest church tower in the Netherlands and the
symbol of the city. Utrecht also has a rich art tradition, the most
famous exponents of which are the painters of the Utrecht School (Jan
van Scorel and Roelant Savery, among others), and 20th-century artists
such as Gerrit Rietveld, Theo van Doesburg and Dick Bruna.
The municipality of Utrecht is surrounded by the
municipalities of De Bilt, Stichtse Vecht, Woerden, Montfoort,
IJsselstein, Nieuwegein, Houten, Bunnik and Zeist. The Utrecht
agglomeration (contiguous urban area) had 493,667 inhabitants on 1
January 2015 (source: CBS). The urban region of Utrecht (the former
BRU) had 660,873 inhabitants on that date.
Utrecht is the
most centrally located of the four largest Dutch cities. Within this
municipality, the important north-south running A2 and west-east
running A12 intersect. Other motorways that run through Utrecht and
start here respectively are the A27 and A28. Utrecht Central Station
is the largest railway hub in the Netherlands in terms of the number
of departing trains. The Amsterdam-Rhine Canal also runs through
this city, where inland vessels are busy.
Utrecht, together
with the three largest cities in the Netherlands and a number of
medium-sized cities, is part of the Randstad. Partly because of
this, Utrecht owes its favorable economic position.
Utrecht
was one of the first cities in the present-day Netherlands with city
rights, namely since 1122. The street plan of the current Utrecht
city center was created in the Middle Ages. Many houses here are
also of medieval origin, although in later times the majority of
them have been changed in layout and / or appearance. Yet many
monumental buildings have been well preserved. This applies in
particular to eight medieval churches, of which the Dom is the
largest and best known. The more than 112 meter high Dom Tower, from
which Utrecht derives its nickname Dom City, is the highest church
tower in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the low-lying yards along the
water of the Oudegracht and Nieuwegracht are special.
The
city of Utrecht has a long and in some periods turbulent history.
This dates back to Roman times at the beginning of our era, when the
Roman armies built their castellum. In the seventh century, a small
church was built on the site of the castellum. In the following
centuries, larger churches arose here. From there, large parts of
the present-day Netherlands were Christianized. In the 13th and 14th
centuries, Utrecht, situated on the river Rhine, was one of the most
important trading cities in Europe. With the rise of the County of
Holland, this trade moved there and Utrecht became less important,
although Utrecht remained the largest city in the Netherlands until
the early 16th century. After that, Utrecht gradually dropped to
fourth place in the ranking of the largest Dutch cities. In the year
1808, Utrecht was the capital of the Kingdom of Holland for a short
period. From the 20th century, Utrecht experienced a new period of
prosperity, now mainly due to its central location in the
Netherlands.
The average age of the Utrecht population is
relatively low due to the many students here. The best known and
largest educational institutions are Utrecht University and
Hogeschool Utrecht. Well-known Utrecht companies are NS, ProRail,
Rabobank, De Volksbank, ASR, SHV, Jaarbeurs Utrecht and Douwe
Egberts.
The two largest denominations in the Netherlands,
namely the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church, as well
as the Old Catholic Church and the Remonstrant Brotherhood, have
their seat and / or head office in Utrecht. The Federation of the
Dutch Trade Union Movement (FNV) and the Christelijk Nationaal
Vakverbond (CNV) also have their headquarters in Utrecht.
The municipality of Utrecht
distinguishes ten districts administratively. These can be compared
with districts in other cities. The Utrecht neighborhoods are
divided into sub-neighborhoods and these in turn into neighborhoods.
Each neighborhood has a neighborhood office or a neighborhood
service center. The Vleuten-De Meern district also has a branch of
the Burgerzaken department of the municipality of Utrecht.
Each district has a district council committee, composed of city
councilors or their deputies, and each district also has a separate
district councilor. In addition, a neighborhood council has existed
since 2002, which has an advisory role and consists of residents of
the relevant neighborhood. The Utrecht neighborhoods (district
division since 2001) are:
Figures as of 1 January 2019 :. Total:
352,941 (100%)
01: City center 18,989 inhabitants (5.38%)
02: East 32,529 inhabitants (9.22%)
03: Leidsche Rijn 38,859
inhabitants (11.0%)
04: West 29,421 inhabitants (8.34%)
05:
Overfight 34,293 inhabitants (9.72%)
06: South 27,772 inhabitants
(7.87%)
07: Northeast 39,282 inhabitants (11.1%)
08: Southwest
38,428 inhabitants (10.9%)
09: Northwest 44,579 inhabitants
(12.6%)
10: Vleuten-De Meern 48,789 inhabitants (13.8%)
Utrecht has a historic center, which is completely surrounded by a canal. The Oudegracht and Nieuwegracht run from south to north, which are unique because of the yards, low quays on which the wharf cellars of the houses on the canal end. After Amsterdam and Maastricht, Utrecht has the largest number of national monuments of all cities in the Netherlands. In 2009, the municipality of Utrecht has more than 1400 national monuments, more than 1600 municipal monuments, 4 archaeological monuments and 5 protected city / village views: Utrecht, Utrecht East, Utrecht - Zuilen-Elinkwijk, Blauwkapel and Haarzuilens. The Rietveld Schröder House is included on the World Heritage List.
Utrecht has many churches, chapels and other religious
buildings. The lists below are limited to national monuments and a
small selection of municipal monuments and other buildings. The
order in these lists is from old to young.
Churches and
chapels in the city center
Pieterskerk, dedicated to the Apostle
Peter, completed in 1048 in a Romanesque collegiate church with
two-tower front, founded by Bishop Bernold. He would have planned to
build a church cross in Utrecht. The Pieterskerk is said to
represent the head of the cross. However, the church cross theory
has not been proven. The Romanesque parts of the church, namely the
nave, the left side chapel of the choir and the crypt under the
choir, are very well preserved. The other parts of the church are
built in Gothic style. The infamous storm of August 1, 1674 caused
so much damage that it was decided to demolish the collapsed towers
and the bay between the ship. The church is now owned and used by
the Église Wallonne d'Utrecht.
Janskerk, dedicated to John the
Baptist, as well as the Pieterskerk founded by Bishop Bernold, but
built a little later. The Janskerk was also a collegiate church with
two towers. According to the church cross theory, the St. John's
Church represents the left arm of the cross. This church was
slightly smaller than the Pieterskerk, but the two churches are
built in an almost identical Romanesque style. During the
construction, however, the west side was changed and soon afterwards
the north tower was demolished. City fires in the 12th and 13th
centuries resulted in the ship's round columns being converted into
square pillars and the crypt being demolished. In the 16th century,
the Romanesque choir with side chapels was replaced by a larger and
much higher Gothic choir with Gothic side chapels. It was planned to
enlarge the remaining parts of the church in Gothic style, but this
plan was not implemented in connection with the Reformation. In 1682
the remaining tower was demolished and a new west facade built. The
Janskerk is now owned by the Protestant Municipality of Utrecht. The
congregation that holds worship services here mainly consists of
(former) students.
Dom, dedicated to Saint Martin, Gothic cathedral built between
1254 and 1517. This church replaced a Romanesque cathedral, which
Bishop Adelbold decided in 1015 to build. The history of the
churches on today's Domplein goes back to the introduction of
Christianity in the northern Netherlands. From the 7th century,
Utrecht was the center from which the Netherlands north of the major
rivers was Christianized. This vast area came under the diocese of
Utrecht. Immediately next to St. Martin's Church was the Oudmunster
or St. Salvator's Church. The two churches initially disagreed as to
which of the two could call itself the seat of the bishop. St.
Martin's Church eventually won this battle and was given the status
of cathedral or cathedral. According to the theory of the church
cross (see above), the Dom stood in the heart of the cross and the
Saint Salvator Church represented the right arm. The collegiate
church to the west of the Dom, the Saint Marie, would be the foot
end. The Dom Tower was built in the period 1321 to 1382. Its design
was revolutionary at that time due to the lack of buttresses on the
outside. With its height of 112 m, this church tower is the largest
and highest in the Netherlands. The oldest parts of the church are
modeled on Gothic cathedrals in Northern France. In this respect
too, this church is unique for the Netherlands. The transept was
built later than the choir, namely mainly between 1444 and 1475. The
construction of the nave started in 1484. Due to a lack of
sufficient resources, this was not completed. In 1517 the project
was discontinued. The tornado of August 1, 1674 (see at Pieterskerk)
blew over the 42 m high nave. The transept, choir and part of the
nave's southern aisles, together forming about half of the original
church, remained intact. In 1580 the church came into the hands of
the Protestants. The Protestant Municipality of Utrecht now owns the
church. The tower with the 13 bells and the carillon is owned by the
municipality of Utrecht. The adjoining cloister with pandhof is also
part of the Dom. The chapter house is now used as a university
auditorium. The Utrecht Dom attracts many tourists. In 2017, more
than 433,000 visitors entered the church.
Neighboring church,
dedicated to Saint Mary, five-aisled Gothic hall church with a 55 m
high tower. 'Neighbor' should be read as 'citizen'. The Buurkerk was
a parish church, intended for the bourgeoisie, in contrast to the
collegiate churches, where worship was maintained by canons. The
current Buurkerk largely dates from the 14th to 16th century, but
its oldest predecessor was founded in the 10th century, making the
Buurkerk parish the oldest of the four medieval Utrecht parishes. In
1580 the church fell into Protestant hands. This lasted until 1975,
when the district municipalities of the Domkerk and the Buurkerk
merged. The Speelklok Museum has been housed in the Buurkerk since
1984. In terms of surface area, approximately 2500 m², this church
is the largest in Utrecht.
Nicolai Church, dedicated to Saint
Nicholas and also called Klaaskerk by Utrecht residents, parish
church of which the Romanesque western front with two towers dates
from the 12th century. In later centuries this church was converted
into a Gothic hall church. This church is special for its organ
history and possessions. Until the end of the 19th century, an organ
from the Renaissance period stood here, one of the oldest playable
organs in the world. An organ by Witte replaced it. In 1956 this
organ was replaced by a modern organ, which became famous at home
and abroad, built by the Danish firm Marcussen och Son. A smaller,
slightly older organ in this church, the Sweelink organ, is also
from this firm. The Nicolaïkerk is owned and used by the Protestant
Municipality of Utrecht.
Jacobi Church, dedicated to the Apostle James the Greater, gothic
hall church from the 13th to 15th century. This church is located in
the Utrecht neighborhood district C and because the population in
this area grew rapidly, the church was enlarged several times, first
to the east, until the church almost touched the houses on the
Oudegracht, and then to the west, so that the tower in the church.
The tornado of August 1, 1674 broke off the slender, high spire. In
1953 the bourgeoisie gave the church a new spire, which is less high
and vulnerable than the previous one. Nevertheless, with a height of
63 m, this Jacobi tower is the second highest church tower in
Utrecht. In 1580 the church came into use by the Protestants. The
first pastors in this church were much less strict than most of
their colleagues. They managed to get the city council to adopt a
more tolerant attitude towards religious minorities. The church is
now owned and used by the Protestant Municipality of Utrecht. The
interior of the Jacobikerk is a fine example of a 17th-century
Protestant Dutch church interior.
Geertekerk, dedicated to
Geertruida van Nivelles, youngest and smallest of the four medieval
parish churches in Utrecht. The first Geertekerk, a simple
rectangular hall church, was built in the 12th century just outside
the then city. In the 13th century this church was demolished and
moved to its current location just inside the city walls. In the
14th and 15th centuries, the Geertekerk was provided with a tower
and enlarged. In the 1930s the church fell to ruin after being
abandoned by the reformed congregation. The Remonstrant municipality
of Utrecht saved this church from demolition in the 1950s. She
bought the ruin and rebuilt the church. In 1956 the Remonstrants
moved from their former church on the Kromme Nieuwe Gracht to the
Geertekerk.
Catharijnekerk, originally a monastery church
dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria, built in the 16th century in
late Gothic style. After the restoration of the episcopal hierarchy
in 1853, this church was designated as the cathedral of the
Archdiocese of Utrecht. In 1900 the church was enlarged by one bay
to the west and it was given a bell tower in late Gothic style.
St. Gertrudiskapel, one of the best-preserved Roman Catholic secret
churches in the Netherlands. This was converted into a medieval
house in the 17th century. The predecessor of this hidden church was
the Geertekerk (see above), which was assigned to the Protestants by
the government in 1580. The hidden church is now connected to the
old Catholic St. Gertrudis Cathedral via an intermediate space (see
below).
Lutheran Church, largely the chapel of the former St.
Ursula Monastery, founded by Abraham Dole in 1421. The Lutherans
initially met in a hidden church, but in 1745 they bought two houses
on Hamburgerstraat, demolished them and built a new part of their
church on the same site, connecting with the medieval chapel. The
interior of this chapel was adapted to that of the new extension. A
striking feature of this church is the crowning of the façade in
Louis XIV style.
Chapel of the Agnietenklooster, with nunnery,
built between 1512 and 1516. Since 1921, this chapel has been part
of the Centraal Museum.
Mennonite Church, hall church built in
1773, designed by Willem de Haan. The stylish, spacious entrance
with top floor is striking.
Saint Augustine Church, Waterstaat
Church designed by Karel George Zocher and completed in 1840. At the
front is a temple facade with high columns in neo-classical style.
Apart from the hidden churches, the Augustinuskerk was the first
Roman Catholic church in Utrecht built after the Reformation.
Saint Willibrord Church, very high neo-Gothic church, designed by
Alfred Tepe, completed in 1877. The rich and colorful interior was
created by members of the St. Bernulphus Guild. For a long time no
or only occasional services were held in this Roman Catholic Church.
In 2016, the Fraternity of Saint Pius X inaugurated the church and
holy masses are celebrated regularly. After the Dom, this church is
the most visited by tourists in the city of Utrecht.
St.
Gertrudis Cathedral, built in the neo-Romanesque style and completed
in 1914, an old Catholic cathedral. Next to this church is the
former Roman Catholic secret church of St. Gertrudis. When the Roman
Catholic Church was torn in 1723 and the Old Catholic Church was
created, this hidden church fell into the hands of the Old
Catholics.
Synagogue on Springweg, built in 1926 to a design by
Harry Elte. This former Jewish place of worship has a particularly
rich interior in Art Deco style.
Friars Minor Monastery, built by the Franciscans
in the 13th century. The current building of the Faculty of Law of
Utrecht University, located at Janskerkhof, remains from this
monastery. However, it has changed significantly over the centuries.
Regular Monastery, built in the 13th century, but rebuilt inside and
out many times after the monastery was closed. It served as the
Tivoli music venue for several decades, until it moved to the new
music center TivoliVredenburg. The company of pop musician Colin
Benders has been located in this former monastery since 2014.
German House, built around 1350 by the Teutonic Knights, a spiritual
knighthood that originated at the time of the Crusades. The church
of the monastery collapsed during the storm of August 1, 1674. The
other buildings have been preserved. The main building served as a
military hospital for a long time. Today Hotel Karel V is housed in
the buildings of the German House.
Catharijneconvent, built in
the Middle Ages by the Carmelites, at the time of Emperor Charles V
taken into use by the Johns, who had to leave their monastery at the
Catharijnepoort for the construction of the Vredenburg. 'Catharijne'
refers to Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of the Johns.
'Catharijneconvent' is therefore the name that the St Johns gave to
the existing monastery. The same goes for the monastery church, the
Catharijne church. The Catharijneconvent Museum is now housed in
this well-preserved monastery.
Saint Nicholas Monastery, built
around 1407. The late medieval building is particularly interesting
because of the gallery on pointed arches in the courtyard.
Carthusian Monastery Nieuw Licht on the Laan van Chartroise, built
in the 15th to 18th century. Only a gatehouse and a farm have been
preserved.
Agnietenklooster, built in 1421. In 1921 the building
was expanded with new wings for the Centraal Museum, which moved
into it. The monastery chapel is part of the museum building.
Genezzano Monastery of the Augustinian Sisters of Saint Monica on
the Waterstraat. This monastic community was founded in 1934 with
the assignment to work in the immediate vicinity, Wijk C. In the
second half of the 20th century, the monastery called itself Girls
City, because it focused on the care of homeless and threatened
girls and women. The current monastery building on the corner of
Oudegracht and Waterstraat dates from 1997.
Old St. Willibrord Church (Vleuten),
originally a three-aisled Gothic church, built around 1300. In 1580
this church was assigned to the Protestants, after which the choir
was demolished. In 1831 the church was further reduced by the
demolition of the two westernmost bays. In 1971, it was rebuilt to
its original size with restoration of the Gothic windows, but
without any further reconstruction of the medieval church. Only the
tower and the parts of the aisles to the left and right of the tower
are medieval. This church has a valuable organ built by Gideon
Thomas Bätz in 1809.
Chapel of Kasteel de Haar, probably
dedicated to Saint Steven, founded before 1420 as a daughter chapel
of the parish church in Kockengen. This chapel functioned for
centuries as the church of the village of De Haar, which was then
next to the castle. In the 17th century the castle and chapel began
to deteriorate. At the end of the 19th century, Baron Étienne van
Zuylen van Nyevelt van de Haar commissioned architect Pierre Cuypers
to rebuild the castle, chapel and outbuildings. In 1896, the chapel
was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style while retaining the medieval ground
plan, parts of the tower and some wall remains. The chapel located
on the castle grounds is not freely accessible.
Lebuïnuskerk
(Blauwkapel), the smallest gothic cross church in the Netherlands,
built in 1451.
Church of Our Lady of Heaven (Oudenrijn), one of
the oldest neo-Gothic churches in the Netherlands, built between
1857 and 1860. In 1940 the parishioners moved to their new church in
De Meern. The abandoned church was converted into a factory and
radically renovated. However, the special neo-Gothic roof
construction has been preserved. This former church is now in use as
a cultural breeding ground with the name Metal Cathedral.
Sint-Willibrordkerk (Vleuten), neo-Gothic church, designed by
Nicolaas Molenaar sr., Completed in 1885.
Former hall church
(Alendorp), built in 1896 for the recently established Reformed
Church of Vleuten and De Meern.
Saint Anthony of Padua Church
(Lombok), designed by the architects Jan Stuyt and Joseph Cuypers in
a neo-Romanesque style. The church building was completed in 1903,
the tower in 1924. This tower was built after the example of Italian
bell towers: narrow and somewhat detached from the church.
Nieuwe Kerk (Wittevrouwen), built in neo-Romanesque style in
1910, designed by architect Christiaan Posthumus Meyjes Sr .. The
Nieuwe Kerk was the first church in Utrecht to be built as a Dutch
Reformed church.
Marekerk (De Meern), built in 1913 in Art
Nouveau style as a Dutch Reformed church. This church replaced a
medieval chapel at the same place at the Meern Bridge, where the
village of De Meern originated.
R.K. Sint-Gertrudiskerk
(Rivierenwijk), designed by architect Wolter te Riele, completed in
1924. Utrecht has four churches dedicated to Sint-Geertruida van
Nivelles. The oldest is the medieval Geertekerk. After the
Reformation, this church came into the hands of the Protestants and
the Roman Catholic parishioners moved to their secret church, which
of course was also dedicated to Saint Gertrude (in Latin:
Gertrudis). In 1914, the old Catholic St. Gertrudis Cathedral was
built next to this hidden church. The youngest church dedicated to
Sint-Geertruida is the one in Rivierenwijk.
Sint Aloysiuskerk
(Schildersbuurt), large church in hexagonal shape with a high dome,
completed in 1924. The architect was Hendrik Willem Valk. This
church houses many valuable objects of visual art and an organ by
Abraham Meere from 1810.
Wilhelminakerk (Schildersbuurt), built
in 1931 in the style of the Amsterdam School.
Mariakerk (De
Meern), Roman Catholic church built in 1940 in the style of the
Delft School. The architect was Hendrik Christiaan van de Leur.
Sint-Dominicuskerk (Oog in Al), neo-Romanesque church in the style
of the Bossche School built in 1951.
Ulu Mosque (Lombok), a
mosque built in the period 2008 to 2015 at the head of Lombok with
two 44 m high minarets. The affairs within this mosque are under the
authority of the Turkish government.
Islamic Cultural Center
Leidsche Rijn (De Meern), mosque and cultural center opened in 2016.
The mosque board consists of members from the Moroccan community.
In the city center there are many
buildings with a history that goes back to the Middle Ages.
Well-known are the Utrecht city castles, stone houses of wealthy or
noble families, which were mainly located within the medieval
trading district of Stathe. In later periods, representative
buildings were built in many more places throughout the city. The
list below shows eye-catching buildings, ranging from old to young.
Oudaen, Oudegracht 99, a fortified house from around 1280. In
the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Utrecht had many of these
castle-like houses of wealthy patricians. Less well-preserved
include Drakenburg (Oudegracht 114), Kranestein (Oudegracht 55),
Fresenburch (Oudegracht 113) and Blankenburg (Oudegracht 121).
House Zoudenbalch in the Donkerstraat from 1467-1468 in late Gothic
style, with a striking natural stone facade, which was restored in
1903 after a fire.
Bartholomeïgasthuis on the Lange Smeestraat,
from 1367, consisting of a wing on the street with a chapel standing
at right angles to it.
Sint Eloyen Gasthuis, Boterstraat 22.
Since 1440, the house of the blacksmiths guild of Sint-Eloy has been
located here. The house is only open to visitors on National
Heritage Day (second Saturday in September). The entrance door /
gate dates back to 1644.
Paushuize from 1517, built by order of
Pope Adrian VI from Utrecht, who never lived in it. It is a late
Gothic building with typical stone and brick layers of "bacon".
Sonnenborgh and Manenborgh, two strongholds, remains of the city
fortifications from around 1550. Sonnenborgh is now in use as an
observatory.
Leeuwenbergh Gasthuis, a two-aisled hall, built in
1567 as a pest house, later used as a church. The gate building on
the city wall has disappeared.
Grote Vleeshuis on the Voorstraat,
built in 1637, possibly after a design by the painter Paulus
Moreelse.
Statenkamer, the former refectory of the Friary Minor
Monastery at the Janskerkhof with a gate from 1643. Now part of
Utrecht University.
De Krakeling, Achter Sint-Pieter, house from
1663 with striking ornaments and a special door. Built for Everard
Meyster, known for the Amersfoortse Kei.
Foundation of Renswoude
from 1757 by Joan Verkerk in rococo style. Originally an institution
that educated gifted orphans. Most of the sumptuous interior has
been preserved in its original state.
Shop van Sinkel on the
Oudegracht from 1839, designed by P. Adams in neoclassical style.
One of the first department stores in the Netherlands, striking
because of the four caryatids in the front facade.
City Hall of Utrecht on the Stadhuisbrug on the Oudegracht, with
a heavy neoclassical facade of natural stone from 1826-1847.
Building for Arts and Sciences at the Mariaplaats, built on the site
of the demolished Maria Church in 1844. Clara Schumann and Johannes
Brahms performed here. Currently conservatory.
Main building I of
the Dutch Railways from 1870.
Main Building II of the Dutch
Railways from 1893-1895 in neo-Renaissance style by architect J.F.
Riveter.
Ooglijdersgasthuis from 1894, at the F.C. Dondersstraat.
Designed by architect D. Kruijf. From 1894-1989 housed the
Nederlandsch Gasthuis for Needy and Disadvantaged Ooglijders. From
1990-2015 this was a location of the Hogeschool Utrecht.
Academy
building on Domplein in neo-Renaissance style, designed by E.H.
Gugel and Ferdinand Jacob Nieuwenhuis.
Pharmacy on Voorstraat 6,
the best preserved example of Art Nouveau in Utrecht, built in 1904
after a design by R. Rijksen Gzn.
PhRM at Janskerkhof 14, society
of the Utrechtsch Studenten Corps, built in 1901 and designed by
A.H. Zinsmeister.
Former Main Post Office on the Neude from 1918
by J. Crouwel in the style of the Amsterdam School. The hall with
its curved span is striking.
De Inktpot, the old Main Building
III of the Dutch Railways, a large brick building from 1918-1921,
designed by G.W. from Heukelom. ProRail has been located in the
building since 2003.
The world famous Rietveld Schröder House
from 1924, designed by Gerrit Rietveld. It is an example of De Stijl
architecture and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since
2000.
Police station Tolsteeg on the Tolsteegbrug, a building
from 1926 in the style of the Amsterdam School. Now film house
'Louis Hartlooper Complex'.
The Forts near Utrecht as part of the
New Dutch Waterline, which has been on the Dutch Provisional List
for World Heritage by UNESCO since 1995.
Several buildings on
University grounds De Uithof are architecturally worth mentioning.
Examples include Rem Koolhaas 'Educatorium, Wiel Arets University
Library, Willem Jan Neutelings' Minnaert Building and Köther-Salman
Architekten's De Bisschoppen.
Orphanage gate on the
Springweg, built at the beginning of the seventeenth century using
older elements
Hofpoort on the west side of the Nieuwegracht
between Pausdam and Paulusbrug, a bluestone gate with Doric half
columns (third quarter of the 16th century and c. 1620)
Gate of
the Bisschopshof on the Servetstraat (1634)
Beyers rooms at the Lange Nieuwstraat / Agnietenstraat
(1597-1650)
Brunts at Lepelenburg (1621)
Chambers Maria van
Pallaes at Agnietenstraat (1651)
Rijn en Zon, a
flour mill in the Vogelenbuurt.
De Ster, a sawmill in the Lombok
district.
St. Salvator's Church, located
next to the Dom. Demolished in 1587. The Dom had come into the hands
of the Protestants and apparently there was no need for a second
church on the same site.
Vredenburg Castle, the hated stronghold
of Emperor Charles V, was demolished by the Utrecht population in
the years 1577 to 1581.
Paul's Abbey, built on the initiative of
Bishop Bernold. The oldest parts, including the abbey church in the
same Romanesque style as the Pieterskerk and the Janskerk, were
built in 1050. Paul's Abbey gradually disappeared after the
Reformation. In the Hofpoort (dead-end side alley of the
Nieuwegracht) one arrives at the rear of the former courthouse, in
which a piece of wall from the abbey church from 1050 has been
incorporated.
The Mariakerk, collegiate church built in the 11th
and 12th century, as well as the two slightly older collegiate
churches, the Pieterskerk and the Janskerk, in Romanesque style.
However, the architecture of this church was clearly different from
that of the Pieters and Janskerk. Italian (Lombard) influences are
clearly discernible, as can be seen from the well-known painting by
Pieter Saenredam, which shows the wide western front with the towers
of the Dom and the Buurkerk in the background. Mary's Church fell
into disrepair when no more church services were held. In 1813 it
was largely demolished. Only the choir of the church remained in use
as a concert hall until 1844, when this too was demolished to make
way for the Building for Arts and Sciences. The only thing that has
been preserved of this church is a part of the cloister, which can
be seen and entered from the Mariaplaats.
Lofen Palace, in 1040 Emperor Henry III had this palace built, it
stood between the current Domplein and the Oudegracht.
The De
Utrecht building of the insurance company of the same name, an
example of Jugendstil architecture. The building was designed by J.
Verheul and was completed in 1902. In 1974 it was demolished for the
construction of the Hoog-Catharijne shopping center. Various
elements of the demolished building have been stored.
The former
Central Station by architect Sybold van Ravesteyn, replaced by the
Hoog-Catharijne shopping center.
In terms of modern cemeteries / crematoria, the Soestbergen Cemetery was built in the first half of the 19th century. Sint Barbara Cemetery was designed around 1870 by Alfred Tepe and includes various graves of Roman Catholic archbishops. Kovelswade dates back to the early 20th century. Tolsteeg cemetery was built in 1931 to a design by Krijn Perk Vlaanderen, landscaper and park master of the municipality of Utrecht; there is an auditorium designed by architect Gosse van der Gaast in the style of the New Objectivity. Cemetery / crematorium Daelwijck from around 1967 has an auditorium designed by architect H. Dam.
Jewish monument with 1239 names of Jewish people from Utrecht.
To the
west of the center is the station with the attached shopping and
office complex Hoog Catharijne, which has been controversial since
its existence, both for its architecture and the deterioration that
occurred, making it a sanctuary for drug users. However, since the
beginning of 2000 a lot of time and money has been spent to improve
this living environment. In 2006 they won a Dutch and European prize
for this. A major overhaul of the entire station area started in
2008 (see CU2030). For example, the canal around Utrecht will be
restored and Vredenburg will be radically renovated. There will also
be a small harbor on the Smakkelaarsveld that will reconnect the
canal with the Leidse Rijn.
Since the early 1980s,
Woonboulevard Utrecht has been located on the south side of the
city, an area where 63 shops are located.
There
are various markets in Utrecht such as:
Breedstraat on Saturday
morning from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm (the 'cloth market')
Jacobskerkhof
on Saturday from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Janskerkhof on Saturday from
7:00 am - 5:00 pm (the flower market)
Plantage on Wednesday
morning from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Oudegracht / Bakkerbrug on
Saturday from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Smaragdplein/ Emerald Square on
Tuesdays from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Van Starkenborghhof on Friday
from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Vredenburg on Wednesday from 10:00 AM -
5:00 PM, Friday from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM and Saturday from 8:00 AM -
5:00 PM
Museum for the Grocery Company
Central Museum
BAK, basis for
contemporary art
Center for Visual Arts Utrecht
Museum
Catharijneconvent
Museum Play Clock
The Railway Museum
Observatory Sonnenborgh
University Museum
miffy museum
Dutch
Volksbuurtmuseum
Museum Hoge Woerd
Museum of Columns
In
addition to the art in the museums, various statues, sculptures and
objects have also been placed in the public space in the municipality of
Utrecht. See the frames of statues in the Utrecht city center, in
Northwest and Overvecht, in East and Northeast, in South and Southwest
and in West, Leidsche Rijn and Vleuten-De Meern.
TivoliVredenburg is a music building on the Vredenburgkade. The
building contains many halls and was built on the site of the
Muziekcentrum Vredenburg (1978); the Symphony Hall of that building has
been preserved.
political cultural center ACU
pop stage EKKO at
the Bemuurde Weerd
pop stage Tivoli aan de Helling
Municipal
Theatre
Theater De Paardenkathedraal in the stables of the former
National Veterinary School.
Theater Het Huis v/h Huis aan de Werf
Theater Frog
Mirliton Theater in Hoog Catharijne, originally cabaret
and variety stage
Schiller Theater Place Royale on the
Minrebroederstraat
Beatrix Theatre
Kargadoor, cultural, social and
political center on the Oudegracht
Theater De Musketon in Lunets
Theater ZIMIHC on the Bouwstraat in Wittevrouwen
dBs, rehearsal rooms
and small-scale pop stage, including Club3voor12 evenings
Podium High
Woerd
Wolff City on the corner Drift and Voorstraat 89
Louis Hartlooper
Complex at Tolsteegbrug 1
Pathé Rembrandt Utrecht at Oudegracht 73
Springhaver Theater B.V. at Springweg 52
Pathé Utrecht Leidsche Rijn
at 100 Berlin Square
Kinepolis Jaarbeurs at Jaarbeursboulevard 300
As a student city, Utrecht has a lively nightlife. Many catering
establishments are concentrated on the Neude, with cafés such as 't
Neutje, De Beurs and wine café Lefebvre, around the Wed and at the Ledig
Erf. De Winkel van Sinkel functions as a grand café and night restaurant
with club nights and Stairway to Heaven was converted into a rock café
by singer Henk Westbroek.
The city also has typical student pubs,
such as beer café Belgium on the Oudegracht and the cafés 't Pakhuis and
Hofman on Janskerkhof. In addition, various (student) cafés are located
on the nearby Nobelstraat. In addition to restaurants, the Janskerkhof
also houses the Woolloomooloo disco (abbreviated to the Woo) of the
Utrechtsch Studenten Corps. Other dance clubs in the city are BASIS,
Poema and TivoliVredenburg.
Many restaurants are located along
the Oudegracht and the wharf cellars that are so characteristic there
also make it possible to have lower terraces on the wharves. Grand
Restaurant Karel V in the former German House was awarded a Michelin
star from 2005-2013.
For LGBT people, there are the gay cafés
Bodytalk and Kalff on both sides of the Oudegracht. Since the closure of
De Roze Wolk in 2006, there is no longer a permanent gay disco, but
there are regular parties organized by EnSuite and the gay youth
organization PANN.
Prostitution in Utrecht consisted of window
prostitution in Hardebollenstraat and on houseboats along Zandpad, but
in 2013 the municipality had all these windows closed. In addition,
there was an official streetwalking zone on Europalaan until July 1,
2021.
Festival aan de Werf (theatre festival, May)
Utrecht Early Music
Festival (last week of August and first days of September)
Kaboom
Animation Film Festival (animation festival (successor to HAFF, March)
Le Guess Who?, music festival focused on indie rock and experimental
rock (end of November)
Latin American Film Festival (LAFF), May
Utrecht Marathon (March/April)
Midsummer Canal (June)
Netherlands
Film Festival (September/October)
Springdance (dance festival, April)
Utrecht Uitfeest (September) to open the cultural season
Utrecht
Literature Festival (quirky SLAU literature festival, October)
Utrecht Museum Night
Holiday fair in the Jaarbeurs Utrecht
Utrecht
about Utrecht (cinema and literature festival, June) in the Louis
Hartlooper Complex
Summer Darkness (alternative music festival,
August)
International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (triennial music
competition)
Dutch Theater Sports Tournament (improvisation theatre,
March)
The film Amsterdamned by Dick Maas was partly shot on the Oudegracht.
Vincent Bal's film Minoes was partly shot in Utrecht, in the middle of
the Bellamystraat.
The Vismarkt in Utrecht was one of the locations
in the films Keetje Tippel and Kruimeltje.
Some locations in Utrecht
appear in the film Karakter.
In Phileine says sorry, Phileine's house
was located in the Utrecht city center, on the corner of the
Servetstraat and the Lichte Gaard. In addition, recordings were made in
the Wilhelmina Park.
In Het Schnitzelparadijs, all scenes in and
around the restaurant were shot in an office building on the A2, next to
the Hema headquarters. One scene takes place on the roof terrace,
overlooking the highway.
The film De Pretenders by Jos Stelling was
shot in the working-class district of Verdomhoekje in Utrecht.
Some
scenes from Black Book by Paul Verhoeven were shot in the
Ridderschapstraat. The old garage in this street had been converted into
a mortuary for the occasion.
A small part of Mees Kees' films were
shot in the Leidsche Rijn district of Utrecht.
The name Utrecht comes from the Latin Ultraiectum and refers
to a place where in Roman times the river Rhine could be ford or
crossed. The 'U' comes from the Old Dutch word uut, which means
'downstream' - Utrecht must therefore be understood as 'Trecht
downstream' and in contrast to the other Trecht, Maastricht. Later
Utrecht was referred to as Traiecti Batavorum (or Trai / jecti
Batauorum, Trecht (Tricht) van de Bataven), for example as a
placeholder in books in Latin that were published in Utrecht.
Because of the Domtoren, the emblem of the city and with 112.32
meters the highest church tower in the Netherlands, the city is also
called Domstad. Two other nicknames are Utreg (in the city of
Utrecht) and Utka (in the multicultural slang of the Randstad).
During Carnival, the city of Utrecht is called Leemput, after
Cathrijn van Leemput.
A resident of Utrecht prefers to be called Utrecht rather than
Utrecht. This is due to the association by the so-called 'Utrecht
sodomy processes': on the Domplein, male homosexuals met each other
in the eighteenth century at the ruins of the collapsed nave of the
Domkerk (for whom there is a memorial stone between the church and
the tower). They were prosecuted by the government and 18 men were
sentenced to death. This made Utrecht a swear word for homosexual.
Shortly after the Second World War, one of the Utrecht newspapers of
that time, the Utrechts Nieuwsblad, decided to ban the word Utrecht.
Inhabitants of the city are also referred to as 'receptionists',
after the people of Utrecht who, hanging over the counters of the
bridges of the Oudegracht, watched the activity in the city and met each
other. 'Uitert' is the outdated name in dialect, and occurs
as family names 'van Uitert' and 'van Uijtert'.
On and around the current Domplein is the place where the Romans
lived around 50 AD. laid the foundations for the city of Utrecht. On the
banks of the Rhine they built the castellum Traiectum of wood and earth.
This fort was part of the defensive belt along the northern border of
the Roman Empire, the so-called limes. Between 50 and 270 AD. the
castellum was rebuilt four times. After the departure of the Romans, the
Frisians and the Franks fought for the fortress for a long time. The
remaining walls lived on as the castle of Trecht.
In 690, the
Anglo-Saxon missionary and bishop Willibrord founded a spiritual center
with two churches within the largely deserted frontier post of Utrecht,
to which a third was later added. From this developed the complex of the
Dom Church dedicated to Saint Martin, the Saint Salvator Church and the
Chapel of the Holy Cross in between. From the eighth century, with an
interruption due to Vikings, a bishop resided in Utrecht, which was
therefore the religious center of the Northern Netherlands. From the
tenth century, the bishop gained more and more secular power. He then
became the most important monarch in the Northern Netherlands, who ruled
over the Sticht. In the immediate vicinity of the castle, the thriving
commercial district of Stathe arose, where merchants and craftsmen
settled. In the eleventh century, the ecclesiastical center was expanded
with three new collegiate churches and an abbey, which together formed
the Utrecht church cross. That same century, the bishop and the emperor
added their palaces to the castle.
On June 2, 1122, Utrecht
received city rights confirmed by Emperor Hendrik V. The bishop lost a
lot of influence on the city in favor of the brand new townspeople. They
were now allowed to wall the city, and in 1122 the construction of the
southern Oudegracht also began. The growth of the population is
evidenced, among other things, by the fact that three new parishes were
split off from the oldest parish, that of the Buurkerk. The city's
administration initially consisted of sheriff and aldermen, but a
council was formed as early as 1196, which is one of the oldest north of
the Alps.
From the twelfth century, the power of neighboring
princes increased, while that of the bishop of Utrecht declined.
Throughout the Middle Ages, Holland and Guelders in particular tried to
annex parts of the Sticht. Two dominant parties arose within the city,
one of which was pro-Holland and the other pro-Gelre. For centuries,
these parties have fought each other with fire and sword. Repeatedly one
can safely speak of civil war within the city walls.
Despite this
struggle and despite the increasing competition from the Dutch cities
from the thirteenth century, Utrecht remained the largest and most
prosperous city and the most important cultural center in the Northern
Netherlands. The wealthy built large stone houses along the Oudegracht,
especially after the use of brick became common around the middle of the
thirteenth century. The characteristic wharves and wharf cellars were
created along the canal itself. Numerous monasteries settled in the
city. In 1253, among others, a major city fire took place in Utrecht.
The current Gothic Dom Church was then built from 1254 after the example
of the great French cathedrals.
In 1304 the guilds successfully
seized power, and they would continue to play a major role in the city
government until 1528. With the excavation of the Nieuwegracht at the
end of the fourteenth century, the street pattern within the city was
largely completed and the urban area was largely built up. Remarkable is
the large number of guesthouses (shelters for the needy) that arose in
this century. A prestige project in the fourteenth century was the
construction of the Dom Tower, one of the tallest towers ever built.
The threat from the neighboring states of the Sticht remained great,
and residents of the Nedersticht forced the bishop to issue the Stichtse
Landbrief in 1375, which enabled them, as States of the Nedersticht, to
exercise control over the way in which politics was conducted. The
States of Utrecht consisted of representatives of the clergy, the
nobility and the cities. Due to its dominant position, Utrecht took a
predominant position in the States assemblies. Due to further growth,
Utrecht was the largest city in the northern Netherlands until the
mid-16th century.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries,
Utrecht, with its Utrecht School, also played an important role in Dutch
painting. Well-known painters were the Renaissance painter Jan van
Scorel, the "mannerists" Joachim Wtewael, Abraham Bloemaert and Paulus
Moreelse, the "Utrecht Caravaggists" Hendrick ter Brugghen, Gerard van
Honthorst and Dirck van Baburen, the "Italians" Cornelis van
Poelenburch, Jan Both and Jan Baptist Weenix.
From the beginning
of the 19th century, utilities in a broad sense were built and expanded,
which greatly improved the situation for the city. The first urban
expansion took place in the second half of the 19th century. Before and
- especially - after the Second World War, Utrecht would expand on a
large scale. Around 1925 a large part of the population was employed in
industry. The metal industry in particular, with companies such as
Demka, Werkspoor and Jaffa, was a major employer. After the Second World
War, Utrecht increasingly became a service and knowledge centre.
Utrecht is
centrally located in the Netherlands and in the province of Utrecht.
The city originated on a curvature of the Rhine, when the main arm
of the river that followed the course of the current Kromme Rijn and
Oude Rijn. A Roman castellum was located on the site of the current
Domplein. Today, a modest Kromme Rijn flows into Utrecht in the east
to leave the city canals like Vecht (north) and Leidse Rijn (west).
West of the city is the wide Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, to the south is
the Vaartsche Rijn, a much older canal.
To the west of the
city, 'across the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal', lies the suburban
expansion project Leidsche Rijn, the largest Vinex location and
new-build project in the Netherlands. A series of new housing
estates will house approximately 90,000 residents upon completion.
North, south and east of the city are some suburbs and commuter and
satellite cities. The metropolitan agglomeration coincides with the
BRU (Management Region Utrecht).
In 2019, the municipality has slightly more than 350,000 inhabitants
and has an area of 99 km² (of which only a very small part is
water).
The former municipality of Vleuten-De Meern has been
part of the municipality of Utrecht since 1 January 2001. On that
date, part of the municipality of Nieuwegein, namely the polder area
of Rijnenburg, was also added to the municipality of Utrecht.
After the annexation, the newly elected municipal council decided
not to alter the existing division into places of residence, namely
De Meern, Haarzuilens, Utrecht and Vleuten. However, it was decided
to slightly shift the boundaries between Utrecht and De Meern and
between Utrecht and Vleuten. This was related to the desired
district layout of some new-build neighborhoods.
Before the
annexation, the city of Utrecht consisted of eight districts, namely
Inner City, West, Northwest, Overvecht, Northeast, East, South and
Southwest. The annexation added two, namely Leidsche Rijn and
Vleuten-De Meern. The annexed area of the municipality of
Nieuwegein was assigned to the Vleuten-De Meern district, but to the
residence of Utrecht. Due to the reclassification of 2001, the
original intention was to delete the residences Vleuten, De Meern
and Haarzuilens from the postcode book and replace them with a
Utrecht postcode. Due to fierce protest from the population of the
former municipality of Vleuten-De Meern, this plan was not
implemented.
Utrecht is represented in at least twenty regional collaborations, each of which has a different composition.
Zamenhofdreef on Thursday morning from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
With approximately 360,000 inhabitants (in 2022), the municipality of Utrecht is the fourth largest municipality in the Netherlands. Including suburbs such as Maarssen, Nieuwegein and Houten, Utrecht has approximately 520,000 inhabitants. Approximately 710,000 people live in the urban area of Utrecht, which also includes the municipalities of Zeist and De Bilt. The city is part of the G4, a partnership of the four largest cities, which also includes Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Utrecht is growing very fast (see Population Development Table). At the beginning of 2009, the city passed the limit of 300,000 inhabitants and in 2018 that of 350,000 inhabitants. The forecast for 2022 is 370,000 and if the rapid growth continues, the milestone of 400,000 could be reached around 2025.
Utrecht is a multicultural city; the percentage of residents with a
migration background is roughly one third and is likely to remain stable
in the coming decades. This amounts to approximately 100,000 inhabitants
of which at least 1 parent or grandparent was not born in the
Netherlands.
Utrecht is a city with many young people and
relatively few elderly people. More than 64,000 students live in
Utrecht; there are a number of universities, colleges and ROCs, of which
Utrecht University and Hogeschool Utrecht are the most numerous. The
nightlife is largely geared to this.
Especially neighborhoods
such as Voordorp, Wittevrouwen and neighborhoods of the Leidsche Rijn
district are rich in children. Parts of Overvecht-Zuid, among others, on
the other hand, house many elderly people. Nevertheless, due to the
urban expansion, it is expected that the city will certainly rejuvenate
until 2011. While aging is already taking place in many other cities,
Utrecht will not experience this phenomenon for the time being. Partly
due to strong economic growth in the BRU and also the construction of
the Leidsche Rijn districts and large parts of Vleuten-De Meern, the
share of low incomes, as well as unemployment, has been falling
percentage-wise for several years now, and Utrecht is starting to
deviate from this. the other major cities.
The following table shows the population development of Utrecht.
Until the mid-sixteenth century, Utrecht was the largest city in the
northern Netherlands. From that time until about 1825, the population
fluctuated around 30,000. Utrecht therefore did not benefit from the
flourishing of the Golden Age, as the cities in Holland and Zeeland did,
but also did not experience the decline experienced by some of those
cities in the eighteenth century. Around 1550 Utrecht was overtaken in
terms of population by Amsterdam, around 1600 by Haarlem and Leiden,
around 1650 by Rotterdam and around 1700 by The Hague. With Middelburg,
Utrecht was now the sixth largest city in the Netherlands. Around 1750
Haarlem fell below Utrecht again, around 1800 Leiden did. Since then,
Utrecht has been the fourth largest city in the Netherlands.
From
about 1825 a long period of population growth followed; the number of
100,000 inhabitants was reached in 1899. The growth lasted until 1970,
when a rapid decline set in as a result of a housing shortage and
suburbanisation, which came to a halt around 1985 thanks to urban
renewal. From 2000 the population grew rapidly and the Leidsche Rijn
district was built. Area expansions of the municipality of Utrecht in
1954 and 2001 led to a rapid increase in the number of inhabitants. In
January 2009, the municipality of Utrecht reached the limit of 300,000
inhabitants.
Stad-Utrechts (Uterechs, Utregs or Uteregs) belongs to the
Utrecht-Alblasserwaardse dialects of the Dutch language.
In
August 2018, the word 'boy' was chosen as the most Utrecht word. Of the
16,000 voters, 38 percent preferred that word to 'wijffie', 'dakhaos',
'gladiolus' and 'woar'.
Tap water
Water company Vitens extracts part of the mains water
for the city of Utrecht from the Utrechtse Heuvelrug source. It is only
one of seven springs used by the city. These are: De Meern 1927, Soestse
Pracht, Beerschoten, Tull en 't Waal, Groenekan, Utrechtse Heuvelrug and
Leidsch Soft. A catering entrepreneur in Utrecht sells tap water in
half-litre bottles under the name Eau de Gracht.
Electricity
Electricity for the city and province of Utrecht was generated in the
PEGUS power plant on the Merwede Canal; this plant is now part of the
national electricity network.
In 1986, the municipality of Utrecht first introduced a gay and
lesbian emancipation policy to promote the social integration of these
groups. In the same year, the national Pink Saturday took place in the
city for the first time. At that time, the gay movement also protested
specifically against Roman Catholic views on homosexuality, for example
during the visit of Pope John Paul II in May 1985 and in February and
April 1987 against statements by Cardinal Simonis.
In June 1997,
the "Pink Spring" was organized on the initiative of the municipality,
an event to make homosexuality visible to a wider audience. The closing
MidzomerGrachtspektakel grew into the annual Midzomergracht Festival,
which in 1998 marked the start of five Pink Spring Days. The Pink
Saturday was again the conclusion of this.
In 2005, the European
LGBT sporting event EuroGames was held in Utrecht, with more than 2,800
athletes and approximately 25,000 visitors. Utrecht has been one of the
Rainbow Cities since 2008 and when Pink Saturday took place in the city
for the third time in 2013, the first rainbow zebra crossing in the
Netherlands was constructed in the Lange Viestraat. Since 2017,
following Amsterdam's example, there has been a boat parade under the
name Utrecht Canal Pride.
Train
Utrecht Central Station is the most important railway
junction in the Netherlands and has direct train connections with all
but three other provincial capitals (with the exception of Lelystad,
Haarlem and Middelburg). The first railway line was opened in 1843. This
was the line to Amsterdam Weesperpoort station. In 1844-1845 the
connection with Arnhem followed. In 1855 the connection with Gouda -
Rotterdam was established and from 1870 also to The Hague, in 1863 that
to Amersfoort and in 1868-1870 the line to Boxtel. The last connection
to Hilversum was opened in 1874.
Bus and tram
The city of
Utrecht has an extensive Qbuzz bus line network. Buses run from Qbuzz to
Maarssen, Vleuten/De Meern and Kockengen. Most buses run every 10
minutes from Monday to Saturday, every 15 minutes in the evening and on
Sunday. Utrecht is the first city in the Netherlands to have
bi-articulated buses.
Qbuzz provides most regional transport,
including the Utrecht express tram, which runs from the central station
via Kanaleneiland to Nieuwegein-Zuid/IJsselstein. Since the end of 2019
there is a tram line to De Uithof, the university centre. This replaces
the overcrowded bus line 12.
The Utrecht Region Board (BRU) has
launched the brand name U-OV for public transport in the Utrecht region.
The bus station near Utrecht Central Station is the largest bus station
in the Netherlands.
The municipality of Utrecht is working on the
development of a HOV network for fast connections within the
conurbation.
A green roof with succulents has been placed on top
of 316 bus stops in Utrecht. Solar panels will also be installed at 96
bus stops.
Furthermore, international bus transport is offered by
Flixbus.
Car
The city is enclosed on three sides by highways.
West of the city is the A2, south the A12 and east the A27. Important
traffic junctions are Oudenrijn, Lunetten and Rijnsweerd. A fourth
motorway begins just west of the last mentioned traffic junction, the
A28 to the north to Amersfoort, Zwolle, Assen and Groningen. North of
Utrecht, the ring road is closed by the N230.
These roads
together form the Ring Utrecht.
Bicycle
The bicycle is the
most commonly used means of transport within the city of Utrecht.
According to a study by the Fietsersbond in 2016, even the three busiest
cycle paths in the Netherlands are located in Utrecht.
The Utrecht city council decided on 12 October to organize a mayoral
referendum. A confidential committee from the council then selected two
candidates, after which the population was allowed to determine by means
of a vote who would succeed Annie Brouwer-Korf, who had indicated that
she would step down on 1 January 2008. Supporters of the plebiscite were
PvdA, GroenLinks and D66 (a total of 25 of the 45 seats). A turnout of
at least 30% was the condition for the referendum to be valid. The
mayoral referendum took place on October 10, 2007, the people of Utrecht
could choose from Aleid Wolfsen and Ralph Pans, both members of the
PvdA.
Turnout was only 9.25%, making the referendum invalid.
Also, 16.3% voted blank or invalid. Of the valid votes, Aleid Wolfsen
received 60.7% (13,014 votes) and Ralph Pans 22.9% (4,914 votes).
Utrecht was the seventh municipality where a mayoral referendum was
held, the turnout was the lowest until then. On October 11, 2007, the
city council decided to nominate Wolfsen to the government. Thirty votes
were cast for him in the city council. Pans received two votes and
eleven councilors cast a blank vote.
Utrecht occupies an important place within the province in the field of education. Utrecht University (founded in 1636) is the second largest in the Netherlands in terms of size, and is regarded nationally and internationally as one of the better universities. The Domstad has three colleges; all higher education institutions together can accommodate approximately 65,000 students. There are also twenty secondary schools in Utrecht (depending on the definition) and more than 80 primary schools.
Football club FC Utrecht won the KNVB Cup three times and plays in
the premier league, from which it has never been relegated. The club
plays its home games in Stadium Galgenwaard. FC Utrecht was created in
1970 from a merger of three Utrecht football clubs: DOS, USV Elinkwijk
and Velox. The first two still exist as amateur clubs. DOS is the only
club from Utrecht that ever became champion of the Netherlands, in 1958.
Before the war, Hercules, which was founded in 1882, was also the third
football club in the Netherlands. Hercules contributed to the spread of
football. Elinkwijk became champion of the Netherlands in the Sunday
amateurs in 1974.
There are more sports clubs in the city. At
UVV, the first baseball men's team plays in the Baseball Hoofdklasse,
the highest baseball division in the Netherlands. The first softball
women's team plays in the Softball major league (women), the highest
softball division in the Netherlands. Kampong plays in both the men's
and women's majors. The teams have been Dutch champions several times
and have also won the European Cup I and II. In 1998, the World Hockey
Championships for men and women were held simultaneously in Utrecht, the
first doubles tournament in hockey history. In chess, Chess Club Utrecht
plays in the Master Class, the highest competition in the Netherlands.
The ladies of Uball Amazone play basketball at the premier league level.
In addition, lacrosse is played at a high level in Utrecht: at the
Domstad Devils, both men and women play in the highest league, the
highest league in the Netherlands. In recent years, both teams have
competed in the playoffs for the championship. The ladies of the Domstad
Devils became national lacrosse champions in 2011. wrestling association
U.K.V. (Utrechtse Krachtsport Vereniging) De Halter competes in the top
class of the Netherlands together with Olympia, also from Utrecht.
Since 1978, the Utrecht Marathon has been organized annually by the
city and Leidsche Rijn. The Singelloop Utrecht is also held annually,
the oldest athletics road race in the Netherlands. Other events,
including skating competitions and darts, regularly take place in the
Vechtsebanen.
Every Friday evening from the beginning of May to
the end of September, Stichting Utrecht Skateparade organizes a skating
tour for inline skaters and rollerbladers of about 23 kilometers through
Utrecht. In Skatepark Utrecht there is an indoor facility for
skateboarding.
Utrecht is the only city that has hosted the three Grand Tours in
cycling. The second stage of the 2010 Tour of Italy (Giro d'Italia) went
from Amsterdam to Utrecht. The Tour de France 2015 (Tour de France)
started in Utrecht. 800,000 people were present at the start of the tour
and the costs amounted to around 15 million euros.
The 2022 Tour
of Spain (Vuelta) started on Friday, August 19, 2022 in Utrecht with a
team time trial. On Saturday, August 20, 2022, Utrecht was also the
finishing place of the second stage (starting place was
's-Hertogenbosch) of the Tour of Spain 2022. The initial total budgeted
costs for the start of the Tour of Spain in the Netherlands amounted to
€ 14.3 million, of which the municipality of Utrecht paid € 2.1 million
and the province of Utrecht € 2.1 million. The rest was contributed by
private parties (€ 4.8 million), a subsidy from the Ministry of VWS (€
2.5 million) and other public bodies such as the municipality of Breda €
0.95 million, the province of North Brabant € 0.95 million and the
municipality of 's-Hertogenbosch € 0.3 million. Initially, the Tour of
Spain 2020 was supposed to start on August 14, 2020 in Utrecht, but this
had to be canceled due to the corona pandemic. Later that year, the
round started in Spain. In 2022, the start of the Tour of Spain finally
took place in the Netherlands, however, the organizational costs had
risen. As a result, the municipality of Utrecht and the province of
Utrecht each made an additional amount of € 250,000 available, bringing
the total contribution from both the municipality and the province to €
2.35 million.