Utrecht Old Town

The Oudegracht runs through the middle of Utrecht at a level well below the street, and along both sides at water level runs a continuous wharf with cellars cut back under the houses and the road above - the werven and werfkelders, built from the thirteenth century when the canal was deepened and merchants needed to unload directly into storage beneath their houses. Nothing else in Europe is built quite this way, and the lower level is now cafes and terraces while the street runs above. The Dom tower is 112 metres and the tallest church tower in the country; its nave collapsed in a tornado in 1674 and was never rebuilt, so the tower stands separated from the choir by an open square, which is unique and immediately obvious. The medieval street plan survives around it, and Utrecht was the ecclesiastical centre of the Netherlands with four collegiate churches ringing the cathedral.

What you actually see

• Wharves below street level - werven and cellars cut under the houses along the canal.
• The Dom tower - 112 metres, the tallest church tower in the country.
• A tower standing alone - the nave lost in the 1674 tornado and never rebuilt.
• A medieval ecclesiastical centre - collegiate churches ringing the cathedral site.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Honest expectations

The Dom tower is climbed by guided tour only, timed and booked ahead, up 465 steps. Wharf terraces are packed in warm weather. The centre is busy and cycling traffic is heavy.

Nearby

The Rietveld Schroder House is east; Kasteel de Haar is west.