Discover Utrecht: Must-See Attractions and Shopping Spots, Utrecht, Netherlands

Our first visit to Utrecht was two years ago as part of a three month adventure in Western Europe and it was always somewhere we wanted to revisit.

We have friends who live just south of the airport and so we recently combined a trip to see them with a few days based in Utrecht, both revisiting this fascinating city and also using it as a base to catch the train to a couple of other destinations.

Utrecht, itself, probably had it’s first inhabitants a millennia ago during the Stone Age and there were definite signs of inhabitation during the Bronze Age but it was the Romans who are mainly credited with building what was then a town.

They built a fort or castellum in about 50 AD at a crossing point on the River Rhine, at the northernmost point of their kingdom at the time, and called it Trajectum. This then changed into the Dutch word for a crossing - “Trecht”. The “U” was attached to the front, highlighting it was downriver and thus distinguished it from Mass-trecht. The central square in Utrecht -Dom Square is the original centre of the Roman settlement and you can tour the underneath of the square as part of the DOMunder Museum.

The Romans left in the third century and little development occurred then until 650 when missionaries arrived and utilised it as a base to spread Christianity in the region.The Domkerk or Cathedral of St. Martin stands as a reminder of these days. With its Gothic facade it is the tallest religious building in the country. Across the square you can climb the 465 steps to the top of the Dom Tower for a panoramic view of the city. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).