Fun in Utrecht

One of Utrecht's top attractions is Oudegracht, the main canal in town. It is located one level below the street and the cellars of many of the buildings and warehouses that line the canal have been turned into shops, restaurants and bars. You have to walk down a flight of stone steps to get to them but it is a peaceful spot to relax with a drink since you're away from the noise of the traffic and the crowds of people.

I made Utrecht a day trip from Amsterdam but once I got there, I wished I'd allowed more time in my itinerary to really explore.

Utrecht is a major transportation hub so it's easy to get a bus or train connecting to and from most of the cities in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. The train trip from Amsterdam to Utrecht took about an half hour.

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The mall is the largest indoor shopping mall in Holland and covers about 6 blocks. Like malls everywhere, there were lots of shoe stores, music stores, book stores, clothing stores, etc., etc. and fashions and prices were similar to home. Little kiosks were set up to sell candy and food, including waffles and pancakes and there was a number of restaurants as well. The window displays of the stores were quite eyecatching with mannequins sporting rings through their nose, eyebrow or other body parts.

The Utrecht Tourist Information Centre is located in the mall and that was handy since I could get directions, a map and suggestions on what to see from the helpful guides. They will also book accommodations if you haven't got something lined up.

The mall also contains an exhibition & concert hall.

The main tourist areas like Domplein and Oudegracht are about a 10 minute walk away.