Utrecht: Feel the History in the Bustling Museum Quarter

Explore the Museum Quarter of Utrecht with this compelling in-app audio your created by a local!

You’ll start from Mariaplaats – a square where the past and modern elements intertwine. Passing by the Conservatorium, the country’s oldest musical educational institute, you will see the unusual artwork called Lof der Keramiek – poetry reflected in ceramics. During this tour, you will learn about Ingmar Heytze, the city poet who celebrates Utrecht in his verses.

Farther on the way, you will marvel at the impressive building and the French garden of the Grand Hotel Karel V, which keeps secrets behind its walls. If you feel like it, hang out with the locals in café DeRat and check out its selection of signature beers and exclusive whiskey. Then, get prepared to meet the restless poet on Oudegracht, the street along the canal housing vintage shops and galleries. The poet left a riddle that will be solved if you follow the Letters of Utrecht engraved in stone on the sidewalk. The third – and last – poem awaits you on the hidden church that used to be a brewery a long time ago. Talking about religion: the route will also take you to the Catholic Cathedral that had belonged to the Protestant Church for three centuries.

Once you pass by the former Court Hall, you will step on the buzzing Dom Square. Our tour ends here but don’t worry – you won’t get lost, as the Dom Tower located on this square is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands and the true symbol of Utrecht.