Utrecht PRESS BOOK

Utrecht PRESS BOOK
visit-utrecht.com
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CONTENTS
Welcome to Utrecht
Facts and Figures
Grand Départ Tour de France Utrecht Cultural Heritage
Miffy 60 years!
Shopping
Treasure Trove
Utrecht Highlights Explore Utrecht
Utrecht quotes Accessibility 2
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WELCOME TO UTRECHT
An old city with a big heart
Utrecht, a unique city, a city with a rich history as well as a lively present. The beating heart of Holland
has a medieval city centre small enough to discover by foot, large enough to wander around and enjoy
the architecture, culture and endless shopping possibilities for days on end. Combined with its convenient
location, located only 30 minutes from Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, and being easy accessible by all means
of transportation, Utrecht is an inspiring destination for everyone!
There is plenty to explore in Utrecht; Roman
churches, medieval wharfs and of course the
magnificent gothic Dom Tower, with its 112
metres the highest church tower in the Netherlands and symbol of Utrecht. Just outside the
city you can find magnificent fortresses and
beautiful castles. And it takes only little time
to get there, you can even go there by bike.
Nevertheless Utrecht has moved with the
times, thus ensuring that modern architecture
lovers are also drawn to the city. At the Utrecht
Science Park, high-profile designs by some of
the best Dutch architects set the scene, and the
Rietveld Schröderhuis, the only UNESCO site
of Utrecht, is an absolute must-see. The back
of the former town hall displays interesting
contrasts and if you have an eye for detail, you
won’t miss the smallest Utrecht house.
Utrecht has too much to offer for one day,
there is plenty to explore even in the dark.
Indulge your senses during Trajectum Lumen,
a walking tour in the dark taking in enchanting works of light art. And don’t worry about
getting to your accommodation on time
because it is never far away. You are sure to
feel right at home in a comfortable hotel bed
or a small-scale B&B besides a quiet canal.
Take plenty of time to relax and prepare for all
the things Utrecht has in store.
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UTRECHT PRESS OFFICE
Whether you are interested
in art and culture, tourist
attractions, history, design,
business, entertainment or
nightlife, Tourism Utrecht is
happy to arrange a press visit
or to assist you in finding the
best exhibitions or images of
our city..
PRESS CONTACT
For more information please
contact the Utrecht Press Office:
Susanne Canisius &
Susanne Arkema
Telephone: +31 (0)30 236 00 42
Email: pers@toerisme-utrecht.nl
We are pleased to be of service.
OUR SERVICES
•We supply the latest
­infor­mation, press releases
and news.
•We develop tailor-made
programmes for your visit
(including overnight stay,
­dinners, personal guided
tours etc.)
•Suggestions and inspiration
for surprising stories and
interesting reports.
•We provide copy right free
images via an online database.
•We can bring you in contact
with relevant parties for
interviews.
COPY RIGHT FREE IMAGES
Are you looking for attractive
photos of Utrecht to illustrate
your article about Utrecht?
Simply request access to our
database at Utrecht Press
Office. The Utrecht Mediabank
contains various photos which
can be used copyright free and
free of charge. The photos are
divided in categories, so it will
be easy to find the photo you
require. The Utrecht Mediabank
contains both day and nighttime images and is updated
multiple times throughout
the year.
visit-utrecht.com/en/press
Welcome to Utrecht!
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FACTS AND FIGURES
A rich past
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BICYCLE CITY UTRECHT
Utrecht is a young, dynamic city with a focus
on youth and talent. Utrechters are young,
highly educated and sport minded. Utrecht
is a real bicycle city. Just between 07.00 and
19.00 ­everyday 90,000 cyclists go to and from
the city centre. In the next few years
the city will invest in safer and faster
cycling routes and more parking places.
33,000 new parking places will be built
in Utrecht including the worlds biggest
World’s best cycling city...
bike parking facility is being built next to
the central station, which offers parking
facilities for 12,500 bicycles.
CN N
66
695
1122
1579
47 After Christ
695 After Christ
1122 After Christ
1579 After Christ
Around 47 A.D.
Romans built the
castellum, the Traiectum, as
part of reinforcements along the
Rhine. The start of Utrecht on
the current the Cathedral square,
Domplein.
In the 7th century,
the English missionary
Willibrord set himself
up in the old fort and
Christianised the Netherlands
The city was de
­second Dutch
city to obtain city
rights in 1122 and remained the largest and main city
of the Netherlands until the
16th century.
The Union of Utrecht
was signed in the
city which was the
foundation for the
Dutch Republic.
Famous Utrechters
1495 – 1562 Jan van Scorel (artist)
1888 – 1964Gerrit Rietveld (architect, famous for the
­Rietveld Schröderhuis and the Rietveld chair)
1927 – TodayDick Bruna (graphic designer, artist, writer.
Most famous creation: Miffy)
1934 – 2010Anton Geesink (1964 Olympic judo champion
in Tokyo)
1984 – Today Wesley Sneijder (soccer player)
It’s in the name
Icons
• The Dom Tower, the highest church tower in the
Netherlands, 112 metres high with 465 steps.
• Medieval canals, wharves and wharf cellars,
nominated as UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Rietveld Schröder house, UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Miffy, Dick Bruna’s famous creation.
• Paushuize, historic city palace in the centre, intended
as the residence for the only Dutch Pope ever: Adriaan
Floriszoon Boeyens. (1459 – 1523).
• Stelling van Utrecht, part of the New Dutch Water
Defence Line.
Facts and figures
Residents
Students
Number of nationalities
Surface area Districts
Universities & Colleges
Museums
Wharves
1713
1713 After
Christ
Peace Treaty
of Utrecht was
signed in 1713 in
the city.
In Roman times, the name of the Utrecht fortress
was simply Traiectum, denoting its location at a
possible Rhine crossing. Traiectum became Dutch
Trecht. With the U from Old Dutch “uut” (downriver)
added to distinguish U-trecht from Maas-tricht the
name Utrecht was born
330,000
70,500
168
99 km²
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7
10
4k
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GRAND DÉPART TOUR DE FRANCE UTRECHT
This year the Tour de France will start in Utrecht. After five years the biggest annual sports event
in the world is back in the Netherlands. The Grand Départ is a cycling festivity that perfectly fits
bicycle city Utrecht. It is the chance for the world to meet the surprising city of Utrecht.
The Netherlands and the Tour de France
The Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Utrecht will
be the sixth start in the Netherlands, a record for any
country outside of France. It was in fact in the Netherlands that the first ever foreign start of the Tour de
France was held. That was in Amsterdam, the nation’s
capital city, in 1954, followed by Scheveningen (1973),
Leiden (1978), ’s-Hertogenbosch (1996) and Rotterdam
(2010).
Utrecht will be the ninth Dutch city to host stages of
the Tour de France. Besides the Dutch Grand Départ
cities, the Tour has also gone through Maastricht in
1969, Sint Willebrord in 1978 and Valkenburg in 1992
and 2006.
First stage
Activities
In anticipation of the start of the Tour de France in
July, Utrecht will turn yellow. Many activities, exhibitions and events are planned around this grand event.
With the media-attention generated by the biggest
annual sports event, the Grand Départ is the perfect
opportunity to tell the story of Utrecht and show the
world the diversity of the city. The event is expected to
draw 500,000 – 800,000 visitors in a week time.
Second stage
tourdefranceutrecht.com
Important dates
26 March
Kick off “100 days before the Tour”
1 JulyOpening of the staff HQ and press
centre at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht
Trade Centre
2 July
Team presentation
4 July
First stage, 13.7 km time trial
5 July
Second stage, Utrecht – Neeltje Jans
First stage
The Tour de France will start on Saturday July 4th
with an individual time-trial of 13.7 kilometres. The
riders will follow a flat course straight through the
city; from west to east and back. The starting stage
will be installed in front of the Jaarbeurs Utrecht, the
cyclists will then head towards Galgenwaard stadium,
where professional football club FC Utrecht plays
its home matches. From there they will go to Utrecht
Science Park and Utrecht University, and then bend
to the west. Going through the historic centre and the
Maliesingel, past the Railway Museum, they will finish
at Utrecht Central Station.
Second stage
The starting signal of the second stage on Sunday July
5th will again be given in front of Jaarbeurs Utrecht.
The peloton will then ride through the streets of the
city’s historic centre, along the canals and underneath
the Dom Tower. Then they will reach the Maliebaan,
with the house in which the first Dutch cycling association, the Nederlandsche Vélocipèdisten-Bond, was
founded in 1883.
The actual starting point of the second stage is located
on the ‘t Goylaan, from where the route loops to the
north of the city. After twenty kilometres through
Leidsche Rijn, the new residential area on the westside of the city, the Tour will head towards Neeltje
Jans, Zeeland.
utrecht2015.com
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Foto: EYOF Utrecht 2013
CULTURAL HERITAGE
The province of Utrecht has a wealth of cultural heritage, innumerable museums, monuments, estates
and visitor centres are located in the area. In De Vechtstreek and Utrechtse Heuvelrug many castles,
fortresses and other monuments can be visited. The Roman Limes, the Nieuw Hollandse Waterlinie,
former airbase Soesterberg all reminders of the Dutch military past. To all those places there is a rich
history but also a lively present, a great story to tell.
Amerongen Castle The history of Amerongen Castle dates
back to the year 1286. In the 19th century, architect Pierre
Cuypers completely renovated the place. For a brief period
of time it became the home of emperor Wilhelm II of Germany before he found permanent residence in Huis Doorn.
kasteelamerongen.nl
Huis Doorn From 1920 until 1941, Huis Doorn was the
residence of Wilhelm II, who lived in exile. After Germany
was defeated in World War I in 1918, he was given political
asylum in the Netherlands. The home paints an authentic
picture of the princely lifestyle.
huisdoorn.nl
Slot Zuylen Castle Slot Zuylen Castle is located next to
the river Vecht, just outside the city of Utrecht. In the 18th
century, this mediaeval castle was rebuilt and turned into
a country house. Its best-known occupant the writer Belle
van Zuylen. Concerts, events and guided tours bring the
past back to life.
slotzuylen.nl
De Haar Castle De Haar Castle the largest and most luxurious castle of the Netherlands. A visit to De Haar Castle
brings the heyday of the castle and its inhabitants and the
wealth of the rich and famous at the beginning of the 20th
century to life.
kasteeldehaar.nl
Museum Oud AmelisweerdMuseum Oud Amelisweerd
(MOA) is home of art in a scenic setting for three collections: the Armando Collection, the historic country estate
and the Chinese Wallpaper Collection.
moa.nl
Soestdijk Palace Soestdijk Palace is a unique experience.
On display are the representative period interiors and some
of the private living areas of the most recent occupants,
Prince Bernhard and Princess Juliana.
paleissoestdijk.nl
National Military Museum In the recently opened
museum at the former airbase Soesterberg, the past, the
present time and the future of the Dutch army comes to life.
The history of the Dutch military is shown in an impressive
manner in this interactive museum.
nmm.nl
Slot Zuylen
Amerongen Castle
Waterline Museum Fort Vechten A spectacular and
unique museum is being built on Fort Vechten. The museum
tells the story of water as an ally in the defense of the
­Netherlands and is located next to the second largest
fortress in the country. The new museum will be open to ­
the public in 2015.
waterliniemuseum.nl
Pyramid of Austerlitz The only pyramid of Europe is a
relic from a time when the Netherlands, under French rule,
was subject to massive changes which are still strongly
visible at the present time.
defransetijd.nl
Waterline Museum Fort Vechten
National Military Museum
MOA Bunnik
Huis Doorn
Grebbeberg On May 10th 1940 German troops invaded the
Netherlands and for three days, the Grebbeberg was the
stage of heavy fighting that took the lives of more than 400
Dutch soldiers. Which made it the biggest and best known
military operation on Dutch territory.
grebbeberg.nl
Soestdijk Palace
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De Haar Castle
Pyramide of Austerlitz
Grebbeberg
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MIFFY 60 YEARS!
The year 2015 will mark a special anniversary for one of the world’s most famous children’s
characters: Miffy, the little white bunny, will be 60 years old.
Miffy was “born” on 21 June 1955 which was the day
the Utrecht illustrator, graphic designer and writer Dick
Bruna first drew the character to entertain his young son
whilst on a rainy seaside holiday in Holland.
Nowadays Miffy is published in more than 50 languages
and the storybooks, which explore universal childhood
experiences, have sold more than 85 million copies worldwide. The character appears on merchandise across five
continents and has starred in her own TV series, musical
and recent movie.
Miffy’s enduring appeal is based largely on the simple,
bright and familiar style of Bruna’s illustrations, loved
by both adults and children. The same colours always
recur: red, yellow, blue and green. Characters are always
outlined in black, and were painted by Bruna with a brush
rather than drawn with a pen which adds to the liveliness
of the drawings. The ability to create expressive pictures
from a minimum of lines and shapes is the real hallmark
of Bruna’s genius. If you take out one line, the drawing is
completely vanished.
60th celebratory events in 2015 will take place worldwide,
but what would be a better place to celebrate than her
own hometown Utrecht? The Centraal Museum is dedicating its largest exhibition hall to celebrate the famous
bunny’s anniversary and many festivities are planned.
For this event sixty famous artists from the Netherlands
and Japan have each been asked to decorate a 1.80 metre
white Miffy statue using their own unique approach.
A new statue will be unveiled every day from March 4th
onwards. The statues will be on display in prime locations
in Utrecht, The Hague, Amsterdam and Japan from May
1st onwards.
In July the dick bruna house will close for an extensive
renovation and refurbishment. Mid-December the museum
will open its doors again under a new name: Miffy
museum.
Nijntje is also the official icon of the start of the Tour de
France 2015 in Utrecht.
SHOPPING
Utrecht is a true paradise for shopaholics! Walk
from Utrecht Central station towards the city
centre and you walk right into Hoog Catharijne;
the covered shopping heart of the Netherlands.
With trendy boutiques, art galleries, delicatessen
and exclusive gift shops at each street corner and
in each alleyway in the city centre, Utrecht has
something to offer for everyone.
The Twijnstraat is a very special shopping street in
a wonderful part of the city centre. As the oldest
shopping street in Utrecht, it is distinguished by
the attractive boutiques and deli’s, which are very
popular with people from all over the city. A local
market is held in the area once a month.
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UTRECHT HIGHLIGHTS
DOM TOWER
More than 600 years old, the Domtoren (Dom Tower) is
the highest church tower in the country. At 112 metres,
it soars above the Cathedral Square, and high above the
city. When the 465 steps are climbed accompanied by
a tour guide, the effort is rewarded by a fantastic view
over the city.
domtoren.nl
DOM UNDER
TREASURE TROVE OF CULTURE
On a cultural level, Utrecht has some truly great
attractions. The city is very proud of its unique
Museum Quarter, where historic sights, museums
and cultural institutions are to be found.
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2000 years Utrecht. Since the summer of 2014 you
can descend into DOMunder: a fascinating underground world with relics and stories of 2000 years
of Dutch history at the Domplein, the square where
Utrecht was founded. From the Roman castellum
Traiectum, the Romanesque cathedral and churches,
to the remains of the Gothic cathedral left in the
wake of a tornado in 1674. Walking between the
immense pillars of the Gothic cathedral, you can
experience it all.
domunder.nl
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MIFFY MUSEUM
RIETVELD
SCHRÖDER
HOUSE
There is just one Utrecht creation more famous than
the Rietveld chair: Miffy, the little rabbit Utrecht artist
Dick Bruna designed in 1955. In 50 years time, Miffy has
risen to international fame, not only as a character in
children’s book but also as a design icon. The dick bruna
huis has Dick Bruna’s work permanently on display but
will be closed for extensive renovation from July 2015 till
­December 2015.
The Rietveld Schröder House (also
known as the Schröder House) in
Utrecht was built in 1924 by Dutch
architect Gerrit Rietveld for Mrs.
Truus Schröder and her three children. The architectural masterpiece is
an icon of the city of Utrecht, con­
sidered as a highlight of ‘De Stijl’ and
is listed a monument on the UNESCO
World Heritage List since 2000.
nijntjemuseum.nl
rietveldschroderhuis.nl
UTRECHT SCIENCE
PARK & MODERN
ARCHITECTURE
The museum has an extensive collection of old,
­modern and applied art and fashion and city
­history collections. Besides it’s collection of old
masters, which includes paintings by Jan van Scorel
and Abraham Bloemaert, the museum also has
­contempory fashion and design and visual art on
display. The largest Rietveld collection in the world
including the famous Rietveld chair, is owned by the
Centraal Museum.
With Utrecht University as best university of the
Netherlands, University Medical Centre Utrecht
as one of the biggest public health facilities in
the country and many innovative companies and
research facilities, Utrecht Science park is the
heart of the knowledge based economy. A visit to
Utrecht Science Park can be an enriching
­experience; it offers many hidden treasures.
Internationally celebrated architects like Rem
Koolhaas, NL Architects, Wiel Arets and Eric
Egeraat designed award-winning buildings.
Utrecht Science Park has its own Central Park:
centrally located are the beautiful Botanic
Gardens. Utrecht University celebrates her 380th
­anniversary in 2016.
centraalmuseum.nl
utrechtsciencepark.nl
CENTRAAL MUSEUM
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CANALS AND WHARVES
MUSEUM SPEELKLOK
Because of the importance of Utrecht the city developed
into a busy centre of trade. No other city in the world has
comparable pedestrian quays along the water. They were
constructed centuries ago to allow access to the cellars
under the buildings lining the canals. Nowadays, many
wharf cellars house restaurants, boutiques, bohemian
cafes and bars.
The most musical museum in the Netherlands!
This museum has been collecting and repairing
instruments that play automatically and which
have provided fun for both young and old for
over 600 years.
museumspeelklok.nl
visit-utrecht.com
TRAJECTUM LUMEN
An exploratory expedition in the dark which takes in artistically highlighted locations in the magnificent Utrecht city
centre. From the centrally located Vredenburg, a light trail
leads to works of art by renowned light artists who bring
the present and past of the city to life.
trajectumlumen.com
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
SPOORWEGMUSEUM
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The Spoorwegmuseum is the largest museum of
Utrecht and tells the story of 175 years of railways in the Netherlands. The museum is located
in the Maliebaanstation and next to the beautiful train wagons you can see and go down an old
mine and visit the Orient Express and theatre.
Utrecht has an extensive number of cultural events
that continuously take place in and around the city.
From Monuments Day to theatre festival and from
musical event to the film festival. Utrecht teems with
cultural festivals all year round, and has the Cultural
Sundays; special days with a lively programme full
of theatre, dance, music, films, workshops, etc. on
large and small stages, squares and in parks.
spoorwegmuseum.nl
visit-utrecht.com
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EXPLORE UTRECHT
With its built-in combination of a rich past and dynamic
present, the 2000-year-old city of Utrecht is a very special
venue with a great selection of interesting museums and
cultural events, with programmes filled with theatre,
dance, art and culture. In addition, the historic city centre
is known for its lively yet intimate character and its
compact scale placing most locations of interest within
walking distance.
Utrecht is a perfect city for a surprising visit and is easily
accessible because of its favourable location in the heart
of the Netherlands, just 30 minutes by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
All press programmes are compiled according to the
requirements of the journalists. Programmes are customised and include overnight accommodation, a city guide,
admission tickets and suggestions. We can also organise
interviews..
Press Programme Suggestion
Day 1
Morning
Upon arrival in Utrecht you are
welcomed by Tourism Utrecht.
Check in at your accommodation
• Karel V
• Mother Goose Hotel
• B & B Het Gekroonde Visje
An experienced guide will show
you around in the city according
to your wishes. There are several
themed walks such as history,
architecture, shopping, museum
quarter.
Afternoon
Enjoy a delicious lunch in for
example
• Sector 3
• Stan & Co
• De Bakkerswinkel
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Climb the 465 steps of the
112-meters high Dom Tower
accompanied by a guide and enjoy
the spectacular view over the city
and surroundings. When you are
back with both feet on the ground,
go even further down and discover
the magical world of DOMunder
with a guide. Learn about the
interesting stories and see the
ruins of the former Dom square.
Day 2
Evening
Take a canal cruise through the
beautiful canals of Utrecht in the
afternoon and discover Utrecht
from the waterside.
Have dinner in one of the restaurants in a historic wharf cellar
at a magnificent location at the
Oudegracht.
Explore Utrecht by night by
walking Trajectum Lumen, an
exploratory expedition in the dark
taking in artistically highlighted
location in Utrecht city centre. End
the walk with a nice glass of wine
in Talud9 or Lefebvre.
After enjoying a nice breakfast
in your hotel visit the extensive
collection of ancient and modern
art the Centraal Museum. Afterwards hop on a bike and cycle to
the Rietveld Schröder House, for
an audio tour through the architectural masterpiece by Gerrit
Rietveld.
Attend a concert in TivoliVredenburg festival or event in the city
or take in an exhibition in one of
the many museum and end the day
with a (home-brewed) beer in city
castle Oudaen or Cafe Olivier
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UTRECHT
ACCESSIBILITY
Utrecht is conveniently located in the heart of the Netherlands on a crossroad
of rails, roads and waterways. Utrecht is the ideal operating base for a visit to
the Netherlands.
“If you want canals,
gothic architecture and
waxy cheeses without
having to dodge British
bachelor parties yakking
regurgitated Heineken
onto your souvenir clogs,
Utrecht beats the old
Amsterdam hands-down.”
TO UTRECHT
By train
Utrecht Central Station is the national hub,
with trains arriving from and departing to
every corner of the country almost every
minute. It also is an European train junction.
International trains from all over Europe
arrive daily, such as the high-speed Thalys
(Paris) and ICE International (Frankfurt).
Daily international trains from and to Brussels (2 hours), Cologne (2.5 hours) and Paris
(3.5 hours).
CN N
“One of the world’s most h­appiest places
to live. A compact city filled with delightful
cafes and restaurants, thousands of
students and many artists and musicians.
Along the Oudegracht, the central canal,
cellar-level bars and pubs line the
towpath, which is a charming place to
watch the boats and birds go by.”
nshighspeed.nl
Amsterdam and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
are just 30 minutes by train; Rotterdam and
The Hague at 45 minutes.
Station area
The station area is undergoing a ‘facelift’
with the ultimate goal to combine the station
and the old city centre. Inconvenience is limited as much as possible and Utrecht remains
easily accessible.
CU2030.nl
ns.nl
BBC
“Utrecht in top 10 ‘Unsung’ places of the
world: “Perhaps it’s the lure of Amsterdam
that leads people to forget Utrecht. Whatever
the reason, this graceful city is bizarrely
under-visited. Its old town is encircled
by a medieval canal, and you can hop on
a boat tour to visit the city’s bustling,
vibrant wharves.”
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IN UTRECHT
Within Utrecht you can travel on the modern and efficient public transport system,
or explore the city by foot as everything is
located within short distances. The number of
bikes in Utrecht, as in the other Dutch cities,
will baffle you. Bikes are by far the easiest
means of transportation, and can be rented
from several locations and hotels.
By car
Utrecht is located 40 km southeast of
­Amsterdam, 125 km from Antwerp and 175
km from Brussels. Surrounded by three of
Hollands largest highways, the city is within
easy reach from all directions.
amsterdam
(schiphol)
35 km
utrecht
rotterdam
L o n e ly P la n e
t
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Utrecht Press Office
T. +31 (0)30 236 00 42
pers@toerisme-utrecht.nl
visit-utrecht.com