Recently I spent a weekend in Utrecht and I loved this charming city in the Netherlands! Many call it “Amsterdam’s cool little sister” and I totally agree! You can find the same building styles, canals and vibe, but smaller and less crowded. Even though Utrecht doesn’t have many must see sights, it really is a city you must visit and experience. I stayed for the weekend there, but spending one day in Utrecht is enough to explore it at its fullest.

One day in Utrecht

The canals

For some reason I always like a city when it has canals running through it. Utrecht is no exception. What makes its canals even more original are the wharves that make it possible to walk right beside the water ànd the wharf cellars, often transformed into restaurants, bars and even hotel rooms! During Summer a lot of people rent small boats or canoes to enjoy the water and kids are even swimming in the canals!

The streets

Walking through the streets in Utrecht is never boring. There are architectural gems to spot everywhere. I love the big windowed houses, like the ones you so often see in Amsterdam. What I also like to do is to look for crooked houses. There are plenty to find in Utrecht. Don’t forget to look for the Mitty traffic light with its rainbow crossing!

The shops

Of course you can find all the big chains here, but Utrecht also has a lot of boutiques, concept stores and cute little shops. My favorites are Guts & Gusto, My Jewellery and It’s a present! where you can buy the funniest wish cards and cutest stuff. At Stach you can buy freshly made macaroons and chocolate chip cookies that look to die for!

The restaurants and bars

There are so many great restaurants and bars at Utrecht. Especially the ones in the wharf cellars beside the water are great to have lunch or dinner and watch boats passing by. My favorites:

Kimmade: Vietnamese restaurant in one of the wharf cellars at the Oudegracht aan de Werf. I loved the homemade peach ice tea and the Bún Gà Nuong Chá Giò (rice noodle salad with grilled marinated chicken & fried chicken spring rolls
Beers & Barrels: Another wharf cellar restaurant offering delicious burgers and a lot of different beers.
Poké Perfect: at the Korte Jansstraat offering freshly made poké bowls
Café Ledig Erf: great homemade strawberry lemonade
Ele Tapas Restaurant: Spanish wharf cellar restaurant offering great Sangria!

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