Utrecht, Netherlands Wednesday, August 26, 2026
I enjoy our neighborhood flowers on the way to the bus stop. We took the train from the Amsterdam Central to Utrecht Central.
The train station was next to the largest mall in the Netherlands. The architecture was ultra modern. We walked through the modern mall to reach the Wednesday Vredenburg Market.
We found gorgeous flowers,
all kinds of cheeses to sample,
and several fish markets.
This gentleman was frying fish for the upcoming lunch lines that were forming.
We really enjoyed sampling many of the cheeses from the region. Yum!
We turned down a narrow alley called De Zakkendtagerstleeg or Porter's Alley. It is a narrow historic alley located in the center of Utrecht that was used during the Middle Ages. Local transport workers called sack carriers used this path to carry goods from the boats of the canal up to the nearby market.
I fell in love with this unique little brick laiden alley.
A 200 year old red beech tree was spotted in an English garden
through the inside of the de Zakken Drager Restaurant.
How majestic!
How lucky we were to stumble upon this jewel of a place.
Cool painting in the alley....painted on a door.
The name on the door is spelled backwards...
Lorenzo Italo Renezal
This image shows a painted gable marker featuring a yawning face (known as a gaper) in 1622. Reminiscent of the historical sack carriers (zakkendrager), these stone carvings are found in Dutch alleyways like Utrecht's Zakkendragersteeg.
Walking out of the alley was a colorful arched bridge over the canal.
How fortunate we were to have such lovely weather.
We meandered the walkways of shops and cozy cafes.
Jeans were hung as street decor. It was interesting to see all the different styles.
We wandered around the cafe of the Museum Spleelkiok.
It would have been delightful to hear some of them; however, they were often just showcased and not used for demonstration.
Charles Morgan showcased this device developed from left over pieces of clocks, pipe organs and other guts of musical instruments that were put together and activated by a rolling marble.
What a unique item displayed in a window that we just happened up on.
Walking here was a dream. Every which way was a delightful sight!
The canals here are different from Amsterdam.
Because the city is above sea level, they decided to put cellars near the water line so cargo wouldn't have to be hoisted up to the buildings. Today many of these are cellars are used for restaurants, cafes and shops. It is appealing to sit by the water and have a cool drink.
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Our first sighting of Dom Tower.
We wandered into Flora's Hof, a walled garden.
These damaged replicas of the Wimbergen from the cloister are displayed prominently in the wall Garden.
While Larry and I sat in the garden, calliope music played on the other side of the wall. It was so much fun to listen to.
A Palm tree in the Netherlands...yep, this one is surviving.
Dom Tower view from the Walled Garden.
These begonias were absolutely gorgeous.
Larry and I giggled about this sign. We wondered what it said and broke out the translator on our phone.
" Do not enter"
Dom Square
Bicycling is widespread all over the Netherlands.
We are missing having ours today.
Inside the Dom Church
After the Romans withdrew around 270 AD, the Franks built the first church in this spot in the fort around 635. This church/ cathedral has gone through numerous reconstruction and repairs. The last
restoration occurred in 1979 and 1988. The history of this cathedral is fascinating.
Occasionally we came across street stones with cool messages.
The walking path often has many different sizes of paving stones
Old Town view of Dom Tower
Canoes, kayas, paddle boards, paddle boats, tourist boats and personal boats float down these canals. Some how it all works. Swimming is not allowed.
We took a canal boat ride.
It was a lovely thing to do after walking all morning.
Cafes were set up on the wharf cellar level.
Looking up gave us a different perspective.
King of the Netherlands
This gentleman purchased a cellar for his home.
He is the only known resident on the canal.
The white fence is placed at the bottom of each stairway....to prevent folks from walking straight into the water.
The old canal ends.....
and the newer part of the canal begins.
A fountain in the newer part of the canal
The park like paths looked inviting.
Newer style bridges on this part of the canal
A space ship has landed...Not really ...the city placed several objects in a variety of places for tourist to spot when looking from the Dom Tower.
The new part of the canal is very natural, almost like a park.
Our boat passed under the mall.
The remains of a past castle are under the mall.
An unusual piece of architecture
A life-size, working replica of a 15th-century wooden city crane that originally operated in the city. It features the only functioning treadmill of its kind in Europe. Children used to operate the treadmill so that men could operate the crane.
Larry and the Boat Captain
We had a wonderful day in Utrecht.
Walking the streets, beautiful sights, beautiful weather, and a fabulous canal ride...
what more could we have asked for!
what more could we have asked for!
We jumped on the train and caught the bus back to our little nest in Amsterdam.
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