Utrecht for Couples

Couples tend to like Utrecht for its mix of old stone, still water and good food. The ideas below start with the things worth booking first, then cover the evening, the hotels and the small details that make a trip run smoothly. Prices are in euros, and card payment is expected.

Four things to book first

  1. A table at Restaurant Karel 5. It is at Geertebolwerk 1, inside the 14th-century former headquarters of the Teutonic Order, the Duitse Huis. Chef Leon Mazairac leads the kitchen. It is reported to hold a Michelin star, which is worth confirming in the current guide before you reserve.
  2. A slot at the Rietveld Schröder House. The 1924 house on Prins Hendriklaan 50 shows De Stijl design through primary colours, planes of white and grey, and walls that slide. Online slots begin three months ahead, hold up to 8 people and cost 19 euros for adults. Reserve on the house’s booking page .
  3. A boat on the Kromme Rijn. Botenverhuur De Rijnstroom, Weg naar Rhijnauwen 2, rents rowboats (13 euros an hour for up to five people) and Canadian canoes (15 an hour). Reserve online. You paddle upstream beside the Amelisweerd forests and stop at Theehuis Rhijnauwen, Rhijnauwenselaan 16 in Bunnik, for pancakes or tea by the water. The rental details are on rijnstroom.nl .
  4. A brewery tasting. Stadskasteel Oudaen, at Oudegracht 99, brews in the cellar of a medieval townhouse-castle. Reserve through oudaen.nl .

The evening

Eat on the Oudegracht wharf, where the cellars are built of brick vaults at water level. WT Urban Kitchen, at Heuveloord 25A in the Rotsoord district, serves multi-course menus in a converted water tower. After dinner, walk the Nieuwegracht, which has historic gas lanterns, wrought-iron bridges and lit cellars. Utrecht Lumen, a free light route of about 1.5 hours, runs in the evening; check the Lumen map for dates.

Keep to the upper street after drinks. The lower wharves have no railings and the water is deep and cold.

Where to stay

  • Grand Hotel Karel V is a five-star property in a 14th-century monastery, with enclosed gardens, at Geertebolwerk 1.
  • The Court Hotel (Korte Nieuwstraat 14) and Mother Goose Hotel (Ganzenmarkt 26) are sister boutique hotels. Mother Goose is in two buildings from the 14th century and has no restaurant, so breakfast is served at The Court Hotel.
  • Eye Hotel (Wijde Begijnestraat 1 to 3) has 36 rooms in what was the first Dutch eye clinic.

Small details

Utrecht is a cashless city, so bring a card or phone. Do not swim in the central canals, and if you want a swim in open water the city lists Strijkviertelplas, Voorveldse Polder and Haarrijnseplas. On the street, pedestrians should stay off the red cycle lanes.

Read more: Walking Tours in Utrecht and the Netherlands three day itinerary .

Booking help

Rooms in the old centre are listed on Booking.com .