Utrecht – Snapping The Globe

After our visit to the opulent De Haar Castle, the return to Amsterdam was taking us back again through Utrecht. Seeing an opportunity to circumnavigate the ancient city center, albeit quickly, we decided to hop off of the train and make quick work of seeing a few landmarks.

Finally exiting the train station, after wandering aimlessly through the adjacent shopping center, a quick stop was made for soup and a sandwich. Realizing that the day was drawing to a close, I wanted to show my friend, Leianne, a few of the things that I had appreciated on a prior visit.

While at the castle, we had learned of the destruction that had been caused by a hurricane in 1674. The same storm had torn through the city and destroyed the nave of St. Martin’s Cathedral, or the Dom Church as it is more commonly known. The Church and the Dom Tower still stand separated by the non-existent nave, now the Domplein, a square with trees. Once the Netherlands’ largest church, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, it was also the cathedral of the Diocese of Utrecht during the Middle Ages. The tower, the hallmark of the city, is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. Standing at 367 feet high, it is on the spot where the city of Utrecht originated almost 2,000 years ago.

As we walked up the street toward these two magnificent structures we passed underneath the Dom Tower. Exiting on the church side, it was easy to imagine the hurricane force winds that caused the destruction many years ago. The wind was blowing so hard that we were almost unable to put one foot in front of the other.

Although we did not have time to do so on this day, climbing the Dom Tower can be a wonderful opportunity to see Utrecht from a higher vantage point. On a prior trip, I climbed the 465 steps to the top, stopping halfway to view the historic bells and the 17th century Hemony carillon.

Once we completed our visit of St. Martin’s Cathedral, we ducked into the Pandhof (courtyard) which is located between St. Martin’s Cathedral and the University Hall at Domplein. The Pandhof is a peaceful and picturesque monastery garden, where ornamental plants and herbs bloom. In the center of the garden is a fountain with a bronze statue of the 14th century priest Hugo Wstinc. One of the most beautiful enclosed gardens in Holland, it is worthy of a few minutes to step inside…and if you are lucky, there will be someone utilizing the magnificent acoustics and playing music for your enjoyment (or for a euro or two!)

Musician utilizing the acoustics at Pandhof

As the day ended, we walked around a bit more, just checking out the beautiful architecture and relaxed atmosphere that Utrecht has to offer, before making our return to Amsterdam. Having previously visited Utrecht, I know all that the city extends to visitors. Hopefully, despite the short time here, my friend gained some insight in to what a great place it is to spend time and she will return to inspect it further!

Check out more pictures on Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Utrecht

Getting there: Amsterdam Central to Utrecht, approximately 25 minutes, 5-6 departures per hour, approximtely 17€ roundtrip

Dom Tower

http://www.domtoren.nl/en
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00-17:00, Sunday and Monday, 12:00-17:00
Admission: Adults, 9€, Children (ages 4-12) 5€, Students/+65, 7,50€

St. Martin’s Cathedral

http://www.domkerk.nl/
Admission: Donations accepted
Daily, May-September 10:00-17:00, October-April 11:00-16:00, Saturday 10:00/11:00-15:30, Sunday 12:30-16:00

Located in the center of the Netherlands near Utrecht, De Haar Castle, is a medieval fortress complete with towers, ramparts, canals, gates and drawbridges. Entirely restored and partially rebuilt in the 19th century, it is a sight to behold and quite unlike anything you would expect from the less than flamboyant Dutch.

Getting to De Haar Castle was so much easier than I ever thought. Worried about changing trains in Utrecht and then to a bus in Vleuten, I had put off visiting De Haar Castle for quite some time. Laying in my bed the night before, trying to decide what to do the next day and knowing that the weather was not going to be optimum, I decided that in the very least, it was something to do that was indoors and probably worth the trip.

The agents in the Amsterdam train station were extremely helpful when purchasing our tickets. While checking train schedules, I knew that there were certain trains that provided a better connection in Utrecht, however, connect time was only about eleven minutes. The agent informed us which Utrecht train to take for the better connection, but gave us a choice…wait in Amsterdam Central a little longer for that train or go to Utrecht on a train leaving sooner and have more time for the connecting train in Utrecht. We decided on the first train, in the event that the other might be running behind…better to wait in Utrecht!

Travel to Utrecht is a quick twenty-six minutes. The station is not very large and finding the platform for the Vleuten train was brief and uncomplicated. The journey from Utrecht to Vleuten is only ten minutes. Walking down from the platform, take a left, under the tracks and you will see the bus stop straight ahead on the left. The #111 bus to De Haar Castle (on certain days) runs approximately every thirty minutes and drops off right in front of the castle.

The ride to the castle is quite short, through the beautiful countryside. Before we realized, the bus was coming to a stop and we had our first glimpse of the castle’s outer walls. A short walk led us to the gatehouse, the courtyard and the ticket office. Walking toward the impressive castle through the front gardens, one can imagine how lovely it would be during the spring and summer months when everything is in bloom.

Tours begin on the top of the hour so there was some time to walk around and take pictures of the beautiful grounds and the castle’s exterior. After finally entering the castle, we found a coat check room and lockers for our belongings. We also found a sign stating that no pictures are allowed…very disappointing for this photography lover!

The hour long tour take you through different parts of the grand home, from the kitchen to the guestrooms and touches on the history of the castle. In 1890, De Haar was inherited by Baron Etienne van Zuylen who was wed to Baroness Helene de Rothschild. Plans were made to rebuild the castle which was in disrepair, with architect Pierre Cuypers in 1892, a project that took 20 years to complete. The castle has 200 rooms and 30 bathrooms, of which only about 10 are shown on the tour.

Interior photos (of course, we sneaked a few)

Surrounding the castle are magnificent gardens designed by Hendrik Copijn. Many waterworks can be found throughout as well as a formal garden modeled after those of Versailles. The village of Haarzuilens, formerly located where the park was to be built, was demolished for construction of the gardens, with the exception of the town church, and moved further up the valley, where it can be visited today. Most of the buildings were designed by Pierre Cuypers and his son Joseph. The coat of arms does not only live on in the colors of the castle, but also in nearly all of the houses in Haarzuilens.

Upon completion of our tour, we once again returned to the grounds, fighting the wind and drizzle, finding the chapel, which we had hoped to visit, closed. It was easy to imagine how returning during the warmer months would be extremely enjoyable, venturing out into the sunshine to encounter the Rose Garden, the Roman Garden, ponds, canals, bridges, vistas and impressive avenues. Reading somewhere that each season at the castle has its own charm, I can promise you that due to the ornery weather, winter’s charm was not going to be experienced during our visit…only winter’s misery!

Catching the bus at the same location, we returned to the Vleuten train station for the brief journey to Utrecht and Amsterdam.

One would expect a castle of this caliber to be found throughout other parts of Europe, not the Netherlands. Thanks to the Van Zuylen family, however, it is one that you can experience on a trip to the country most known for its windmills and cheese. If you are in search of history and architecture, then, De Haar Castle is worth the effort.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

De Haar Castle

http://www.kasteeldehaar.nl/english-version/
Opening Hours: January 4-March 13, daily, 11:00-17:00. March 14-June 30, daily, 10:00-17:00. Tours depart on the hour, last tour 16:00.
Admission: Castle entrance and all day park access, Adults, 14,00€, Children (ages 4-12), 9,00€, Children (under 4), free
Admission: Park entrance only, Adults 4,00€, Children (ages 4-12), 3€, Children (under 4), free
Getting there: Trains depart for Utrecht from Amsterdam Central station regularly. From Utrecht Central Station take the train to Vleuten (train destination: Den Haag Centraal, not the intercity, but the sprinter). At Vleuten station, go down the stairs and turn left to the bus station. Take bus #111 on Wednesday, weekends and special holidays. Bus will drop you right next to the castle. For other days, take bus #127 to Breukelen and get off at the “Kasteel” bus stop at Haarzuilens. From here, it’s a 15 minute walk to the castle.
Additional option: On a nice day, rent a bike in Utrecht and ride to the castle, about one hour and 15 minutes.

Category: Utrecht

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