Us locals might think we know all of Utrecht’s tourist destinations – but we’re wrong. The nice thing about the book ‘111 places in Utrecht That You Must See ‘ is that there are loads of special and unsuspected places that many of us Utrechter’s may have yet to discover. After living and working in Utrecht for years, the city still had loads of secrets for the photographer and writer of the book admitted in the preface (the book is a new addition to the series ‘111 SPOTS’ by publisher THOTH). Its an absolute must have for those who want to know more about Utrecht.
Standard tourist destination companies like DomUnder, Paushuize and the Rietveld Schröderhuis have also been mentioned in the book. Fortunately, a whole list of other not so well known places also made it into “111 places in Utrecht You Must See”. From the hidden Dolehof Abraham and the Seven Alleys (Seven Alleys) in the city center to the Mill Star in Lombok, the Cereolfabriek along the Merwede, the trout pond at Ruigenhoek, and the Rhijnauwen and Brewery Maximus outside of the city center. With beautiful photography and informative stories, the reader is shown another side of Utrecht. And with this city guide in hand, you can explore and experience the city for yourself in a whole new way.
One of the stories in the book, is about the Springweg. Loads of numbers are use to tell the history of this part of town, but fortunately they do recommend you grab a drink at the beer bar Rat, to fuel up after the history lesson. The book is a must-have because it makes you curious to learn more about the city, and it’s useful to guide helps you take the tour yourself.
In my experience, a wonderful historical piece featured in the book is the Bruntenhof at Park Lepelenburg, which can be found on page 32. Lawyer Frederick Brunt had fifteen ‘Brunt Scam Eren’ build in his yard (Lepelenburg) in 1621. Poor widows were allowed to live there free or charge. In 2016, the small houses got expanded with kitchens and they are now permanently inhabited. The garden was a jungle for years, but now it’s been fully renovated by the municipality of Utrecht. Stepping into that back garden is now like stepping back in time.
We got the chance to read this book, as you might have guessed, before the public. But if you want to buy one, you will have to wait until the 17th of June. You can order a copy through the publisher’s website, and I recommend you do!
Do you have a favorite place and / or ideas on what could be the 112th must see place? Share it with us in the comments below and you can win a copy of the book.
Contribution by – Maurice Hengeveld – writer-editor-journalist.
111 places in Utrecht, you should have seen | Publisher Thoth | Price € 14.95
Pictures: Susanne Sterkenburg
Image Bruntskameren: Robert Walsem