Utrecht's upbeat vibe has a lot to do with its young population—this city of bars, bikes, cafés, and culture, has the largest student population in the Netherlands. In the leafy historic center, atmospheric eating and drinking establishments occupy wide, canal-side wharves and vaulted cellars. Throughout 2013, the city will celebrate 300 years since the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht—which ended conflict between Europe's main rulers—with a host of cultural events.
Picture: Utrecht – Courtesy of Qsimple via flickr
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2013 Festivals and Events
Events to mark the tercentenary of the Treaty of Utrecht kick off on April 13 with the Battle for Peace: This modern take on the lavish celebrations that followed the treaty's signing will include music, theater, and fireworks on the roof of the new A2 road tunnel in Leidsche Rijn, the center of "new" Utrecht. The Treaty of Utrecht Foundation has also organized a citywide party over the midsummer weekend (June 21–23). Utrecht's main museums are planning a full slate of exhibitions and events, under the theme War and Peace. In addition to the treaty celebrations, the annual Holland Animation Film Festival (March 20–24), includes the MovieSquad HAFF Award, decided by a jury of teenagers, while a major new performing arts festival (May 16–26) will merge two of Utrecht's key, long-standing events, Springdance and Festival aan de Werf. The festival (its name is still to be announced) will include contemporary theater, dance, and music presented in innovative ways throughout the city. Keep an eye on the Arts Holland website for updates.
Picture: Pass the Peace, Treaty of Utrecht – Courtesy of the Treaty of Utrecht Foundation
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Rietveld Schröder House
Listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rietveld Schröder House is the creation of influential Dutch designer and architect Gerrit Rietveld. Constructed in 1924 on the principles of De Stijl, the modest home was groundbreaking in its day, for its supreme functionality—sliding walls allow the upstairs rooms to be converted into a single, open-plan space—as well as its appearance of rigorous vertical and horizontal lines, with blocks of primary colors paired with white, gray, and black. The house is just over a mile from Utrecht's center: Free bikes and directions are available at the Centraal Museum. Book your visit in advance; visitor numbers are strictly limited.
Picture: Rietveld Schröder House – Courtesy of Rietveld Schröder House
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Centraal Museum
Housed in a former convent, the Centraal Museum has a remarkably diverse collection that includes a 10th-century cargo ship, furniture by Gerrit Rietveld, an exquisite 17th-century dollhouse, as well as the dick bruna huis, which displays a permanent retrospective of the local author and artist who created the internationally popular Miffy children's books. The museum is also strong on fashion: A current exhibition placing denim in a historical context will run through March 10, 2013. As part of the exhibition, visitors are given the opportunity to customize a pair of old jeans in a well-equipped studio.
Picture: Centraal Museum, Architectural Review – Courtesy of Centraal Museum
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Toonkamer
Fans of high quality, contemporary Dutch furniture can hop on a bike and head south of Utrecht's center to Toonkamer, where 30 leading furniture manufacturers exhibit their wares over two floors in a former factory. Highlights include Pastoe, which has been producing understated, modular furniture in the De Stijl vein for a hundred years. Pilat&Pilat specializes in smooth, large-scale tables, and Label is known for its beautiful leather furnishings. Looking for the next big name? There's also a section for design students to show off their creations. While Toonkamer is a commercial showroom, there is no pressure to buy.
Picture: Tookamer – Courtesy of Tookamer
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Trajectum Lumen
Trajectum Lumen is a trail of artistic light installations dotted around the city center that is visible from sunset to midnight. You can follow the route for free—lit-up arrows and eyes set in to the pavements, plus a downloadable map, help keep you on the right track—or pay for a guided tour. En route, you'll come across the city's coat of arms illuminated on the cobbles, which then magically appears to flutter up to the top of the Dom Tower. Elsewhere, an illuminated yellow and white halo sits above a church, graffiti is projected on to a canal-side wall, a Harry Potter-esque image of an owl appears in an oval panel above the entrance to a university building, and a medieval tunnel is lit up in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Picture: Trajectum Lumen – Courtesy of Merijn Van Der Vliet
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Hotel Dom
The Hotel Dom is a renovated 18th-century mansion in the heart of Utrecht's historical center, near the landmark Dom Tower. The 11 spacious bedrooms are minimalist white with contrasting dark wood floors. Sheer white drapes separate the bathrooms with freestanding tubs from the main bedrooms, preserving modesty but only just. The hotel's restaurant (we recommend the gourmet burgers, and pork with wild mushrooms) and the cocktail bar are similarly minimalist but lit by geometric-patterned lamps. It attracts a trendy crowd, particularly on the monthly Fancy Friday nights, with live DJs.
Picture: Hotel Dom – Courtesy of Hotel Dom
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Discover the art and culture packed into Holland's four major cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague by visiting www.artsholland.com.
This vibrant, youthful city has an eventful year in store for visitors