Utrecht - ESNtrain

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The Netherlands / Utrecht
Utrecht’s ancient city-centre features many buildings and structures from its earliest origins onwards. It has been the religious centre of the Netherlands since the eighth century AD. Utrecht is
host to the largest university of the Netherlands, as well as other institutes for higher education.
Due to its central position within the country, it is an important transportation hub in the Netherlands. It has the second highest number of cultural events in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam.
Facts
Population
299’000
Official Website
www.utrecht.nl
Utrecht / Photo: M Nota
History
Although there is some evidence
of earlier inhabitation in the region of Utrecht, dating back to the
Stone Age (app. 2200 BC) and
settling in the Bronze Age (app.
1800-800 BC), the founding date
of the city is usually related to the
construction of a Roman fortification (castellum), probably built in
around 50 AD. The name of the
Utrecht fortress originally was sim-
ply Traiectum denoting its location
on the Rhine at a ford. Later the
name was adorned with the prefix Ultra (on the far side) to distinguish it from other settlements (for
example Mosa Trajectum Maastricht). Over time the two parts
of the name merged and evolved
into the current name (Utrecht). In
1579 the northern seven provinces of these Low Countries signed
the Union of Utrecht, in which they
decided to join forces against the
Spanish rule. The Union of Utrecht is seen as the beginning of the
Dutch Republic.
Basics
Public Transport
To save some money on public
transport, buy your blue ‘strippenkaart’ at any tabacco or bookshop.
Also available at kiosks, located in
the train station’s main terminal.
Taxi
Utrechtse Taxi Centrale; Tel. +31
30 23 00 400; www.utc.nl
Trains
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS);
ww.ns.nl
Airport
Schiphol Airport,
www.schiphol.com
Amsterdam;
Hospitals
The major academical hospital,
University Medical Center Utrecht
(UMCU), is located just outside
the city’s boundaries. Bus 11 and
12 take you there, get off at the
last stop. In case of a minor injury
call 0900 450 14 50 (0.10 € / min)
to contact the Central General
Practitioner’s Post. It’s located at
Rubenslaan 190 and opened 24
hours a day. Bus 12 and 13 in
direction of ‘de Uithof’ take you
there, get off at ‘Rubenslaan’ stop.
Internet
Free WiFi internet at Coffee Company (Vismarkt). Hotspots can be
found in the main station, Neude
Square (Le Journal) and the several University faculty libraries
within the city centre.
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Photo: Marco van Wijnbergen (www.mcclarity-media.nl)
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nightlife
‘Tivoli’ (2): Attend an Arctic Monkey - or Franz Ferdinand - alike
concert at this cozy venue. Also,
do not leave Utrecht without having visited ‘Cafe Belgie’ (over 20
beers on draft, 120 on bottle),
‘Oude Pothuys’ (daily live music
combined with tasty food, special beers in an old brewery down
by the Old Canal), ‘ACU’ (once a
squatted building, still is an alternative hang out) and the ‘Woolloomooloo’ (old WWII bunker,
turned into a club as part of the
city’s oldest fraternity).
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shopping
Stroll through the cozy streets of
Utrecht, nice shops can be found
along the Oude Gracht (Old Canal), Zadelstreet and Lijnmarkt.
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Norway
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Ove rste
Monuments
The Dom Tower (1) was built in
the Middle Ages (1321-1382)
and it shows the huge power and
wealth of the Christian Church
in Holland. It’s the highest tower
of Holland (112 m). The heaviest
bell is an amazingly 8.227 kg! The
bells are clinging every 15 min-
Sweden
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supermarket
Connected to Utrecht Central
Station is a mall (Hoog Catherijne) in which you can find Albert
Heyn, one of major supermarket
chains in the Netherlands. Not the
cheapest, but they do have about
everything you please. They also
have a Albert Heyn To Go, with
less stuff and higher prices located in the main terminal of the
train station.
Germany
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Utrecht / The NeTherlaNDs
insiDers
Food and Drinks
A must eat while in Utrecht is
‘Broodje Mario’ (Mario’s bread),
an Italian food stall that has been
located on both sides of Old Canal for over several decades.
There are also lots of take away
sandwiches and juice bars.
Poland
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Germany
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Czech Rep.
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Hungary
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