UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS -: The residents of this handsome city that looks like it jumped off the pages of a Dutch fairytale are quick to tell me “we are the heart of The Netherlands.” There’s reasons for that:
Utrecht sits at the heart of this fabulous water-logged country; - Its city centre is shaped like a heart;
And throughout its long and distinguished history, Utrecht has offered a heart-felt welcome to religious refugees from across Europe. “In the 17th century, 45 per cent of our population came from elsewhere - people who, because of their beliefs, were rejected by other cities. But we in Utrecht have always opened our hearts to others and we still do,” says the guide who picks me up at Utrecht Centraal, the massive train station that is the “heart” of mass transit in The Netherlands. “If there’s a problem with the train system in Utrecht, then the whole country is affected - train service to Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and elsewhere will be disrupted,” says my guide, who meets me at the entrance of the sprawling station that sits in what looks like a massive construction zone.

Left: Like all Dutch cities, Utrecht relies heavily on bikes. Right: An historic street.

“Utrecht is experiencing a building boom like never before and the station is being enlarged to accommodate the many people moving here,” says the guide. While one of the oldest cities in The Netherlands - the Romans built a fortress on the present site of Dom Square - a large part of its population is made up of millenniums - 72.500 of its 340,000 population are students who attend the city’s world-renowned university, which was established in 1636.
No matter where you are in Utrecht, you can see legendary Dom Tower, which sticks up like a pin on a map. “Maybe you would like to climb to the top our tower?” asks the guide, who cautions, “but you’ll have to climb 465 steps to get to the top - there is no elevator.” Dom Square is Ground Zero for Utrecht history. And while Dom Tower is the square’s landmark, it also features the Gothic Dom Church and its beautiful Pandhof (monastery courtyard garden), and Utrecht University’s grand University Hall. But what’s most impressive about Dom Square is what lies under it.

Left: Canals in Utrecht have special storage spaces. Right: Miffy was born in Utrecht.

Remains of the old Roman fortress can be viewed on what’s called the DOMunder tour, a fascinating insight to 2,000 years of Dutch history. The underground tour explains why this mini-Amsterdam was the “heart” of The Netherlands during the Middle Ages. I decline to take the guide up on his offer to climb the narrow stairs that lead to the top of Dom Tower, but many others do. Another guide accompanies those fit enough to climb the highest church tower in The Netherlands, which was built in 1382 and rises 112 metres into the heavens. Halfway to the top, visitors get a chance to view the tower’s historic bells, which weigh in at 32,000kg. A little higher up, you’ll get to view the magnificent 17th century Hemony carillon and then two viewing galleries - one at 70 metres and the other at 95 metres -  provide spectacular views of the city and the entire diminutive province of Utrecht. The Pandhof is one of the most beautiful gardens in all of Europe and is wedged between St. Martin’s Cathedral and University Hall. It’s divided into two plots with herbs and plants separated from each other by low-lying hedges. In the middle of the splendid garden is a fountain with a bronze statue of the 14th-century priest, Hugo Wstinc, a legendary figure from the Middle Ages.
After touring Dom Square, my guide leads me through the narrow streets leading off the grand plaza where some handsome monument homes, dating back to 1651, are grouped together. “These homes were built by the very rich for the very poor,” says the guide. “They (the rich) thought by building these homes they would earn a place in heaven. They are very small and many students now rent them.”
The canals in Utrecht are not as numerous or grand as those you’ll find in Amsterdam, but the cellar doors leading off them are an odd feature not seen in other Dutch cities. “Behind those doors is storage space - some are large and run under those homes,” says the guide pointing to the massive mansions gathered along the banks.
Utrecht escaped any major damage during World War II, so much of the original city remains intact. Always a wealthy city, Utrecht features some of the loveliest parks in The Netherlands. One of the biggest tourist attractions in the city is the Rietveld Schröder House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was designed and built in 1924 by renowned Dutch artist and architect Gerrit Rietveld, a distinguished member of the De Stijl modern art movement, for Mrs. Truus Schröder-Schrader, a widow with three children in 1924.
In 2017, the Dutch celebrate the 100th anniversary of De Stijl, and Utrecht’s fascinating Centraal Museum is presenting works from members of the movement, including its founders, Piet Mondrian and Bart van der Leck.
Across the street from the Centraal Museum is the playful nijntje museum, home of Miffy, the beloved cartoon bunny character created by legendary Utrecht artist Dick Bruna. The Miffy Museum is a series of miniature worlds -10 rooms, each dedicated to a different subject. They invite young children to discover the world around them step by step. The smiles of the children exiting the museum are enough to convince me that it’s a success. Once visit will convince you that Utrecht just isn’t the heart of The Netherlands, it’s also its soul.