Utrecht: A Closer Look

by Dan · August 3, 2025

On Saturday, August 2, we took a private walking tour. We were a little apprehensive, given how long the food tour was, but it was a delightful stroll around Utrecht.

We started out catching a glimpse of a great crested grebe and her offspring.

We decided to walk to the meeting point since it was shorter than taking a bus. We walked through a Molenpark (more on that later), and an interesting tunnel.

Then the skies opened up and we (me particularly, since as a faithful Portlander I carried no umbrella) got drenched. The skies cleared as we met Lucy, our guide.

Gail loved this joyful statue so Lucy took a photo of us here.

And here

Homes along the canal

Count John of Nassau, who initiated the Union of Utrecht in 1579.

Over the entrance to the university of Utrecht’s garden is an image of its patron saint, Saint Martin, cutting his cloak to share with a poor man.

The building of Utrecht’s former main post office, completed in 1924. It’s now a library with no obvious books. The crest of Utrecht includes the Frenchwords “I will remain”.

More of the library

Utrecht skyline

A former secret church, now a restaurant

Remnants of the former church remain, over my head.

A broader view of the wall across from where we sat.

The old organ

A bigger view of the restaurant

The Poortgebouw is a multifunctional tower. The ground floor consists of restaurants and cafes. The first floor is occupied by shops, which use the second floor for retail space, storage, or staff quarters. Hotels occuppy the upper floors.

Mosque Ulu Camii

Walking back through Molenpark mentioned earlier, we see some geese

The playground in Molenpark

A petting zoo in Molenpark

The coolest feature of Molenpark is its sawmill. We escaped another downpour by ducking inside. Volunteers explained how the windmill worked, with a live demo of it cutting a board.