interessant.in / Utrecht

At the canal of Oudegracht you will find a bit of "Down Under", honoring the contemporary art of the original inhabitants of the Australian continent, the Aboriginals. The Aboriginal Art Museum Utrecht (AAMU) regularly offers thematical exhibitions along with the regular collection.

The power of wood

Opening Saturday April 25th is The power of wood, in which wooden objects get the center stage. Creating wooden objects stems from a long tradition in the Australian Aboriginal cultures. You will see sculptures, poles, a broad selection of paintings on tree bark and dazzling installations of richly decorated didgeridoos and objects such as boomerangs, bowls and shields.

Tour de France

Of course the famous international bicycling race, Tour de France, does not pass unnoticed; The projects "Art Bikes" and "Tour Down Under" connect art to cyclism. More details about these projects can be found on the AAMU website.

Photos:

• Exterior: Anna van Kooij
• Tour: Marnix Schmidt.

For a spectator watching the Skate Parade is plain old fun. As a participant participating in the event it is more fun! Is this sport? Just wanting to be seen? Or doing something fun with your friends? No matter which, every skater (or roller blader) is welcome.

Skate Parade: every Friday

Every Friday from May First up until September 25th the Skate Parade starts at 8:00 PM at Lucas Bolwerk. Young as well as old(ish) take on 2 x 10 k of skating through Utrecht. At the halfway point there is a break at Wilhelminapark. The route takes you through the North, East and South of Utrecht and crosses the center of the city. The perfect organization takes care of stopping the traffic and provides skaters with the right-of-way for one night a week. And the music keeps your adrenalin pumping.

Special skate parades

Friday May 8th a special Skate Parade is scheduled, in which radio station 3FM dj Sander Hoogendoorn will be in charge on the music platform.

On Friday May 22nd the (ice) skating brothers Ronald and Michel Mulder (olympic and world champions on asphalt as well as ice) under the supervision of the Utrecht Skate Parade a 'Skate for MS'. This charity skate will be 25 k through the center of Utrecht. During the parade you will have an opportunity to donate to the MS Research Foundation.

More details about the program, the exact route and the rules of engagement including recommended safety measures can be found on the web site.

Photos: Marco de Klerk

Submerge yourself in 2000 years of history. Grab the smart flashlight and go on an underground exploration full of exiting stories and archeological artefacts..

Discover the Roman times and Middle Ages with modern aids

DOMunder allows you to experience history from the time the Romans built the castellem Trajectum, around 45 A.D. And why was Utrecht the center of the Netherlands in the middle ages? You can even experience the destructive tornado that caused the nave of the Dom to collapse in 1674. DOMunder brings the history buried under the Dom Square to life for all to experience and see, young and old alike.

A visit to DOMunder begins at Domplein 4: here you can purchase tickets and visit ancient cellars. Special guided archeological tours can also be arranged tor those who want to dig deeper.

Prestigious award

DOMunder was honered om April 29th in London with Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence 2015 in the category International. DOMunder receives the award for the experience design developed by the Utrecht consultanting company Tinker imagineers in cooperation with JDdV Architects. “We loved the innovative and creative use of technology which was an intelligent solution to the challenge of interpreting archaeology, successfully creating a sense of place and bringing structural foundations to life!”, said the jury.

Photos: Oliver Schuh

History

This enclosed garden has been restored, but its existance at one point was questionable. After the original construction (in the years 1390-1440) the courtyard was in use as a cloister garden, and if you take the time to sit down here, you can almost feel that. But in the eighteenth and nineteenth century the courtyard had ended up in a terrible state and was in use as storage space and sometimes even as soldiers' quarters. There was much to do about the ownership of this courtyard, the church and the tower. State, city council and the Dutch Reformed Church had their claims on these buildings and grounds. During the French occupation the Dom church had become property of the State, and it took until 1826 before all ownership issues where clarified. But that did not necessarily mean that the prospective owners started to care about this historical site and the buildings surrounding it. An adjacent Medeval house belonging to the cloister was torn down. Not until the end of nineteenth century the courtyard was restored into its current state. 

You may enter the courtyard both from the Dom square as well as from the street called "Achter de Dom" (behind the Dom); entrance is free. Wander through the archway and admire the garden from each possible direction. The courtyard is a great place to experience some peace and quiet in the heart of the city!

In a time where Amazon.com has taken over the books landscape, it is truly a relief to walk into bookstore Interglobe, which is specialized in travel. No matter in which direction you will look, you will see travel guids and maps!

There is no destination too remote or obscure for this store. Most likely they will even have detailed maps of the place you plan to visit. You don't know yet where your next trip will take you? Be inspired here. Djibouti, Congo Brazzaville, Azerbeidzjan, Angola, Brunei, Equador, Fiji, Montenegro, if you can think of the place, they will provide you with a selection of guides and maps.

History

The history of the gardens, intended for research and education, goes back to 1639. Initially, these gardens were located at nearby Sonnenborgh, but were moved in 1723 to this location because of insufficient space. After World War Two the botanical gardens were moved to Science Park Utrecht (de Uithof), but fortunately the location on Lange Nieuwstraat was preserved, mostly thanks to a foundation of friends of the Old Hortus and the University Museum moving to this location.

What will you find here?

Within the Hortus you will find several gardens, such as the Regius garden (intended to grow and research medicinal plants and herbs) and a cottage garden. In the renovated greenhouses you will find a variety of plants. The most famous inhabitants of the Old Hortus are probably the Ginkgo Biloba or Japanese Nut Tree, sometimes called Temple Tree, (about 250 years old and possibly the first Ginkgo in Europe) and the Victoria Amazonica, a huge waterlily with a cross section of 5 to 6 feet that blooms at night.  The website of the Hortus offers an overview of plants and trees you may find there.

When the eleventh century church of St Mary's was torn down in the 19th century, the garden and covered walkway were fortunately spared - but only because they were on the property of the neighboring Old-Catholic Church.

This cloister garden is a hidden spot on Mariaplaats, right next to the building for Arts and Sciences (currently hosting the Utrecht Conservatorium or University of Arts, Music branch). Walk through the covered walkway and enjoy the view through the arches. The well-maintained garden hosts many different and unusual flowers and plants (full list on the Dutch website below). Make sure to also visit adjacent Mariahoek with its stately houses and quiet atmosphere.

Foto's: 1. Anne Hamers / Toerisme Utrecht; 2, 3: Interessant.in/utrecht

Part of Utrecht University

The Botanical Gardens go back to 1639, when the first hortus was set up at the Sonnenborgh location (where you will now find the Sonnenborgh museum and observatorium). The gardens have moved several times since and are now located at Utrecht Science Park (de Uithof). The gardens initially served research and education, but gradually the public function and nature preservation became important objectives as well. And that is why we can now enjoy the beauty of nature here.

Multiple gardens

You will find six completely different gardens here, each hosting their specific biotopes: The Rock Garden (one of the largest in Europe), the System Garden, the subtropical greenhouses, the Outer Fortress (the Botanical Gardens are located on the grounds of a former fortress), the Topical Garden and the Tiny Creatures Garden.

The Gardens are meticulously maintained, with the exception of the Outer Fortress, where the purpose is to maintain a 'poor' state, so local vegetation can sustain itself here. As a result, this zone can become quite savage.

The Botanical Gardens are opened daily between March 1st and December 1st and located within the Utrecht Science Park de Uithof.

Colorful evenings and nights

In the evening and at night Utrecht shows itself from another perspective. In the dark suddenly a route comes to life past illumnated buildings and objects, that has inspired many photographers. This project encompasses buildings that are illuminated in a special (and often dynamic) way, and light objects offering surprising effects. Trajectum Lumen (or: illuminated Utrecht) wants to take you by the hand.

Maybe you have already asked yourself this question when walking through the city: what are these small lights in the pavement? At night the answer becomes obvious: they form the route of Trajectum Lumen.

The route

Start at Vredenburg and turn into Zakkendragersteeg. You will walk past Neudeflat (by locals generally considered the ugliest building in town), Town Hall, Willebrordus Church, St John's Church, Pausdam, Dom Tower, Buurkerk and the end destination is Mariaplaats. This meandering  route takes you across the Oudegracht waterway four times so you can discover the beautifully lit bridges.

There are regular guided tours, during which the guides explain the ideas behind the light art. Check the website for these tours. A map of the route and a description of the light art work can be downloaded there as well, so you should be able to enjoy the walk without a guide as well.

Trajactum Lumen is an initiative of the City of Utrecht and is co-sponsored by the European Union and the Department of Commerce.

Source photos:

1, 2, 3. Merijn van der Vliet / Toerisme Utrecht, 4. Anne Hamers / Toerisme Utrecht

The "Zeven Steegjes", or Seven Alleys,  in Utrecht consist of these streets: Korte Rozendaal, Lange Rozendaal, Kockstraat, Brouwerstraat, Boogstraat, Moutstraat, Suikerstraat and Fockstraat; if you counted, you will have noticed eight alleys.

The charitas of the Roman-Catholic parish started as early as 1842 constructing housing for families with large numbers of children and a dependency of the help of the church. During this time period, as a result of the fear for epidemies, interest increased in the health aspects of housing. For instance, the city regulators demanded an end to deadend streets, as ventilation and airing were considered good steps against diseases and epidemies.

Not until the fifties of the previous century these little row houses were provided with on-premise toilet facilities. Since then, there have been several renovations and much discussion whether to tear down these houses, that barely meet modern demands. However, that threat was averted and this historical section of housing development was saved.

During sunny days, much of the social life in this neighborhood is lived out in the narrow streets (which are pedestrian zones). This one of the parts of town where you can still hear the authentic Utrecht dialect (which does not necessarily sound nice in the ears of others).

It's there every Saturday, regardless of the weather, but of course it is more fun to wander through this small flower market on a nice spring or summer day: flower stalls offer flowers, plants and little seedlings for vegetable and herb gardens. It is a feast of color and you will have a hard time resisting the tempation of buying something.

The flower market is open every Saturday (with the exception of Christmas and New Year's Day).

Source photos:

• 1: Anne Hamers / Toerisme Utrecht
• 2: Martijn Kleimeer / Toerisme Utrecht
• 3, 4, 5: Jurjen Drenth / Toerisme Utrecht