interessant.in / Utrecht / Active

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

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