Location
Utrecht
The city of Utrecht is more than 1300 years old and may rightly be called the “Heart of The Netherlands” for its central geographical position in the country.
The city of Utrecht is an interesting place to visit. It has a very lively atmosphere due to a large student population (about 30.000 students).
The canals in the city-center of Utrecht form a unique attraction. Many of the cellars along the canals contain restaurants and small shops.
One can either take a stroll along the canals or use a boat to navigate them. In the evening this area of Utrecht forms a center of nightlife boasting many pubs, clubs, cinemas, theatres, etc.
Probably the most noticeable landmark in Utrecht is the Dom Tower, the tallest and finest church tower in Holland.
The tower was part of the medieval cathedral of Utrecht and was built between 1321 and 1382. It rises 112 meters high and can be climbed using 465 steps.
Venue
This edition's conference venue is the Academiegebouw,
located at the foot of the Dom-tower in the center of Utrecht. The Academiegebouw is the academic center of Utrecht University, where all its official ceremonies take place.
The main room of this building, in which the "Union of Utrecht" was signed in 1579, is of special importance,
as the treaty signified the start of The Netherlands as one state.
Accessibility
Because of its central geographical position in the country, the city of Utrecht has good connections with all the main cities and airports in the Netherlands.
The Utrecht Centraal railway station is a main node of the Dutch railway network and also serves as a major regional bus station.
By plane:
Because of its centric position in the country, Utrecht is well connected to several airports in the area:
Schiphol Airport [AMS] (35 minutes): Schiphol is a major international airport and gateway for people traveling to Europe. Direct flights can be taken from almost any country in the world to Schiphol. From Schiphol Airport there are direct trains leaving for Utrecht every 15 minutes. The train station is inside the airport, and has direct access from Schiphol's main hall. You can buy tickets at one of the several vending machines or at the train information desk. The train-ride to Utrecht takes about 30-35 minutes.
Rotterdam Airport [RTM] (1 hour): this airport is an alternative destination (specially for some low-fare airlines). Bus service 33 operates between Rotterdam Airport and Rotterdam Central Station. Bus 33 departs every 10 minutes and the transit-time is approximately 20 minutes. The bus stop is right next to the terminal building. Travelcards suitable for local buses can be purchased at the Information Service Desk on Rotterdam Airport. From Rotterdam Central Station there are direct trains connecting to Utrecht Central Station. The train-ride takes about 35-45 minutes.
Eindhoven Airport [EIN] (1 hour 20 minutes): this airport is another destination for standard and low-fare airlines. Bus service 401 connects Eindhoven airport to Eindhoven Central Station and the transit-time is approximately 25 minutes. From Eindhoven Central Station there are direct trains connecting to Utrecht Central Station. the train-ride takes about 50 minutes.
Other airports in the area with a good connection by train:
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By train
Quite some international trains stop at Utrecht Central Station. For all those that do not stop in Utrecht, travellers can change trains in Amsterdam Central Station or Rotterdam Central Station.
The Dutch Railway System (NS) is overal fast an efficient. Those interested can find a travel planner (in English) at www.ns.nl, but trains are often so frequent that it is not uncommon for the Dutch to go to the railway station unprepared and just see when the next train goes. Reservations are not available for domestic trains and are also not necessary; there usually is enough space. For a few international trains (like the superfast ICE to Germany or Thalys to France) there is a surcharge required ("toeslag vereist") when used for domestic trips. Usually best approach is not to bother and take the next regular domestic train instead.
Notice that in the timetables (as posted at the railways stations) only the departure time is given, and not the time the train will reach its destination. Furthermore, during the train ride the stations are not always called in advance, so one has to watch carefully when to get out.
As the NS is cutting back on its staff, most tickets are nowadays sold by vending machines. Note that the new model vending machine does not take cash; it accepts plastic only (debit-cards as well as some credit-cards). It is still possible, however, to buy a ticket at the counter; for this an extra fee of € 0.50 per ticket is charged.
For the Dutch railways, a travel planner is available on the NS-website. Also available is a travel planner that takes two arbitrary addresses in the Netherlands and calculates how to get from A to B by all combinations of public transport. |
Restaurants in Utrecht
Click here to download the pdf of the map that shows some well known restaurants, café's and bars in Utrecht city center.
eating
Restaurants can be found around the squares or along the Oudegracht. Some bars also serve food. If one would like to try typical dutch food, the Oude Muntkelder serves Dutch pancakes. Dutch snacks include patat (French fries) with mayonnaise, kroket and frikandel.
drinking
Café's and bars can be found also around the squares and along the Oudegracht. See the map for some of the better knowns, or the links at the bottom.
see also
World Wide Utrecht - Lots of useful information about Utrecht, very good page.
http://www.holland.com/utrechtstad/gb/ - Official Utrecht tourism page.
http://www.phys.uu.nl/~ing/TipsTripsGoingOut.html
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