Morning Trip to Utretch

Today we set off early to Utrecht, the 4th largest city in Holland. Though only 60 km away from our home we have never been to the city centre. One could easily make a spelling mistake - is it Utrecht, Utrecth or Utretch - it's the later.

There were lots of roadwork going on around the city. The motorway being expanded and new flyovers are being built left, right and centre.

Much of the happenings in the city are centred around the area close to the Central Station. There is a huge mall called Hoog Catherijne (HC) attached to the Central Station. Apparently this mall is now more than 35 years old and will be pulled down or renovated, to be completed by 2020. When it was opened in 1973 Hoog Catharijne was the largest indoor shopping centre in Europe.

The most prominent building in the city is the Dom or Cathedral Tower. It is the tallest church tower in the country. The tower was built 1400 years ago at the height of Christianity in the country. The city has been the religious centre in Holland since the 8th Century.

The city itself is quiet old, founded over 2000 years ago. It used to be the most important city in Holland before Amsterdam and Rotterdam became more prominent as cultural and economic powerhouse.

As in UK where most of the renowned universities like Cambridge and Oxford were initiated by the Church, Utrecht also has its own university culture. The Utrecht university is the largest university in Holland. It is one of the largest in Europe, rated as the best university of the Netherlands, ninth best university in Europe, and 47th best in the world in the Academic Ranking of World Universities. Established in 1636, Utretch University now has an enrollment of nearly 30,000 students.