Romantic Weekend in Utrecht
A weekend in Utrecht works well for couples because the pleasures are close together: a quiet canal, a fine dinner, a rowing boat, and lit streets at night. Here is one way to spread them over three days, with the details you need to book. Prices are in euros, and cards are accepted almost everywhere.
Friday evening: arrive and walk
Check in, then stroll the Nieuwegracht, the calmer of the two main canals. Gas lanterns, wrought-iron bridges and lit wharf cellars give it a soft glow after dark. If you still have energy, follow Utrecht Lumen, a free light-art route of around 1.5 hours that runs in the evening. The Lumen map shows which evenings are lit. Keep away from the edge of the lower wharves, which have no barrier.
Saturday: boat, pancakes and dinner
Hire a rowing boat or Canadian canoe at De Rijnstroom, Weg naar Rhijnauwen 2. A canoe is 15 euros an hour and a five-seat rowboat 13. Reserve online and pay by card via rijnstroom.nl . Row upstream on the Kromme Rijn, past the forests of Amelisweerd, to Theehuis Rhijnauwen at Rhijnauwenselaan 16 in Bunnik, where pancakes and tea are served on a terrace under tall beeches.
Back in town, dine on the water level. Karel 5, at Geertebolwerk 1, is set in a former Teutonic Order monastery from the 14th century and is described as Michelin-starred, so check the current guide. WT Urban Kitchen, at Heuveloord 25A, serves multi-course menus in a converted water tower. Or book a table at Stadskasteel Oudaen, on Oudegracht 99, where the beer is brewed in the cellar.
Sunday: design and a slow morning
The Rietveld Schröder House, from 1924, is a UNESCO site known for primary colours and sliding walls. Visits are limited to 8 people per slot, so book at rietveldschroderhuis.nl , where tickets go on sale three months ahead. Adults pay 19 euros. Afterwards, the Centraal Museum holds the world’s largest collection of Rietveld design pieces and paintings by the Utrecht Caravaggisti.
Where to stay
- Grand Hotel Karel V (Geertebolwerk 1) is a five-star hotel in the same 14th-century monastery as Karel 5, with private gardens.
- Mother Goose Hotel (Ganzenmarkt 26) occupies two buildings that date from the 14th century. It has no restaurant, and its guests eat breakfast at its sister hotel, The Court Hotel (Korte Nieuwstraat 14).
- Eye Hotel (Wijde Begijnestraat 1 to 3) has 36 rooms in a building that was the first Dutch eye clinic.
Quieter touches
An electric sloep from Greenjoy needs no licence and starts from 30 euros an hour, with a two-hour minimum. On foot, stay out of the red cycle lanes, where cyclists have priority and ride fast.
Read more: Walking Tours in Utrecht suggests routes for a couple’s walk.
Booking help
Look at hotel prices on Booking.com .