Old Town part 2

Old Town, Binnenstad, is the heart of Utrecht, where you find all old buildings, churches, multileveled canals and museums. And pedestrian streets with many modern chains stores. The medieval core is well preserved. The Muzeumkwartier is a part of the Old Town, as well as the significant Oudegracht canal.

The canal bridges in the old town are very old.

Yest another church.

The Dom tower, the most prominent building of Utrecht.

The day I was in Utrecht, it was very hot.

People live right next to the canal. And it is possible to walk right next to it, unlike in Amsterdam.

At some places trees are planted above the canal.

Gaardbrug, a bridge over the Oudegracht canal.

You can walk right beside the canal, or above it.

A fantasy store just next to the canal.

Swords inside the fantasy store.

 

Lijnmarkt, one of several shopping streets for pedestrians.

Many of the display windows are decorated.

Buurkerk from 1553 is one of the taller churches.

The Dom can be seen from many parts of the city.

Steenweg, one of the major pedestrian shopping streets.

Museum Spelklok, a museum about street organs. They are hard to find on the streets in Dutch cities nowadays, not like in the old times.

Nice balconies at Steenweg.

Many young people live in Utrecht, because it is a university town.

Utrecht City Hall. A wedding is taking place.



The city hall, modern wing.



A wedding at the city hall with American cars…

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…and an American school bus!



Looking towards the Dom, Utrecht’s tallest and most prominent church.



There are open-air restaurants on the lower levels of the canal.



Here I was relaxing for a while.



Neudeflat, a residential highrise (and a brand of the Danish Tiger store).



Oude Gracht Vredenburg.



Rembrandt movie theatre.



St. Augustinuskerk, a catholic church.



St. Augustinuskerk’s interior. There are many churches in Utrecht but this is one of the most beautiful. An organ played when I came inside.

Somewhat outside the immediate city center:



Jacobikerk, a church that dates back to the 13th century, but was expanded in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Jacobikerk (Jacob's church).

The streets are empty here in contrast to the immediate city center.



Volksbuurtmuseum, one of many museum in Utrecht.

One of the few modern glass buildings in the center.

Mariastraat.

K & W house at Mariaplaats.

Mariaplaats, a small square.



The Music conservatory.

The historic courtyard at the Music Conservatory.

There are many old Mercedes cars in Utrecht.



The “Stairway to heaven” pub.