RunCity

Utrecht on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 9 of Utrecht's best-known sights, including Sonnenborgh Observatory, Centraal Museum, Dom Tower and Domkerk and more. It is about 5.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Utrecht leaderboard.

  • 9Stops
  • about 5.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 51 minRunning
Play Utrecht in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Utrecht
Photo: Sebastiaan ter Burg from Utrecht, The Netherlands · CC BY 2.0

Utrecht's old town is ringed by a canal and green ramparts, and this route covers it in about 5.5 km. It starts at the bonus stop, the Rietveld Schröder House, a boxy 1924 house of white planes and primary colours on the eastern edge of town, and enters the centre past the Sonnenborgh observatory on its bastion. The Centraal Museum sits in a medieval monastery beside the canal.

The Dom Tower, the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, stands apart from its church; the nave between them collapsed in a storm in 1674. From the town hall bridge you look down on the Oudegracht, a canal with wharf cellars at water level now used as cafés. Neude, the Janskerkhof with its Saturday flower market and the Romanesque Pieterskerk lead to Utrecht Centraal, the country's busiest station. Climbing the Dom Tower needs a guided-tour ticket.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Rietveld Schröder House

    Rietveld Schröder House Bonus Photo

    The boxy 1924 house of white planes and primary colours.

    Photo: User:Husky · CC BY 3.0

  2. Sonnenborgh Observatory

    Sonnenborgh Observatory

    The old observatory on its bastion in the green ramparts.

    Photo: Ludvig14 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  3. Centraal Museum

    Centraal Museum

    The museum in a medieval monastery beside the canal.

    Photo: Centraal Museum / fotograaf: Vincent Zedelius · CC BY-SA 3.0

  4. Dom Tower and Domkerk

    Dom Tower and Domkerk Photo

    The tallest church tower in the Netherlands, seen from the square.

    Photo: Massimo Catarinella · CC BY 3.0

  5. Stadhuisbrug

    Stadhuisbrug Photo

    The sunken Oudegracht canal seen from the town hall bridge.

    Photo: Diliff · CC BY 2.5

  6. Neude

    Neude

    The wide square in front of the old post office.

    Photo: josefstuefer · CC BY-SA 3.0

  7. Janskerkhof

    Janskerkhof Photo

    The Janskerk with the tree-lined square around it.

    Photo: Macjack9 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  8. Pieterskerk

    Pieterskerk

    The Romanesque church on its quiet churchyard square.

    Photo: Jan dijkstra · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Utrecht Centraal

    Utrecht Centraal

    The huge station hall linked to the shopping centre.

    Photo: Jan dijkstra · CC BY-SA 4.0

Play Utrecht in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Utrecht on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 9 stops on this route add up to about 5.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Utrecht is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Utrecht?

    Open Utrecht in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Utrecht leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Rietveld Schröder House and finishing at Utrecht Centraal. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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