Overwhelmed. That was my first feeling when rolling into Amsterdam. The beautiful city — famous for its flowing drinks, red light districts and coffee houses — attracts more than 20 million overnight stays every year. It’s one of the poster children for overtourism.

But what if I told you there’s a place just as beautiful, with far fewer tourists and plenty of authentic Dutch charm? A place where you can have your stroopwafel and eat it too?

That place is Utrecht — and it’s less than 25 minutes by train from Amsterdam.

A winding, quiet street in Utrecht lined with historic buildings. — *The curve of a peaceful street in Utrecht, perfect for wandering beyond the crowds.*

Fewer crowds, same charm

Arriving at Utrecht Centraal on the Intercity train from Amsterdam, the change of pace was immediately evident. Admittedly, we’d just come from the Dutch capital during a holiday weekend, but even so, the relative calm and space in Utrecht were deeply appreciated.

Unlike the crush of the bigger city nearby, Utrecht’s main train station is only a few leisurely minutes’ walk from the Bibliotheek Utrecht (Utrecht Library). And because we are who we are — nerdy travellers with a soft spot for libraries — it was our first stop. The colourful entrance gave way to a quiet spot where we could pause and reset, recharge our batteries (literal and figurative), and immerse ourselves in a slice of local history. The impressive main hall, with its soaring ceiling arches, was once an old post office and still retains much of its original character. Honestly, I’ll always recommend visiting a local library as one of your first things to do in Utrecht.

In one of those “forest for the trees” moments, we almost overlooked the obvious. Our beeline to grab a vegan hotdog at the ever-popular Dogma Hotdogbar, just a couple of minutes away, distracted us from the Utrecht canals all around us. And these canals weren’t just Amsterdam-lite — Utrecht’s waterways are distinct, lined with wharf cellars, cafés, and quiet walking paths, giving the city its own character and charm.

Utrecht’s unique appeal

That set the tone for the rest of our day: exploring Utrecht’s split-level canals, which give the city such a distinctive look and feel. Here, you can wander down to the wharf level to sit almost at the water’s edge, watch the boats glide past, or settle into one of the many canal-side cafés for a drink or bite to eat. It’s an experience you don’t quite get in the same way in Amsterdam, and it’s part of what makes Utrecht’s canals so special.

Dominating the skyline is the aptly named Dom Tower, the tallest belfry in the Netherlands and the defining symbol of Utrecht. After an extensive five-year restoration, its striking Gothic exterior became visible again in 2024. Originally part of the 14th-century St. Martin’s Cathedral, the tower has stood alone since the unfinished nave collapsed in 1674 — a reminder of the city’s long and layered history.

Beyond that, there are plenty of quirky shops and memorable ways to spend your time. You can pour your own beer at Beers & Barrels Utrecht Veilinghaven, hunt through Utrecht’s independent boutiques, or simply enjoy the city the Dutch way — on foot or by cycling through Utrecht’s historic streets.

Cultural highlights — without the queues

With its rich art history, you won’t find The Night Watch hanging on giant display in Utrecht, but you will find plenty of smaller galleries and museums that reflect the city’s creative tradition. The influence of Gerrit Rietveld and the De Stijl movement (“The Style”) is especially strong here, shaping much of Utrecht’s modernist legacy. And for something more playful, there’s the delightful Miffy Museum Utrecht — or Nijntje, as she’s known in Dutch. It’s a fantastic walk-through for toddlers, and a charming souvenir stop for grown-ups too.

If you didn’t manage to book ahead for the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, there’s also a quietly moving tribute in Utrecht: a life-sized statue of Anne Frank watching the passersby. When we visited, people had placed flowers at her feet and in the crook of her arms. It immediately brought to mind Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, with its haunting evocation of “Anna’s ghost all around” — a whole album inspired by Jeff Mangum’s reading of The Diary of a Young Girl.

As luck would have it, I had just finished a binge of Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’s films before the trip. While he’s best known internationally for Basic Instinct, Robocop, and Total Recall, his earlier Dutch films remain some of the nation’s biggest box office successes. So it was a genuine delight — and a bit of a surprise — to stumble across a hidden cultural gem in Utrecht: a series of plaques and handprints from Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight), Verhoeven’s landmark 1973 film starring Monique van de Ven and Rutger Hauer, embedded right into the sidewalk. Somehow, and perhaps fittingly, a couple of cigarette butts had been stubbed out in Verhoeven’s paws.

Better value for accommodation & dining

Generally speaking, you’ll find more affordable hotels and B&Bs in Utrecht compared with Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The city has plenty of options that won’t break the bank, whether you’re after boutique charm or budget-friendly stays.

The same goes for food. We found it far easier to simply walk up to most Utrecht restaurants and grab a table — no long waits, and often at prices that felt more local than tourist-driven. Make no mistake, Utrecht still attracts its share of visitors, but the vibe is closer to a neighbourhood hangout than a tourist trap.

Case in point: the wonderful Café DeRat, a beloved craft beer bar in Utrecht that combines some of Europe’s best brews with a strong sense of community — and multiple cats. When we visited, we snagged a window seat, sipping refreshing local beers while a cat flopped beside us to proudly show off its toe beans. In a perfectly Dutch display of casual localness, the entire centre table simply stood up, lifted the table, and shuffled aside so the staff could pop down into the cellar to fetch another bottle from their vast global collection. Open from mid-afternoon until the early hours, it’s exactly the kind of Utrecht bar where you’ll want to settle in and stay a while.

Easy access from Amsterdam

Utrecht is just 25–29 minutes by train from Amsterdam Zuid to Utrecht Centraal, with departures every 10 minutes — faster than driving. It’s seamless if you have a rail pass, but buying a ticket on the day is just as easy. With trains this frequent, there’s no need to pre-book: you can head down in the morning, soak up Utrecht, and still be back in Amsterdam in time for its famous nightlife.

A gem worth the detour

Don’t get us wrong: Amsterdam is still one of Europe’s must-visit cities. But if the crowds and sensory overload of the city centre start to wear thin, Utrecht offers much of the same charm at a gentler pace.

Curious travellers should always look beyond the capital, especially if you’re trying to be more conscious about overtourism and considerate to the people who live and work in tourist centres. For windmills and calm, Weesp is less than 20 minutes from Amsterdam — all the postcard-perfect views, without the crush, and a reminder that sometimes the best discoveries are just a half-hour train ride away.

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