Utrecht

Utrecht is the Netherlands' fourth-largest city with a medieval canal system that predates Amsterdam's by centuries. The Oudegracht — nearly 900 years old — runs through the centre, its banks lined with restaurants and cafés built into the ground-floor wharf cellars. The Dom Tower, completed in 1382 at 112 metres, is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. Utrecht is 30 minutes by direct train from Arnhem, with roughly 4 trains per hour.

The unique feature of the Oudegracht is its two-level design: a street-level walkway above and vaulted wharf cellars below, most now converted to restaurants and boutiques. The canal was dug in the 12th century as a branch of the Rhine — it is significantly older than Amsterdam's famous canal ring, which dates from the 17th century.

Museum Catharijneconvent holds one of the finest collections of medieval religious art in the Netherlands. The Centraal Museum has the world's largest collection of work by designer Gerrit Rietveld, including his iconic Red and Blue Chair of 1917. The Miffy Museum on the canalside is the only museum dedicated to Dutch illustrator Dick Bruna's most famous character.