Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Canals of Utrecht

Canal in Utrecht Photo by Ludmiła Pilecka Wikimedia

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Canals of Utrecht

A canal is a human-made waterway that allows boats and ships to pass from one body of water to another. Canals are also used to transport water for irrigation and other human uses. 

The Utrecht city canals are mostly used for navigation, crop irrigation, water supply, or drainage and are among the most famous in the Netherlands. Let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating facts about them;

1.The city has three different canals

The city has three different canals namely; The Oudegracht, or “old canal”, runs through the center of Utrecht, the Netherlands. It starts in the southeast of the city.Parts of the Oudegracht follow the original flow of the river Rhine.It is about 2km long and 1.000 years old, and cuts through the entire inner city. It is lined by lots of shops.

Stadsbuitengracht;The Stadsbuitengracht is a singel that surrounds the historic inner city. And Nieuwegracht;The Nieuwegracht is the newer of the most well-known Utrecht canals. It was built in the 1390s.

2.The canals are not very deep

The sides of the canals are only 2 meters deep, which means that your average tall Dutch guy would almost be able to stand on the sides of the canals and have the top of their head reach the water surface.

The middle of the canals, where the biggest ships move through, is around 4 meters deep. Annually, hundreds of bikes end up in these canals, clogging up the fairway for boats. The municipality fishes the bikes out of the canals to make way for the boats. 

3.There are several historic facades of wharf side houses

Utrecht Canals Photo by Diliff Wikimedia

There are several historic facades of wharf side houses, sculpted tableaux, and all kinds of impressive trees along the canals, some of which are over 200 years old. With their many dock cellars, Utrecht’s canals are very different from Amsterdam’s.

In the second half of the twelfth century, Utrecht’s inhabitants decided to dig tunnels from the dock to the canal-side houses. This resulted in the double docks typical of the city. These days, you will find countless pleasant restaurants and cafes with a water-side terrace in these dock cellars. 

4.The lovely little buildings which have been turned into shops and restaurants

Restaurants around the Canals in Utrecht Photo by Grisard Wikimedia

Within Utrecht there are a couple of canals snaking through the city center. Around the canal there are plenty of lovely little buildings which have been turned into shops and restaurants.The main streets are full of shops and you’ll find less channels than in Amsterdam. 

The canal is lower down from the walking area compared to in Amsterdam and so there were possibly storage areas in the past which are now little cafes and restaurants and boat hire facilities.It is quite a buzzing area with a good atmosphere. 

5.Swimming in the canals is not allowed outside of certain designated areas

Swimming in the canals is generally not allowed outside of certain designated areas, due to hygiene and boating dangers. The waters aren’t as filthy as many would expect, though. The nation’s water is much cleaner than it was in previous ages.

This is because of the efforts by water management organisations such as Waternet. Another danger is the discarded bicycles and other litter lying on the bottom of the canals that could injure swimmers. 

6.There are several annual events and festivals taking place on the canals 

The canals in Utrecht during one of the annual events Photo by sourced from Wikimedia

Various annual events and festivals take place on and around the canals. During special occasions like King’s Day, floating scaffolds can be laid out across the waters to have parties and performances right on top of the canals.

Various game-constructions can also pop up, like floating obstacle courses and inflatable globes that you can run across the water in. Recreation on the canals includes boat trips and water sports like canoeing and rowing. Canals still play an important part in water control and shipping traffic, with mostly tour boats offering canal cruises. 

7.Canal cruises are child-friendly and there are special offers for children

Most Canal cruises are child-friendly and there are special offers for children. Note that in most cases, if you have a stroller, you will have to leave it in a supervised area before boarding the boat and you will get it back when you return.

Even though it’s called a cruise, these boat cruises do not last more than a few hours. The average duration of a canal cruise is between 1 and 1,5 hours.Canal cruises are a great introduction to most Dutch cities as you get to see city highlights from a totally different perspectives. 

8.Sections of the recently restored canals were filled in to allow cars access in 1970s

Residents then voted in a 2002 referendum for a city-centre “master plan”, in which water would replace roads. But efforts have been boosted in more recent years by a broader attempt by the municipality to sideline the car and promote healthier living.

The restored section of the canal had been filled in to allow cars better access to Utrecht’s shopping district in the 1970s. The waterway now runs under an indoor shopping centre, allowing boats to travel the full 6km route around the city centre. 

9.There are several hotels and restaurants near the canals

There are several hotels and restaurants near the canals including;City Hall Bridge which is 0.01 miles away,  Mother Goose Hotel (0.07 mi), The Hunfeld (0.14 mi), Stayokay Hostel Utrecht Centrum (0.13 mi) and Logement Petit Beijers which is 0.05 miles away. 

Some of the best restaurants near the canal include; Waffel, Coffee company, Locals Utrecht, San Siro, MOJO Japanese Kitchen Utrecht, Humphrey’s Utrecht, Graaf Floris, Sarban Afghaans Restaurant, Dapp Frietwinkel Utrecht, Broadway American Steakhouse, and Kimmade Vietnamese Street Food. 

10.The Canals were restored to promote greener living in the city

The waterway now runs under an indoor shopping centre, allowing boats to travel the full 6km route around the city centre.After decades of argument, Utrecht has restored the ‘singel’ canal that surrounds the city in an effort to promote greener living. From the 12th century, Utrecht had canals to defend the city. 

The canals are one of the most sought after and most visited tourist attractions in Utrecht and Netherlands. They are also one of the most loved sites and has become one of the economy’s backbone in Utrecht.