Expat only tour 4th of May

Small courtyards, a cozy coffee shop, or that hidden gem of a brown café. When arriving in a new city, there’s no better feeling than wandering and discovering the hidden gems of a place that is becoming your new home.

Anyone walking through the center of Utrecht and paying close attention will likely notice them: scattered throughout the city center are over two hundred alleys. Some are wide and lined with houses and small gardens, while others are so narrow that you can barely squeeze through. One thing unites them—they are almost all interconnected, forming a labyrinth through the city.

Walking through these alleys reveals countless monuments, courtyards, and streets that have existed since the Middle Ages, creating an open-air museum.

These alleys weren’t laid out by chance. Many of them once served an important purpose. They acted as firebreaks between buildings. Fires were not uncommon in the city, and to prevent flames from spreading, alleys were placed between blocks of houses.

They had another advantage too. The alleys shortened the distance for human chains carrying buckets of water to extinguish the flames. At the time, it was mandatory to hang two buckets on the front of your house. Fire bells were also placed around the city; when they rang, action was swift.

Most of these fire bells have disappeared, but you can still find one along the Nieuwegracht. Did you already find it?

Back to the alleys: those who start wandering will likely stumble upon one of the city’s courtyards, green oases in the heart of Utrecht. Some are closed off in the evenings by residents, while others remain accessible at all times. Standing there, the bustling city center feels a world away.

The courtyards are full of stories waiting to be discovered. For instance, those who find the Regulierenkloostertuin not only overlook the back of the old Tivoli music venue. This building was squatted by punks in 1981, and after clashes with the police, the city council decided to embrace and subsidize the initiative. Between 1981 and 2014, countless parties were held there, some of which got a bit out of hand.

But if you look closely in the courtyard, you’ll notice something else—ancient church columns that seem to come straight from the Romans. However, appearances can be deceiving, and that’s exactly what we love about Utrecht, finding and sharing the best stories that shaped the city that it became today.

Expat only tour 4th of May @ 11:00-13:30

Sharing those stories and hidden gems of Utrecht is exactly what we do during our Expat Only Events. Unlike our other tours, these tours focus on answering any question you might have about the city, the (weird) Dutch culture, and tips from locals on where to find the best places in town. It’s a very relaxed community event and after the walking tour we’ll treat you to a well-deserved drink in a nice place in the city center!

Want to join? Get your ticket directly at https://ourutrecht.nl/expat or follow us on Instagram @Our.Utrecht