I would say that out of the many towns I have visited in the Netherlands, my very favourite is Utrecht. Imagine, somewhere as pretty as Amsterdam, with half the tourists around. I am not a big fan of crowds and this was perfect for me. The streets by the canal are still full of coffee shops, tourist shops as well as restaurants. Yet it is less busy, and loud. Perfect.

Here’s some photos I took, just to give you an idea.

The photos does not do it any justice.

I would suggest that you do not miss the opportunity to visit this town while in Holland. Besides, it is just 1.5 hours away from Amsterdam by train.