Description
The Utrecht Explorer Scavenger Hunt is a 5.7 km / 3.5 mi self-guided walking tour with challenges at every stop. It takes 3 hours to complete.
What you’ll see:
- City Hall
- Janskerk
- Martin’s Cathedral
- University of Utrecht
- Rail Museum
- Sterrenwacht Sonnenborgh
- Lepelenburg Park
- Central Museum
- Civic Center
- Dutch House
- Saint-Mary Garden at Mariaplaas
- And much more!
This scavenger hunt has a difficulty level of LONGER THAN NORMAL.
Your group’s size should be between 2 and 6 persons. In fact, children are welcome.
After purchase, to begin your Utrecht walking tour, direct yourself to the front of City Hall / Stadhuis, Korte Minrebroederstraat 2, 3512 GG Utrecht, Netherlands. This is the start location.
Once there, log in to this website on your smartphone and begin your hunt.
Also, you’ll need a fully charged smartphone connected to the Internet (LTE or 4G with a data plan; Wi-Fi isn’t available throughout). Instructions will be supplied on-screen, along with directions and challenges, as well as some historical information.
Ancient history
This city located midway between Amsterdam and Rotterdam is the Netherlands religious center. It has a medieval old town, canals, Christian monuments, and furthermore, a venerable university.
Utrecht’s origins began in 47 AD when Roman Emperor Claudius decided that the River Rhine would be the northern border of the empire. A fortress is established here and called Castellum Traiectum. Later, in 695, the Anglo-Saxon missionary Willibrord arrives and settles in Utrecht. At this point, he will help build a church dedicated to St. Martin. In addition, he founded another church, this one to St. Salvator.
Vikings attack Utrecht in 857 during a pillaging journey. Ultimately, they will destroy the town’s gates and walls and kill many citizens and clergymen at the bishop’s court. Moreover, the Vikings used Utrecht as a new base of operations for a time.
Later on, Holy Roman Emperor Henry V granted Utrecht a city charter in 1122. Incidentally, in 1253 the Romanesque Dom Church (St. Martin’s) was badly damaged by a town fire. Consequently, a grand reconstruction begins. However, the church will become a grand cathedral which will be completed in 1520.
Utrecht joined several other nearby cities to sign the Union of Utrecht in 1579. Accordingly, this becomes the first version of the Netherland’s constitution. From here on, they agree to march on the invading Spaniards to repel them.
More recent history
After conquering Holland in 1806, Napoleon Bonaparte appointed his brother Louis Bonaparte as King of Holland. Actually, Louis didn’t care for The Hague, the capital at the time, so he moved it to Utrecht in 1807. His residence is today’s University Library.
Utrecht was liberated from German occupation on 7 May 1945 by British and Canadian troops. Presently, its metropolitan population is over 655,000.
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