Canal-side spots

WATERSIDE TERRACE

Canal-side Roost aan de Singel restaurant and bar has one of the largest terraces in the city, as well as a heated patio for colder weather. Feeling peckish? Order a portion of bitterballen — small meatballs best enjoyed dipped in mustard. roostaandesingel.nl

GREEN SPACES

Once the site of medieval city walls, the Stadsbuitengracht canal is now hugged by a series of gardens. Zocherpark, a green corridor that borders the waterway for three miles, is a highlight. Meanwhile,

Park Lepelenburg, in the shadow of the city’s Sonnenborgh Observatory, is a great spot to relax.

VINTAGE FASHION

Utrecht is a retro shopping hotspot, and the area around the canals is a particularly good place for scouring secondhand gems. Episode is well stocked with ’90s pieces, with an upper- and lower-ground level on the Oudegracht, while Secondsas is housed in a wharf cellar. episode.eu secondsas.nl

UNUSUAL SIGHTS

On a walk around the Stadsbuitengracht, look out for a UFO balancing on the Dutch Railways headquarters, or a giant teapot on the Hoog Catharijne shopping centre. Pieces left behind from past open-air exhibitions, they’re proof the city doesn’t take itself too seriously.

NIGHT TIPPLES

Catering to students, nightlife in Utrecht tends to be an informal affair. ’t Oude Pothuys is the place to go for live music, having given a stage to local artists for five decades. Elsewhere, Rum Club serves tropical-themed cocktails in a colourful bar space. pothuys.nl rum-club.nl