Welcome on board the Meern 1
This Roman ship takes you along 2000 years of Utrecht history. From the water, you will discover how the city has changed over the centuries. You will discover old bastions, city walls, museums and modern architecture. Buildings full of stories, you will see.

De Meern 1
You are on De Meern 1: a replica of a Roman ship. And the original? It was found not far from here. This barge was used for transport. It had a small cabin in which tools and personal effects were found. This shows that the ship perished due to a calamity.

You can see the real ship and its contents in Castellum Hoge Woerd!

The Roman border
This is where the Romans guarded their Limes, or the border of their vast empire.

Vaartse Rijn
Thanks to the city rights of 1122 Utrecht got its first canal: the Vaartse Rijn.

Tolsteegpoort | Utrecht becomes a city
In 1122 Utrecht received city rights, and also the right to defend itself. First with earthen ramparts and a defensive ditch, later with city walls and four entrance gates.

The four bastions
In the 16th century, Charles V ruled over Utrecht. He had to defend the city against a new weapon: the movable cannon. The city walls were reinforced with four bastions: Morgenster, Sterrenburg, Manenborgh and Sonnenborgh.

Defensive stronghold
Sonnenborgh Observatory is located on a defensive stronghold dating from 1552. It was full of cannons. Later, it became a medical garden, chemical laboratory, observatory and meteorological institute.
Did you know that Sonnenborgh is now a public observatory and museum?

Leeuwenbergh Guesthouse
In the Middle Ages, Gasthuis Leeuwenbergh was a pest house and hospital. Later it became a laboratory, then an exhibition space, church and cultural centre.

Maliebaan Station & Railway Museum
Utrecht Maliebaan Station was located on the railway line to Hilversum. During the Second World War, Jews were deported here to Camp Westerbork. Their names can be found on the memorial. In 1954 the Railway Museum opened here.

Lepelenburg
Lepelenburg House once stood here, right next to a defensive stronghold. Around 1860 the landscape architect Zocher turned it into a park. In 1955, a temporary concert hall was built here before the construction of the Vredenburg Music Centre.

Domplein
2000 years of history on one square. From Roman fortress to church centre, from university to bustling city centre with bars and restaurants.

Utrecht City Theatre
Utrecht City Theatre, designed by architect Willem Dudok, opened in 1941. The stage tower was later rebuilt, because large sets no longer fitted on the shelves. Through the glass walls, you can still see the old tower.

Wittevrouwenpoort Cossack Day
28 November used to be a public holiday in Utrecht. On that day in 1813, the Cossacks of the Russian army invaded the Wittevrouwenpoort and liberated Utrecht from the French.

Prison Wolvenplein
Prison Wolvenplein was built in 1856. Gerrit the Stammerer, a notorious burglar, managed to escape from it in 1949. Since 2014, prisoners make way for innocent residents and the hospitality industry. There will also be a bridge across the canal.

Griftpark
Around the corner is the Griftpark. This was once a 'poison park' thanks to the municipal gas factory. The polluted soil has been 'packed away' and now it is a popular and beautiful park.

Weerdsluis
The Weerdpoort was one of Utrecht's four city gates. Ever since the 13th century, the Weerdsluis has been responsible for the water level in the city. This made it possible to build the famous wharves and wharf cellars.
But what is the purpose of the doorbell at the lock?

The city crane
From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, the Utrecht city crane hoisted goods in and out of ships. On the map you can see a replica, the original city crane stood near the Ganzenmarkt in Utrecht.

Vredeborch Castle
In 1528, Emperor Charles V had Vredenburg Castle built to keep the people of Utrecht under his thumb. Between 1577 and 1581, it was demolished by the population, led by Trijn van Leemput.

Tivoli Vredenburg
For over two centuries, Tivoli has been a household name in Utrecht. From coffee house in Kruisstraat to wooden emergency building in Park Lepelenburg. Punks started Tivoli Oudegracht, which closed its doors in 2014. Now you can go to the new Tivoli Vredenburg.
Did you know that Tivoli Vredenburg has 1 million visitors per year?

Utrecht Central Station
Utrecht has been a railway city for more than 180 years. The first train left here in 1843. The number of passengers quickly increased. Today, Utrecht Centraal is the busiest station in the Netherlands.
Did you know... the original station building would fit into the current hall 25 times over?

Hoog Catharijne
Many historic buildings were razed to the ground for Hoog Catharijne. Princess Beatrix opened this 'most modern indoor shopping centre in Europe' in 1973. In 2011 the station area was rebuilt.

Catharijnesingel
Catharijnesingel was filled up in the 1970s, in favour of the car. But since 2020 the canal is round again and you can sail here again. Nature-friendly banks provide space for animals and plants.

German House
The German House from 1349 was a monastery, where the Teutonic Order nursed and cared for poor people. Karel V used it as a residence for important visitors, Napoleon turned it into a military hospital in 1811. Now it is a luxury hotel.

1. Welkom op de Meern 1

Kenmerken

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