Tour of Utrecht’s forts
Discover Utrecht’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
Utrecht is home to three remarkable UNESCO World Heritage sites: the iconic Rietveld Schröder House, the impressive Dutch Water Defence Lines, and the ancient Limes, the northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Each site is one of a kind, telling stories you won’t find anywhere else.
With five special cycling routes ranging from 16 to 41 kilometres, you can explore Utrecht’s rich history, striking architecture, and beautiful landscapes. This particular route Tour of Utrecht’s forts takes you from beneath the Dom Square into the surrounding countryside — cycling past five unique forts of the Dutch Water Defence Lines in a green circle around the city.
Hop on your bike, be surprised, and experience Utrecht’s World Heritage!
Take a look
Sights on this route
Starting point
Domplein
3512 Utrecht
Navigate to starting point
DOMunder
Discover 2000 years of history underneath the Domplein square.
DOMunder
The secrets of Utrecht’s Dom Square have been revealed. The entrance to the underground space where you can view 2,000 years of Dutch history is in the middle of Dom Square. A route under the centuries old square can be followed with a special torch to discover all sorts of archeological finds. History literally springs to life as the torch activates stories and animated films.
DOMunder allows you to experience history from the time the Romans built the castellum Trajectum, around 45 A.D. And why was Utrecht the center of the Netherlands in the middle ages? You can even experience the destructive tornado that caused the nave of the Dom Cathedral to collapse in 1674. DOMunder brings the history buried under the Dom Square to life for all to experience and see, young and old alike.
Fort aan de Klop
Fort aan de Klop is like a green oasis in the city of Utrecht. You are already there if you cycle fifteen minutes from the Dom along the Vecht. The fort is located on the border of the Overvecht and Zuilen districts.
Fort aan de Klop
Fort aan de Klop
Fort aan de Klop is like a green oasis in the city of Utrecht. You are already there if you cycle fifteen minutes from the Dom along the Vecht. The fort is located on the border of the Overvecht and Zuilen districts.
Fort Maarsseveen
The 'Werk bij Maarsseveen' was built in 1881 as part of the New Dutch Waterline. The monumental fortress is now a breeding ground for art & culture. There is a mini-theatre, which regularly...
Fort Ruigenhoek
Fort Ruigenhoek is situated on an uninhabited island covered with old, monumental trees and dense undergrowth, criss-crossed by secret paths. The large defence work on the Ruigenhoek dyke was pa...
Fort Blauwkapel
Fort Blauwkapel is one of the biggest fortresses of the New Dutch Waterline and was built around an existing village.
Fort Blauwkapel
Fort Blauwkapel
Fort Blauwkapel is one of the biggest fortresses of the New Dutch Waterline and was built around an existing village.
Directions
The route is easy to follow via the cycling junction network and runs clockwise.
- 31
- 28
- 42
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- 72
- 53
- 35
- 45
- 62
- 23
- 62
- 47
- 74
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- 71
- 5
- 91
- 55
- 18
- 60
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