The Oudegracht, the Old Canal, runs right through the centre of Utrecht from south to north, and it looks unlike the canals of any other Dutch city. The water sits well below the street, and at water level runs a second, lower quay lined with old wharf cellars that reach back under the road to the houses above. This two-level system of wharves and cellars is unique on this scale, and today the cellars hold cafés and restaurants with terraces right on the water.
The Oudegracht at a glance
- Where: through the whole old centre, from the meeting of the Kromme Rijn and the Vaartse Rijn in the south to the Weerdsluis lock in the north.
- Created: the northern part was probably dug around the year 1000; the southern part from 1122; the wharves and cellars developed from the 12th to the 15th century.
- What it is today: a canal with public wharves at water level, cellar restaurants and cafés, and busy shopping streets on the upper quays.
- Time needed: one to two hours to walk the central stretch on both levels.
How a river became a canal with cellars
In Roman and early medieval times Utrecht stood where the Vecht branched off the Rhine. As the river silted up, a system of canals took over, and the Oudegracht is part of it: parts of it may follow the old riverbed, while the northern section was probably dug around 1000 to link the Rhine with the Vecht. In 1122 a dam at Wijk bij Duurstede lowered the water level, and after Utrecht received its town rights the same year the southern section was dug. The soil was used to raise the banks against floods, which is why the street sits so high.
Merchants soon dug tunnels from the landing places to the cellars under their houses. Once locks kept the water at a constant low level, the cellars were extended under the street and new quays were built in front of them. By the 15th century the result was a long double-quayed harbour, the lifeline of the city. The wharves lost their trade function in the late 19th century and fell into decline; from 1948 the city bought them up and restored them, and since the 1960s the cellars have become bars, clubs and restaurants.
What to look for
- The two levels: stand on a bridge and look down at the wharves, then take the steps down and look up at the vaulted cellar doors under the street.
- The sculpted consoles under the canal-side street lamps: since the early 1950s hundreds have been carved with scenes, such as broom sellers and a witch on a broomstick near the Bezembrug.
- The Maartensbrug, the city's oldest stone bridge, with a small arch once used to unload building materials for the Dom.
- Huis Oudaen, a medieval city castle built around 1275, now a restaurant.
- The Winkel van Sinkel, Utrecht's first department store of 1837–1839, with four caryatids modelled on those of the Parthenon.
- The Vismarkt, where fish was sold from the Middle Ages until 1970, with replica fish stalls on the bridge.
The beer boat
The wharves are still a working space. Many of the cellar restaurants and bars are supplied partly by water, and the city's so-called beer boat makes its rounds along the canal to deliver drinks. If you are on the lower quay in the morning, you may see crates being lifted from a boat straight into a cellar, much as goods were unloaded here in the Middle Ages.
Tips for your visit
- Walk part of the canal on the lower wharf and part on the street above; the views are completely different.
- Late afternoon and early evening are the liveliest times on the wharves, when the terraces fill up.
- Hire a pedal boat or join a canal cruise to see the cellar fronts from the water.
Nearby
- Dom Tower: the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, standing apart from the cathedral since its nave collapsed in a storm in 1674.
- Museum Speelklok: a museum of self-playing musical instruments, from music boxes to street organs, housed in the medieval Buurkerk.
- Stadhuisbrug and the Town Hall: the town hall has stood by this bridge since the 13th century.
- Neude: the large square just west of the canal, a market place for centuries and now lined with cafés.
See Utrecht with World City Trail
Our Utrecht scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around three hours, with about 46 minutes of walking. It includes places such as Museum Speelklok.
If you prefer a different format, Utrecht also has a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game.
Play the Utrecht scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Utrecht →
Play the outdoor escape game in Utrecht →
Facts checked in October 2026.