Dom Tower

Great climb (456 steps) in an old and impressively tall church tower. Accessible via guided tour only. There are stops at several levels to learn more about the Dom tower and its heavy church bells. The tour takes about one hour with amazing views from the top.

Located in the center of the city and being the landmark of Utrecht and the tallest church tower in the Netherlands are enough reasons to want to visit this great tower. It might be tiring to get on top and a little bit clestophobic but the view of the city i totally worthy of them. The guided tour was great and you learn great information about the history of the city and its changes in time.

Dom Tower is amazing if you love history and architecture! Unfortunately it's under construction but it is still worth a visit! The stairs to the top are a challenge for those not used to waking vertically 😄

Magnificent cathedral. We didn't visit the tower. Entrance in the cathedral is free, but you can donate by card or in cash. On our visit there was a classical music concert.

The iconic landmark of Utrecht. Currently it is only possible to enjoy the top of the tower. The full restauration of the tower would be finished in 2025. It is visible from most places in the city and it is the tallest tower of its type in the Netherlands.

Tower is being restored, the views from the top are amazing. Our guide was friendly and full of information

A great guided tour brings you to the very top of this landmark. Unfortunately it was rainy and foggy so the spectacular view was limited. 465 steps, no elevator. Not for the faint-hearted.

The tower is under construction until spring 2024. If, ahead of the visit, I'd realised that the scaffolding obstructed the view so badly I would have avoided going all the way up the 460+ stairs it takes to get up to the top and came back when it was all removed. Would have rated 5 stars otherwise. That being said, the guide was great, very knowledgeable and gave the tour in both English and Dutch. It was great being in the bell tower and being up close to them. The stairs on the way up get progressively narrow and claustrophobic on way up and can be exhausting so do bear that in mind too before going up.

Given all the scaffolding the team did an amazing job. Well done!!! It was worth Ruhr visit and the guide spoke in Dutch and English.

The Domtoren is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands. The top of the tower can be seen from most places in Utrecht. I had such a hard time figuring out how to get close to it and how to get in. The winding roads made it difficult to find from my hotel, but it's very easy to find from the Utrecht Centraal train station. My guidebook failed to mention where to enter or where to purchase a ticket for the tour. I decided to go into the tourism office (VVV) across the street to find out. As luck would have it, the tourism office is where you buy the tickets (8€) and where you wait for the tour guide. The tour guide for my group was fantastic; she was very knowledgable and said everything in Dutch and English. Once in the bell tower, the smell of church incense is very strong. It smells and looks very old. (It is very old! It was built from 1254-1520.) The stone walls and dark stained glass make it feel like a castle or fortress from the start. The second floor was the bishop's chapel where they still host weddings. Up another floor (and many steep stone steps), and there is a room displaying information about the building and the church next door. (At one point, they were connected, but a hurricane in the 1600s tore the connecting part down.) This floor also has a smaller scale carillon to demonstrate how the one at the top of the tower works. A tourist in my group played it; it's like a piano with very hard to press keys. The next floor was the belfry, housing humongous bells that, the tour guide said, weigh more than two adult elephants. Those bells are rung individually by people pulling a rope, a la the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The floor following that was the one with the carillon. 70 meters from the ground floor, this floor also offered a spectacular panoramic view of Utrecht, and on a clear day Amsterdam and Rotterdam can be seen in the distance. Some of the group went all the way to the top, 95 meters, but I stopped at 70. The tour took about an hour. It was well worth the money for the experience.

As far as historical sites and touristic activities go in Utrecht, the Dom tower is a real must-do and a great item for any Dutch person's bucket list. Though I can't quite remember the view, I know it's amazing. The main reason I can't remember the view is because when climbing the Dom last Wednesday night, it was foggy. And the last time I climbed the Dom before that, was at least fifteen years ago. So, no personal recollection of the view at the moment, but even without seeing anything, the feeling of standing on top of this immensely tall tower is pretty damn amazing! :) Another fun little fact; you can get married here! And they organise fun themed climbs like the "lichtjes kijken" that I did which is climbing the Dom by night, super cool!

Very cool tour of an amazing building. The only quibble is it not clear where the tour starts....in a tourist office across from the Dom. Nonetheless, well worth it!