Out of town A daytrip to Woerden There’s plenty to do in Utrecht, but it’s also worth looking outside the city. UITagenda Utrecht is happy to point the way. This time we’re going to Woerden. Information Woerden is a small city and municipality in the west of the Utrecht province. Right now, around 50,000 people live there, but the city has existed since the Roman Empire. The old town centre has many beautiful buildings, such as churches and castles. There is also a cute, small harbor, and a lot of surrounding nature. Go explore this hidden gem by yourself when you have the time! Say cheese Kaaspakhuis Cheese Experience If you like Dutch cheese, you mustn’t miss the Kaaspakhuis Cheese Experience. A guide will take you around and tell you all there is to know about modern cheese-making, show you the cheese production facilities and lead you through the storage areas. > every Monday to Saturday and Sunday for groups on request, Emmakade 6A boerenmarktstad.nl/kaaspakhuis Pomp and circumstance City Museum The glorious sixteenth-century building that houses the Stadsmuseum is a gem in itself: one of the showpieces is the ‘Vroedschapszaal’, a magnificent room with seventeenth-century wood carvings, original fireplace and stained-glass windows. The museum collects work by artists who have lived and/or worked in Woerden. The painting by the seventeenth-century landscape artist Herman van Swanevelt (ca. 1603-1655), a renowned painter from the Dutch Golden Age, is a prime example. The museum also boasts special treasures from Roman times found in Woerden, including a unique sword. > every Tuesday to Sunday, Kerkplein 6 stadsmuseumwoerden.nl Royal surroundings Woerden Castle This imposing castle was built in the early fifteenth century. It was as an official residence until the late eighteenth century, before serving as a prison for men and women in the nineteenth century until around 1980, when it was used to store military equipment. These days, it is an events venue, but the Castle Café is open for coffee, high tea, high wine or beer on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also check it out with a guide during a city walk. > Saturday and Sunday, Kasteel 3 kasteelwoerden.nl/restaurant-en-cafe View from the top Petrus Tower This tower is also known as the mini-Dom Tower of Woerden, and it’s there to be climbed. There are guided tours every second and fourth Saturday of the month from April till December. On request, it’s possible to visit the tower every day of the year. The guide will tell you all about the tower, the immense bells of the carillon and the ins and outs of the town’s history. Tickets are on sale at the VVV tourist information office (Emmakade 6A). You’ll need to climb 203 steps to get to the top, but you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view of the green surroundings! > every second and fourth Saturday of the month, Kerkplein 5B beleefwoerden.com/petrustoren Woerden flour De Windhond This windmill, standing on one of the last remaining sections of the original city walls, was built in 1755. It was renovated in 1984 and is currently used to mill wheat. The miller is available every Friday (if the mill is turning) and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and you can even buy flour to bake your own ‘Woerden’ bread. There’s a weekly tour of the mill on Wednesday afternoon. Also, tours are always possible on request. > Every Wednesday afternoon (tour), Friday and Saturday, Wilhelminaweg 1 molendewindhond.nl Take a break Plein 7 Grand café on the square Kerkplein 7 Van Rossum Hotel, café and restaurant in a former arsenal Meulmansweg 33M Midas Burgers, rolls, salads and juice Rijnstraat 7-9