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TravelSUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015 . WASHINGTONPOST.COM/TRAVEL EZ EE F

BY DIANE DANIELSpecial to The Washington Post

Thanks to some bikes and a bunny, thissummer an international audience will dis-cover what the locals already know: Utrecht isa vibrant, architecturally distinctive and hap-pening place hidden in the shadow of Amster-dam, its famous neighbor to the north.

My most recent visit to the Dutch city of330,000 was in early February, when one ofthe few signs of its anointment as the host ofthe “Grand Depart” for this year’s Tour deFrance was a minimalist statue of a red bicyclein the town center. In July, the world-famousbike race will stage its start here beforemoving on to France, a two-day event expect-ed to draw a couple hundred bike racers andupwards of 750,000 spectators. A 100-daycountdown of celebratory activities kicks offMarch 26.

Even without such fanfare, Utrecht, in theNetherlands, is lively. With more than 70,000students at the city’s two universities, there’salways something going on — and a lot ofpeople going out. I live an hour away, in theopposite direction from Amsterdam, so Idrove in and brought my bike. Because manytourists arrive by train from Amsterdam, a30-minute trip, I started my tour at the station

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AUSTRIA | A husband and wife sample Vienna’s sweet and savory pleasures, respectively. F5

PHOTO BY DEEJPILOT/VETTA/GETTY IMAGES; ILLUSTRATION BY MARTINA FLOR FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Lights on the Hohenzollern Bridge and riverbanks illuminate the Rhine at twilight. In the background is the twin-spired Cologne Cathedral, whose construction began in the 1200s.

BY WILL HAWKESSpecial to The Washington Post

It’s lunchtime in Düsseldorf, and at Füch-schen, one of the city’s great old-town brewer-ies, the discussion has turned to beer. Inparticular, Kolsch, the traditional beer of Co-logne, Düsseldorf ’s great rival.

“If you want my honest opinion, it’s some-thing you can chug,” says Frank Driewer, headbrewer. “It’s something you can drink after youhave mown your lawn. It’s refreshing.” I’m notcertain — Driewer has an impressive pokerface — but I think I can detect the hint of asmirk. “Refreshing” is not a compliment in theminds of beer aficionados.

It’s telling, that smile. I’m in Germany tofind out just how serious the rivalry betweenDüsseldorf and Cologne is. (And it was fortu-nate timing: At the time, the euro was tum-bling against the value of the dollar, whichended at its highest value against the commonEuropean currency in 12 years on Wednesday.)

Even before my encounter with Driewer —before I arrive in Germany, to tell the truth —I’m far from convinced. People say these twocities, united by the wide, muddy-blue Rhine,are fierce opponents, divided by competingCarnivals, sports, money, politics and beer. Buthow intense could this animosity be?

GERMANY CONTINUED ON F4

GERMANY

Düsseldorf and Cologne:Does this rivalry overbrews come to blows?

THE NETHERLANDS

Design genius andcenturies-old canals inuniversity town Utrecht

Find beer bonhomieand architectural gemsalong the River Rhine

SUNDAY, MARCH 15 , 2015 . THE WASHINGTON POST EZ EE F3

— which means at the mall. Yep, the onlyroute from the central station into amedieval town full of character isthrough a modern shopping center de-void of it, a sad fact that will happilychange with a planned, years-long sta-tion overhaul. Many locals pride them-selves in hating the Hoog Catharijnemall, but there are a couple things worthchecking out before you head into town.

First, there’s the aforementioned bun-ny. The mall presents your earliest op-portunity to meet Miffy — in this incar-nation a 6-foot-tall plastic statue, whichkids (and some adults) hug, kiss andclimb over — but it will not be the last: Ifyou don’t already know Miffy, you will bythe time you leave Utrecht. The belovedbunny — star of children’s books thathave sold more than 85 million copies indozens of languages, plus two televisionseries and a movie — was created bynative son Dick Bruna. Although youwouldn’t know it by her baby-smoothskin, Miffy (who goes by Nijntje inDutch) just turned 60. To celebrate, shegets two new museum exhibits and aturn as the Tour de France’s mascot, withher likeness topping the race’s pace cars.

One worthwhile stop before fleeingthe mall is a little-known overlook fromthe top floor of the V&D departmentstore. Take four escalators up to reach itsrestaurant and patio, from which theeastern expanse of the city unfolds,including the 368-foot Dom Tower, anUtrecht landmark. Later, if you’re able,you should climb the Dom’s 465 steps tothe top for a stellar view of the region —all the way to Amsterdam, 25 miles away,on a clear day.

Although Utrecht is walkable, fromhere you might want to rent a bike andjoin the multitude of two-wheelers. Icycled toward the Centraal Museum viathe still-sleepy Oudegracht (“Old Ca-nal”), a curving brick-lined street that bythe afternoon would become cloggedwith pedestrians. The Oudegracht,Utrecht’s version of a promenade, fol-lows the city’s main waterway and islined with shops and bustling cafes.

Below street level, along the 11th-cen-tury canals, lies the city’s most distinc-tive architectural feature: its system ofbrick wharfs and cellars. The wharfsstarted as docking areas for deliveryboats, while the cellars were used forstorage. These days, many of the narrow,deep cellars serve as apartments andbusinesses. Stairways allow you to climbfrom canal level to street level, and manyrestaurants have water-facing patiosboth up- and downstairs. From springthrough fall, a parade of tour boats,private motorboats, paddle boats andkayaks traverse the waterways, turningOudegracht into an even merrier desti-nation.

My visit to the Centraal Museum wasquick, because most wings were closedfor a renovation adding exhibit spaceand an airier design, which has sincebeen completed. The permanent collec-tion here contains both historical andcontemporary works and includes afantastic assortment of furniture byDutch architects and designers PietKlaarhamer and his famed student, Ger-rit Rietveld, who created the iconic “Redand Blue Chair,” the furniture version ofa Mondrian painting. The museum alsooversees the Rietveld Schröder House, 10minutes away by bicycle (and if you’restill on foot, you can borrow a bike fromthe museum). The house, reflecting theearly 20th-century De Stijl movement, ison the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In the bunny department, the exhibit“Miffy, From 1955 to Today,” runs fromsummer to early fall and has areas foradults and children. On Sept. 5, themuseum will inaugurate a permanentre-creation of Bruna’s studio, using fur-nishings and materials donated by the87-year-old illustrator and writer.

A short hop across the street and alsopart of the museum is the Dick BrunaHouse, a paean to all things Nijntje (andher creator) and soon to be renamed theMiffy Museum. The building closes July 6for a complete refurbishment, with anexpected reopening in December. I hopethey keep my favorite part — a smallroom whose walls are plastered withMiffy books in dozens of languages.

Rounding out the rabbit hunt, Itracked down the cute Miffy traffic lightsin front of the Bijenkorf departmentstore and the Miffy sculpture on theNijntje Pleintje (it means square, and thename rhymes in Dutch). The diminutivebronze statue was made by Bruna’s son,Marc.

“That’s a lot smaller than I expected,” Isaid to a woman planting daffodil bulbsin a dirt bed there.

“Everyone says that, but I think it suitsour little square,” she said. “It’s nice thatso many people come by to see her.”

Conveniently, I’d ended up just aroundthe corner from one of my favorite shops,Eindhoven. Heinz Schiller opened theshop in late 2013 to showcase emergingDutch designers. Its name is a nod to theDesign Academy Eindhoven, an hoursouth, whose many famous graduatesinclude clever clockmaker Maarten Baas

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and the creative team at Job, Joris &Marieke, an animation studio whoseshort film “A Single Life” was nominatedfor an Oscar this year. (The studio alsomade an adorable film for Utrecht topromote the Tour de France.) Schillerlooks for up-and-coming talent, especial-ly during the annual Dutch Design Week.

“We like to help give them a place tostart, because it’s not so easy to find thatin the beginning,” he said.

To celebrate the Tour, Schiller wasdisplaying three fantastical bikes bymetal artist Victor Sonna that look likethey’d ridden off a Dali painting, withcrazy curves and vinelike handlebars.Other items in the store included asophisticated slate-covered buffet fromprolific designer Stephan Siepermannand colorful mod-looking vinyl-cush-ioned stools and benches by Visser &Meijwaard.

I headed for my other favorite designspot, Workshop of Wonders, a high-endshop that showcases international de-signers and studios that have alreadyemerged. Every four months, ownerGerrit Vos turns his showroom into athemed exhibit. Up through May is“Northern Delights,” featuring new crea-tions from northern Europe, includeDenmark’s Noergaard-Kechayas and Ste-fan Diez of Germany. And, mais oui, Vospromises to highlight French studioscome Tour time.

The focus of the city center is thecathedral tower (the unfinished ca-thedral collapsed centuries ago). Even ifyou don’t take the tour to the top, at leastgive the tower a look and consider that itsits atop the remains of the originalRoman city, dating back 2,000 years. Anew attraction that opened in the sum-mer, Dom Under, takes visitors throughboth authentic and re-created ruins.

At the recommendation of a friendwho knows I favor lunch spots that focuson fresh ingredients without making abig deal about it, I popped into Daen’s torefuel. I was impressed that Daen’smakes its own hummus, ketchup, grano-la and other items that are easy enoughto buy — not the Dutch norm. The cozyand colorful cafe and wine bar is con-nected to a trendy clothing store of thesame name. In warmer weather, I wouldhave headed to Daen’s patio for someserious people-watching.

Owner Willem Van Oostrum, whoopened the shop a few years ago in theformer fire station, told me he’s noticed asurge in visitors and a new wave of storesand restaurants in the last few years.

“It’s nice to see people looking outsideof Amsterdam for something to do,” hesaid. “Utrecht is compact, a little moreauthentic.”

It’s also getting a little cooler, too, inpart thanks to Puha, a clothing andlifestyle shop featuring young designers.The owners literally put the stylish sideof Utrecht on the map with its Puha ShopRoute, a fold-out map and app that notesthe “in” spots for eating, drinking, shop-ping and sleeping. Several of those placesare their neighbors on Voorstraat, aonce-seedy address.

“It used to be a not-so-nice back alley,and now it’s the center of things,” saidco-owner Taam Karsdorp. She and herpartner, Said Belhadj, opened the storefive years ago in part to give creativefriends a reason to stay in Utrecht.

“I thought, I’m going to create a placefor them to sell their work,” Karsdorpsaid. “When we started, there were just afew little shops. Now it’s a whole scene.”

Voorstraat standouts include Re-venge, selling fashion-forward clothingand shoes for men and women, with ahair salon in the back; and Klijs & Boon,known for its exclusive Scandinavianlabels, including Danish designers Hen-rik Vibskov and Han Kjøbenhavn.

If Utrecht has a hipster headquarters,it’s surely the Village Coffee, a tattoo-filled joint where you almost always haveto speak loudly to be heard. It was startedby two locals after both had spent time inthe United States. Lennaert Meijboombecame interested in coffee productionwhile working for a surfing company inHawaii, and Angelo van de Weerd stud-ied up on coffee culture when he was aroadie with a Belgian rock band touringthe East Coast. (The shop often hostswarm-up shows for touring bands play-ing larger venues.)

“I really got into the whole coffee-shopscene,” said van de Weerd. “At home, weonly had chains and super-boring shops.”

On my last stop, at a tiny boutiquecalled the Hunted, I met owners JoyceSnijders and Soleil Sturm, who havebecome local celebrities for selling a lineof clothing stamped with “Utca,” anunderground nickname for Utrecht.

It started when they took their origi-nal streetwear designs to a fashion tradeshow in Amsterdam and a prospectivebuyer asked them what part of the citythey were from.

“I said, ‘We’re not from Amsterdam,we’re from Utrecht,’ ” Snijders recalled.“He said, ‘Good luck with that.’ ”

The women, in their 20s, turned thesnub into inspiration and unveiled theclothing line they call Utca’s Finest.

“It’s just exploded,” Snijders says. “Un-til January, we only had an online store,but everyone begged us to open a shop.People tell us they can’t wait to wear ourUtca shirts outside of Utrecht, especiallyin Amsterdam.”

travel@washpost.com

Diane Daniel lives in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. She can be contacted at www.bydianedaniel.com.

If you goWHERE TO STAYMary K Hotel

Oudegracht 25

011-31-30-230-4888

www.marykhotel.com

Artsy, unpretentious, historic hoteloverlooking the canal, with cellarpatio at water level. Rooms from$137.

Mother Goose Hotel

Ganzenmarkt 26

011-31-30-303-6300

www.mothergoosehotel.com/en

High-design rooms with historictouches in a former mattress factoryin town center. Rooms from $114.

WHERE TO EATRestaurant Florent

Visschersplein 75

011-31-30-233-3008

www.restaurant-florent.nl

Brasserie-style French-influenceddishes served in a stylish,comfortable setting at this new foodiefavorite. Entrees from $18.75.

Daen’s

Korte Minrebroederstraat 13-17

011-31-30-231-3823

www.daens.nl

Breakfast and lunch only, with freshingredients and homemade sauces,indoor and patio dining in city center.Sandwiches from $8.15.

The Village Coffee & Music

Voorstraat 46

011-31-30-236-9400

www.thevillagecoffee.nl

Always-hopping hipster hangoutmakes the best coffee around, andyou might even catch a show. Coffeeand pastries around $3.50.

WHAT TO DOCentraal Museum

Nicolaaskerkhof 10

011-31-30-236-2362

centraalmuseum.nl/en

Art and craft from Roman tocontemporary, as well as exhibits onMiffy and her creator, Dick Bruna.Admission includes Dick BrunaMuseum (closed July 6 to Decemberfor renovation) and Rietveld SchröderHouse (by appointment only). OpenTuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.$12.50; ages 13 to 17 $5.70.

Utrecht Free Tours

www.utrechtfreetours.nl

Enthusiastic volunteer guides givefree walking tours from noon to 3p.m. every Saturday year-round,starting at the Dom Tower.

INFORMATIONwww.visit-utrecht.com/en

www.tourdefranceutrecht.com/en

www.shoprouteutrecht.nl

— D.D.

FOCUSEUROPE/ALAMY

Bicycles near Oudegracht (“Old Canal”) in Utrecht, the Dutch city that will be the Grand Start of the Tour de France.

ALAMY

Visitors can climb the 465 steps to the top of the Dom Tower, a city landmark.

SELINA KOK FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

A sculpture of Miffy, Utrech’s unofficial mascot and the star of children’s books.

Pedaling praise for little-hailed Utrecht

“It’s nice to see people looking outside of Amsterdam for something to do. Utrecht is compact, a little more authentic.”Willem Van Oostrum, owner of the restaurant Daen’s, on the growing popularity he’s witnessed in the city’s retail and dining scene

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