Utrecht

Utrecht began as Traiectum, a Roman fort at a crossing on the river. It’s since been a place people have continuously passed through. Knights and bishops came and went, and today countless travellers change trains here on their way to another destination, with time for a quick glance at the cathedral tower before moving on.

But the Dutch have a word for what happens when you decide to spend more than a few moments here: gezellig, the unhurried warmth of being exactly in the right place. Utrecht does this beautifully, with café tables tucked into quaint medieval wharf cellars below the street and canals running on two levels, as if one wasn’t enough.

VoiceMap’s self-guided audio tours wander into Wijk C, where workers’ cottages from the 1800s now echo with electronic music, and to the Weerdsluis watergate of 1440, which once flooded the northern fields to protect the city. Follow castles and a wartime bunker at your own pace, and let a coffee stretch as long as it likes.

Put your earbuds in and stay a while. Utrecht is gezellig at walking speed.