Winter in Utrecht

Spring has arrived in the Netherlands! Flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and birds are waking me up long before my alarm. Spring is my favourite season, so I am looking forward to experiencing it in a country famous for its flowers.

Before spring fully arrives, I thought it would be nice to look back at winter in Utrecht. From snow to Christmas markets to deep fried dough balls, I’m so glad I decided to go on exchange to the Netherlands so I could experience it all.

Utrecht University’s historic library covered in snow

Christmas trees for sale at Janskerkhof

Is there such a thing as heated bike seats?

Even tree trunks and branches get decorated with Christmas lights

I have no explanation for the video below…

In December, Utrecht has a city-wide winter festival, with markets and events in different locations.

Food stalls beside the Dom Tower

Gluhwein in the making

The homemade crafts market at Mariaplaats

Winter in the Netherlands wouldn’t be complete without oliebollen. Traditionally eaten for New Years, oliebollen literally means “oil balls.” While this doesn’t sound appealing, they are some of the best things I’ve eaten in the Netherlands. This oliebollen stand was set up for all of December, and I regret not going more!

And here are some bonus photos of Amsterdam, which was decorated beautifully with Christmas lights.

The skating rink in front of the Rijksmuseum

Now these last two photos might look like they were taken during springtime… but the Netherlands has a National Tulip Day in January! It seems to be more geared towards tourists (my Dutch housemates didn’t even know about it) but it’s still a great opportunity to pick your own free tulips!

Unfortunately, winter in Utrecht is very similar to winter in Victoria: rainy and grey. The good news is that spring seems to be similar too! So here’s to the next few months of living in Utrecht… and spending a fortune on allergy medicine.