Home › U › Utrecht (Important town of Holland)

Utrecht (Important town of Holland)

an important town of Holland; capital of a province of the same name, 23 miles S. E. of Amsterdam.

It is pleasantly situated on the Old Rhine, is traversed by two canals crossed by numerous stone bridges, and is surrounded by strong forts. The town is well built, and has several squares, promenades, a government house, a Protestant cathedral (a fine Gothic building), mint, handsome town hall, palace of justice, etc. Educational establishments include a well-equipped university, a veterinary school, musical college, and schools for drawing and architecture. Utrecht is UVULARIA the central point of the Dutch railway system, and carries on an extensive trade in grain and cattle, and in the manufactures of the place, which include Utrecht velvet, carpets, floor cloth, cottons, linens, chemicals, etc. Utrecht is the oldest town of Holland and was called by the Romans Trajectum ad Rhenum, that is "Ford of the Rhine," later Ultra-trajectum. Pop. about 120,000.

The province of Utrecht has an area of 534 square miles; pop. about 375,000. It is generally flat, is well watered by the Rhine, Vecht, Amstel, etc., and is better suited for dairy farming and stock rearing than for corn growing.