St. Martin’s Cathedral or Dom Church is the oldest church in Utrecht, built in the 13th century. Actually, it is not the temple that attracts most tourists, but its unique tower opening up a fascinating view of the old town and its surroundings.

The history of the cathedral is much more ancient than its first mention in historical manuscripts. It stands on the site of a Roman fortress, as evidenced by numerous excavations around the building. Its dungeons have preserved passages and artifacts of that time, which you can see during special excursions.

As for the temple itself, the present-day structure was being built for a relatively long period, from 1284 to 1520. The construction would have probably continued, but the Reformation fighting against luxuries began, so the work stopped. Vaults over the central nave were overlapped with a wooden roof and left this way. In March 1580, the Calvinists invaded and vandalized the Catholic church, the impact of which is still visible: they cut off faces on bas-reliefs and sculptures. The future life of the cathedral was not much happy as well. The tornado in 1674 destroyed the central nave. There were no resources for reconstruction, so the first large-scale restoration happened in the 20th century.

The tower built in 1580 suffered fewer tragedies. It is 112 metres tall and rightfully considered one of the tallest ancient towers in Holland. Although it looks very graceful and delicate, it is a sturdy and practical structure crowned with 13 bells weighing over 30 tons.

Remarkably, from the tower observation deck, you can see not only Utrecht but Amsterdam as well, so the difficult ascent promises beautiful views of the whole country.