Medieval walls, cats and fries.

Amersfoort is a historical town near Utrecht in the Netherlands, and although it isn’t on many “must-see” lists, it is well worth a visit if you are into medieval stuff. It dates back to the 13th century when the bishop of Utrecht decided to build a residence there to cultivate the surrounding valley – somehow, Amersfoort managed to escape the flow of modern times enough that it now feels like stepping back in time and I absolutely loved it.

I ended up visiting Amersfoort in the spring of 2022 during my stay as a visiting PhD researcher at the University of Twente mainly because it was close by and I had a free afternoon. With no expectations at all, I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful town full of medieval wall-houses, quaint streets and canals, so let’s let the photos speak for themselves:

Impressions of Amersfoort

Unless you are into visiting local historical museums or touristy canal cruises, there really isn’t much else to do besides strolling around and enjoying the historical vibe, but unlike all the big cities, this one felt very authentic and very Dutch. I was there on a weekend and almost all the people around me were locals out for a walk in the sun, so when I noticed a line in front of the van Gogh fries, I of course had to try them as well. As far as fried potatoes go, these very pretty good, but I don’t know if they were really worth the 20 minute wait. The perfect people watching opportunity certainly was, though.

I also found a cat cafe tucked away in a small street (I love cats!). According to Google, it is now closed, but Kat & Koffie was a super cute cafe with very friendly staff, if a bit small. The cats all appeared relaxed and cosy and the staff carefully explained the dos and don’ts before letting you into the main space with the cats. As you can see, the white chonk decided to join me for a cappuccino and I was a very happy Petra. 🙂

The CAT CAFE

I know quiet afternoons like this one don’t make for very exciting blog posts, but for me they often end up being my favourite travel memories. Sure, the wild adventures and crazy places are all amazing, but it is the slow days when I can just sit back, enjoy the moment and really notice all the foreign details and cultural differences around me that really help bring travelling into perspective. Some people consider coffee breaks abroad a waste of time that you could just do at home, but I wholeheartedly disagree, so if you are into slow living as well, these are the posts for you. What type of travelling do you prefer? Let me know in the comments below.