Welcome to the Domkerk Utrecht
Visiting hours
April to November
Monday to Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM – 3.15 PM
Sunday 12:30 PM – 5.00 PM
November to April
Monday to Friday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday 11:00 AM – 3.15 PM
Sunday 12:30 PM – 4.00 PM
General Information
Address
Domplein, Utrecht
Admission
Admission to the church is free, but we do ask for a donation to keep the church open and to help preserve the building.
You are warmly invited to join in the services
Sunday and holidays at 10:30 AM Eucharist
Sunday and Wednesday at 7:00 PM Evening Prayer
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 12:30 PM Midday Prayer
Monday at 7:00 AM Morning Prayer
Music
Every Saturday at 3.30 PM you can enjoy a fabulous concert by (members of) the Dom choir and/or the Dom organist.
Night of Light
Every third Saturday of the month from 8.15 PM you are welcome to a candlelight Night of Light for a moment of silence, reflection and/or prayer.
DomCafe and DomShop
Enjoy refreshments in our DomCafe, it is the perfect spot for coffee, tea, cake or a light lunch. The cafe looks out on the mediaeval cloister garden.
The DomShop offers a selection of religious products, books, cards and exclusive gifts.
Tours
Find out more about the Domkerk with a prebooked tour. Please contact info@domkerk.nl for more information. Schools and other groups are very welcome and can book a custom tour.
Active community
The Domkerk is home to the Citypastoraat, an active protestant-ecumenical community that looks after people in the spirit of Saint Martin, with a regard for liturgy, church music and its surrounding culture.
Historical information
Roman fortress, patron saint Martin and a devestating storm; the Domkerk has a captivating history dating back to the beginning of the Christian calendar.
Romans, Franks and Frisians
At the site of the current Domkerk, there used to be a fortress. This castellum, Trajectum, was built by the Romans in the first century AD. After the Romans left, the Franks occupied the site. They built small churches that kept on being destroyed by Frisians and Normans. However, the Franks rebuilt the churches time and again.
Roman soldier Martin, who shared his red coat with a beggar, was held in high regard by the Franks. They brought his story to Utrecht. Willibrord, the missionary who came to Utrecht at the end of the seventh century, consecrated one of the churches to Saint Martin and thus he became patron saint of the city.
A stone church and a storm
In the eleventh century a large Roman church was erected in Utrecht followed by a gothic cathedral two centuries later. Parts of this are stil visible. The construction took 266 years and was stopped in 1520 due to lack of funds. In 1579 the Union of Utrecht was signed in the Chapter House.
During the great storm of 1674, the nave of the church was literally blown away. The choir and the tower remained standing. The nave was never rebuilt and thus the Domkerk is now only half a church.
In protestant hands
Until the Reformation, the Dom was a canon church and the most important church in the diocese of Utrecht, which then comprised nearly all of what is currently The Netherlands. In 1580 the church fell into protestant hands. Many unique details and statues from the catholic times were removed or hidden. The church got a much more austere look. Yet there is still much art to be seen in the Domkerk.
Art in the church
Various shrines and paintings from the mediaeval catholic times have survived. Some were rediscovered during extensive restoration works in the twentieth century. There is also plenty to see that dates back to the Renaissance en Baroque. The church regularly offers well known and lesser known contemporary artists a chance to exhibit their work.