Updates

March update:

You can order a T-shirt by puting in a note with your subscription by email to Marc Seutter, marcs@cs.ru.nl. Or send an separate email to Marc Seutter with your name, together with the following necessary data:

• Full name
• E-mail address
• Size(s) (S, M, L, XL or XXL)
• Quantit(y)(ies) (1 by default, more on request)

This priceless and one-off T-shirt will cost you only 10 euro's. The T-shirt will be given to you at your arival and registration for the event.

There will be a limited supply of extra T-shirts available during the event. When it is sold out it is sold out. No chances for back orders. Order now.

Things to do in Utrecht

So what if you have a few days to spend in and around Utrecht?

First of all Utrecht is one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands and the religious centre from the early Middle Ages until the Dutch Revolt. The archbishop administered all Northern lands but was also a powerful worldly leader, often slogging it out with the neighbouring counts of Holland or Gelre/Guelders.

After the Dutch Revolt the town remained the hub of the provincial government, but slowly its importance diminished as other towns became more economically successful. It was briefly occupied by the French army in 1672/3 as it rolled up the southeastern parts of the Dutch Republic and at the same time it was hit by a freak thunderstorm, destroying the cathedral, except for its tower, still the dominating feature of the town centre. In 1713 the treaty to end the War of Spanish Succession was signed in the city.

A lot of the medieval and early modern atmosphere has been preserved around the Oude Gracht (Old Canal), with its peculiar low cays and storage cellars. These are now used for bars and restaurants and if the weather is fine, they are excellent places to sit outside and enjoy the sun.

For rainy days there are numerous alternatives: cafe Belgie at Oude Gracht 196, Springhaver at Springweg 50-52, De Winkel van Sinkel at Oudegracht 158, and more.

Under the Dutch Republic Catholic worship in public was forbidden and the formal organisations of the clergy dissolved. But in the mid-19^th century the restrictions were lifted. Utrecht again became an influential bishopric. If you're interested in the life of Catholics in the Netherlands, first as unchallenged religion and later as suppressed minority, you should have a look at the Catherijnenconvent

Utrecht revived in the 19^th century partially due to its central position in the Netherlands, becoming the hub of the railway network and seat of the Dutch railways. Not surprisingly it also hosts the railway museum. The university of Utrecht is one of the older in the Netherlands and it might be worth to visit the university museum or the botanical gardens. Furthermore there is the museum of Miffy and the Central Museum for (modern) art. For more information, go here.

For those interested in architecture, a visit to the Rietveld-Schroederhouse is recommended, as well as to the central post office at the Neude, especially the inside.

Utrecht harbours two gameshops that miraculously lie only 50 meters apart. That's choice! See the Joker or Neverneverland on the Oude Gracht nrs 202 and 230 respectively.

Out of town

Other cities such as Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague are all easily within an hour from Utrecht by train or car. But you might prefer the smaller towns like Gouda, Oudewater, Amersfoort and Woerden, preserved largely as in their heyday in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Perfect for a lazy stroll on a sunny day.

To the west of the town is the characteristic Dutch polder landscape, some of which was flooded after the peat had been dug away, creating some intersting lakes, which are ideal for water sports, walks and biking.

The polder landscape was historically a great military asset, and to the west is the Old Waterline, constructed in the 17^th century and based largely on inundations, while to the east is the New Waterline, built in the second half of the 19^th century. Some of its forts are open to visitors.

To the east the soil is more sandy and the ground more elevated. National Park de Hoge Veluwe has an interesting mix of sand dunes and heath landscape, but also hosts the Kroeller-Muller museum, with a great collection of modern painters and sculptors, like Van Gogh, Mondriaan, Seurat and Giacometti.

February update:

• Are your curious what it takes to be a good megagame umpire?
• Do you wonder if you have what it takes?
• Do you want to improve your existing umpiring skills?

• Dates: 21 February and 14 March, 10:30 - 17:00
  
• Location: Biljartpaleis, Bloemerstraat 23, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

IBAN Transfers from the U.K:

January update: