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Sint-Gertrudiskathedraal (St. Gertrude's Cathedral), Utrecht
Saint Gertrude's Cathedral, located on Willemsplantsoen in Utrecht, serves as the main church of the Old Catholic Church and the seat of the Old Catholic Archbishop. Built between 1912 and 1914, it was designed by E.G. Wentink Jr. in the neo-Romanesque style, chosen as a tribute to the long-lost Saint Mary's Church that once stood nearby.
The cathedral's double west towers dominate its park-facing side, while a three-sided apse completes the structure. Inside, a wooden barrel vault spans the nave, adorned with a painting of Christ as the Good Shepherd. The murals, primarily geometric and abstract, add to the cathedral’s unique atmosphere. Its inventory of religious artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, church silver, and relics, comes from various disused Old Catholic churches.
A highlight is the altar, which houses over 1,700 relics, stored in hundreds of boxes. Among them is a piece of Saint Willibrord’s rib, a sacred treasure for the faithful.
Behind the cathedral stands its predecessor, the Gertrudis Chapel, a former clandestine church dating back to 1634. Originally built for the parish of Geertekerk, the chapel became the cathedral church of the Old Catholics after the Old Catholic Schism of 1723. A rare survivor of its kind, the chapel underwent significant renovations in 1697 and was fully restored between 1991 and 1993.
Today, Saint Gertrude’s Cathedral and its historic chapel remain important symbols of Old Catholic heritage in the Netherlands.
The cathedral's double west towers dominate its park-facing side, while a three-sided apse completes the structure. Inside, a wooden barrel vault spans the nave, adorned with a painting of Christ as the Good Shepherd. The murals, primarily geometric and abstract, add to the cathedral’s unique atmosphere. Its inventory of religious artifacts, including paintings, sculptures, church silver, and relics, comes from various disused Old Catholic churches.
A highlight is the altar, which houses over 1,700 relics, stored in hundreds of boxes. Among them is a piece of Saint Willibrord’s rib, a sacred treasure for the faithful.
Behind the cathedral stands its predecessor, the Gertrudis Chapel, a former clandestine church dating back to 1634. Originally built for the parish of Geertekerk, the chapel became the cathedral church of the Old Catholics after the Old Catholic Schism of 1723. A rare survivor of its kind, the chapel underwent significant renovations in 1697 and was fully restored between 1991 and 1993.
Today, Saint Gertrude’s Cathedral and its historic chapel remain important symbols of Old Catholic heritage in the Netherlands.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Utrecht. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Sint-Gertrudiskathedraal (St. Gertrude's Cathedral) on Map
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Sight Name: Sint-Gertrudiskathedraal (St. Gertrude's Cathedral)
Sight Location: Utrecht, Netherlands (See walking tours in Utrecht)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Utrecht, Netherlands (See walking tours in Utrecht)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Utrecht, Netherlands
Create Your Own Walk in Utrecht
Creating your own self-guided walk in Utrecht is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Utrecht's Historical Buildings Walking Tour
Originally founded by the Romans, and once the most important city in the Netherlands, Utrecht boasts a generous share of historically significant structures. The collection of its architectural masterpieces, one of the richest in the country, dates back to the early Middle Ages.
The amazingly well-preserved pieces of historic architecture in Utrecht showcase the trends and movements throughout... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
The amazingly well-preserved pieces of historic architecture in Utrecht showcase the trends and movements throughout... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.8 Km or 2.4 Miles
Utrecht Introduction Walking Tour
The earliest settlers to the area now called Utrecht likely arrived millennia ago during the Stone Age. While there are also signs of inhabitation during the Bronze Age, scholars today credit the Romans with building what became the town.
They set up a castellum around the year 50 AD, a fort right at a crossing point on the river Rhine. The fortress marked Rome's northernmost point in... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
They set up a castellum around the year 50 AD, a fort right at a crossing point on the river Rhine. The fortress marked Rome's northernmost point in... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles