Winkel van Sinkel Store, Utrecht

Winkel van Sinkel Store, Utrecht

Set along the scenic Oudegracht canal in Utrecht, the Winkel van Sinkel building is an architectural and historical landmark. Originally built between 1837 and 1839, it was the brainchild of Anton Sinkel, a businessman who moved his enterprise from Amsterdam to Utrecht. The grand opening took place on May 6, 1839, marking the debut of what is often regarded as the first department store in the Netherlands.

Primarily a drapery shop, Winkel van Sinkel functioned without self-service, yet its comprehensive inventory set a precedent for future department stores. Over time, the name itself became synonymous with shops where virtually everything was for sale.

Designed by Rotterdam architect Pieter Adams, the building exhibits a striking late-Baroque style. Anton Sinkel’s vision extended to its ornate decoration, including four cast-iron caryatids that adorn the façade. These sculpted female figures, imported from England, were met with a mix of admiration and derision, earning the nickname “British whores.” Their transport to Utrecht was not without incident—one statue, along with a crane, plunged into the canal during unloading, an event still marked at the site today. How the statue was ultimately retrieved remains a mystery. Complementing the caryatids, four additional cast-iron figures representing Commerce, Prudence, Seafaring, and Hope grace the façade.

The Sinkel company sold the building in 1898, and the business itself ceased operations in 1912. Today, Winkel van Sinkel has reinvented itself as a "Cultural Culinary Department Store." The historic space now functions as a grand café-restaurant, doubling as a vibrant nightlife venue on weekends. Notably, it hosts a tango matinee every second Sunday of the month and a salsa party on the remaining Sundays. Additionally, the venue plays a key role in Utrecht’s cultural scene, frequently organizing events such as the well-known Cultural Sundays.

With its rich history and contemporary reinvention, Winkel van Sinkel remains an essential part of Utrecht’s urban and cultural landscape, seamlessly blending past grandeur with modern vibrancy.

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.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Winkel van Sinkel Store on Map

1
30 m
100 ft
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap contributors
Sight Name: Winkel van Sinkel Store
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

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 Introduction Walking Tour

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
Utrecht's Historical Buildings Walking Tour

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