Step back in time to the Middle Ages as you wander through the Lofen Palace, the place where Utrecht received city rights and took its first steps as a city.
Did you know a hidden imperial palace lies beneath Utrecht? 900 years ago, the course of Dutch history changed here. A fire destroyed the palace and its memory was lost. However, the remains can still be found – concealed in cellars beneath the modern city.
In the Middle Ages, Utrecht was part of the Holy Roman Empire and housed one of the emperor's palaces, called Lofen. Here, on 2 June 1122 Emperor Henry V granted Utrecht city rights, but obtaining them was not without a struggle.
For centuries, the remains of Lofen Palace have been hidden and forgotten until the palace was 'discovered' again in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. 900 years later, you wander beneath the arches of the hidden imperial palace and be part of the rediscovery.
Guided tour
