Romans, locally brewed beer & Italian ice-cream 5x petting farms Head into nature

Petting farms

A CHANCE TO STROKE RABBITS, BIKE OR RUN AROUND THE FARMYARD AND FEED THE LAMBS: SPRING IS THE PERFECT TIME FOR AN OUTING TO A CHILDREN’S PETTING FARM. SO HOP ON YOUR BIKE AND HEAD OUT INTO NATURE

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CREATIVE GRIFTSTEEDE You can stroke animals in the city too: Griftsteede petting farm is in the middle of Grift park, within walking distance of the city centre. You won’t get bored here: they have animals of all sizes (from cows to bees), and plenty of places to play - both in and out of doors. And there’s a creative Kids’ Club for 6 to 12-year-olds every Wednesday afternoon. > Tuesday to Sunday, Van Swindenstraat 129 utrechtnatuurlijk.nl/locaties/ griftsteede

Find it on the map See page 64

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INQUISITIVE PEACOCKS KOPPELSTEEDE On the edge of the Lunetten district, to the south of Utrecht, you’ll find this urban farm. They have a natural playground, a ditch for fishing, an orchard full of fruit trees, a barefoot path and, of course, lots of animals: from cute rabbits and inquisitive peacocks to little lambs and a donkey. The coffee and cakes served in the KookKunst & Koffie espresso bar is a real bonus. > Tuesday to Sunday, Koppeldijk 115 utrechtnatuurlijk.nl/locaties/koppelsteede

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ROMAN HISTORY STEEDE HOGE WOERD This spot on the edge of Máxima park in the Leidsche Rijn district is located on top of the old Vicus, a former Roman military base. So you get animals and nature with a bit of Roman history thrown in. And if you’re there at about 3.45 p.m., the staff might just let you help to feed and look after the animals. > Tuesday to Sunday, Hoge Woerdplein 1 utrechtnatuurlijk.nl/locaties/ steede-hoge-woerd 8

FEEDING THE GOATS GEERTJE’S HOEVE It’s a bit of a bike ride, but it’s worth it: get a taste of real farm life from Wednesday to Sunday at Geertje’s Hoeve. You can give the lambs a bottle of warm milk, feed the goats, ride a pony, cuddle the animals, play on a straw circuit or drive a toy tractor around the farmyard. The farm shop sells traditional, local products, such as cheese, meat and eggs. And the old barn has been converted into a restaurant. > Wednesday to Sunday, Thematerweg 5 (Haarzuilens) geertjeshoeve.nl/engels

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ADVENTURE GAGELSTEEDE This petting farm is next to the flats in the Overvecht district, in the north of Utrecht. You can walk among the animals in the meadow, and stroke or hold the smaller animals. The nice thing about this place is that it’s close to Gagelbos, where kids can go on an adventure route. > Tuesday to Sunday, Gangesdreef 7A utrechtnatuurlijk.nl/locaties/gagelsteede