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Category:Utrecht

Winkel van Sinkel

The Winkel van Sinkel was the first department store opened in the Netherlands. It is located along the Oudegracht canal and near the city hall of Utrecht. Winkel van Sinkel opened in 1839 and you could buy almost anything you wanted. The store was famous throughout the Netherlands and lasted more than fifty years. In 1898 a bank took up residence for over a century. Nowadays Winkel van Sinkel is a grand café and restaurant during the day and transforms into a club at night.

  • Visit the Winkel van Sinkel, which used to be Holland’s very first department store and is now one of Utrecht hippest hotspots.
  • Enjoy a drink or bite at the Winkel van Sinkel.
  • Dance the night away at the Nachtwinkel.
Address:
Oudegracht 148
3511AZ Utrecht
Visit the website Show place on Google Maps

The statues of Winkel van Sinkel

Winkel van Sinkel is a striking building standing by the Oudegracht with its façade featuring four giant cast-iron statues which were fabricated in England, as nowhere else had the technology at the start of the 19th century to produce them. They were so large that they had to be transported to the store by water but unfortunately they were so heavy that the crane off-loading them from the boat collapsed under their weight, earning the statues the nicknames "these fallen English women" and "the English whores."

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Food, drinks and nightlife at the Winkel van Sinkel

Today, you can enjoy a delicious meal in the ambiance of the old department store. In the old wharf cellar beneath the Winkel van Sinkel, you will find the Tapaskelder that serves Spanish tapas. If you just want a drink, the Cocktail Lounge is the place to go for some great cocktails and a wide selection of whiskeys. Another great spot is the Nachtwinkel, which opens its doors on Saturday evening to party all through the night.

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