Visiting Churches in Utrecht 2011 will take place during the summer from Tuesday June 28th until Saturday September 10th.
The rich history of Utrecht is reflected in its many historical churches, including the central Cathedral with its tall tower, where St Willibrord built St Martin's and St Saviour's in 695 AD. In the 11th century, Bishop Bernold designed a cross of churches around the Romanesque Cathedral, of which only St John's and St Peter's have survived. St Paul's and St Mary's have disappeared completely. The common people had parish churches, all four of which are still in their medieval form: the Buurkerk, St Nicholas', St James' and St Gertrude's. St Catherine's is the only large convent church left. The chapels of the St Agnes and St Ursula convents (now the Lutheran Church) have stood the test of time.
After the Reformation (1580), the Utrecht churches were used for the Protestant service or for non-religious purposes. Other denominations gathered in clandestine churches such as the chapel of St Gertrude's or the Mennonite Church. New Roman Catholic churches were not built until the 19th century: St Augustine's, St Willibrord's and St Martin's. The Old Catholic Cathedral St Gertrude's was finished in 1914. Every year, some of the historical churches in the centre of Utrecht are open to the public as part of "Visiting Churches in Utrecht".