The Dom Tower of Utrecht is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, at 112 metres in height. The tower was part of the medieval cathedral of Utrecht and was built between 1321 and 1382. The building was hastily completed due to lack of money and so lacked the flying buttresses to support its walls. In 1674 a tornado destroyed a large part of the middle section of Dom Church, but the tower was spared. The remaining section of the church and tower were never reconnected, and a street and square now separate the two structures. In the summer of 2004, however, a mock nave was constructed out of scaffolding to commemorate the missing link.

The Dom tower houses a large peal of ringing bells, second in Europe only to those in Cologne. The tower also houses a famous carillon with bells dating back to the seventeenth century, made by the Hemony brothers. Guided tours are regularly operated allowing people to climb the 465 steps to the top of the Dom tower. On a clear day it is possible to see both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The booking office for guided tours is located in the square.

There is a rule that no buildings in the city of Utrecht are allowed to be constructed that exceed the Dom Tower in height. Recently however, this restriction has been lifted plans in the newly developing suburban area in the west of Utrecht (Leidsche Rijn), and following that a skyscraper of 262 metres in height has been proposed, challenging this long-standing tradition.

Tours to climb the Dom Tower start atv Rondom, the VVV office near the Dom Tower.

More information on opening hours and excursion dates:

http://utrecht.utrechtyourway.nl/default.asp?action=pagina&pagina=1259