City Stories Index · Netherlands · 2026 edition
Haarlem vs Utrecht
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Haarlem leads 3–2. Character is a different question: Haarlem is the golden-age painters' town; Utrecht is the old religious heart.
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| What we measure | Haarlem | Utrecht | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 34 | 40 | Utrecht |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 292 | 316 | Haarlem |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 4 | 2 | Haarlem |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | — | 18 | Utrecht |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 18 | 9 | Haarlem |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 51 | 57 | Utrecht |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Haarlem in orange, Utrecht in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
HaarlemUtrecht
9 places
faith & churches16 places
12 places
arts & culture8 places
4 places
guilds & trade6 places
4 places
fortification & siege5 places
1 place
legends & myths5 places
3 places
parks & leisure5 places
Haarlem scorecard →
The golden-age painters' town
Utrecht scorecard →
The old religious heart