Chasing white rabbit in Utrecht

She's small, she's cute and she's one of the Dutch city of Utrecht's most famous exports.

Miffy, or Nijntje, as she is known in her native Holland, graces the pages of her own books and has appeared on our TV screens - as fans of the little white rabbit will happily tell you.

Utrecht, about an hour's drive from the port of Rotterdam, is the birthplace of Miffy creator Dick Bruna who, now in his 80th year, still spends his days producing sketches.

The genial Dutchman, who appears to have taken the success of his much-loved creation in his stride, still lives in the city where he goes about his daily life untouched by the cult of celebrity.

But Utrecht is more than the home of Miffy.

It's the perfect place for a short break, with pedestrian quaysides lining a network of 14th-century sunken canals, bars and restaurants, great shopping and an eclectic mix of tourist attractions.

Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in Holland.

Founded by the Romans, it is almost 2,000 years old and was for a long time the largest and most important city in the country.

Today, Utrecht is rising in popularity as one of Holland's newest city-break destinations.

The Dutch are familiar with the city's charms, but it remains still largely undiscovered by UK visitors.

It's more likely that trippers to Holland from this country will opt for Amsterdam, but Utrecht is just as accessible via Rotterdam's Europoort, which is served by overnight cruise-ferry crossings from Hull.

The two Dutch cities have much in common, but it's fair to say that Utrecht - about 38 miles from Rotterdam - is its neighbour's quieter cousin.

The focal point of the city is the Dom Church and its tower.

A nave once connected the two, but this was never completely finished, and in 1674 it collapsed during a fierce storm. The church and the tower were never reconnected, and a street and a square now separate the two structures.

Visitors with plenty of energy can climb the 465 steps to the top of the 112-metre tower. Those who do so are rewarded with magnificent views and a close encounter with the mechanism which sets the mighty bells tolling - a cacophony which spills out over the city.

Regular tours, with an English-speaking guide, start from the visitor centre.

The mechanically and musically-minded, and those with a sense of fun, are sure to enjoy a visit to the nearby National Museum From Musical Clock To Street Organ.

The museum attracts thousands of visitors every year who come to see and enjoy automatic musical instruments from the 15th century to the present day.

A former church provides the vast amount of space needed to display such an extensive collection of musical clocks and musical boxes, reed and string instruments, orchestrions (automatic orchestras) and barrel organs.

The magic of this museum is that, with the turn of a key or some unseen gentle persuasion, your guide will transform an inanimate object into an explosion of sound!

Our guide tells us that one of the favourites with the public is the rather strange-sounding Rabbit In A Cabbage, although it is one of the simplest of automatons, both musically and technically.

The bunny, which appears from its cabbage before retreating back inside, attracts plenty of interest among visitors to the museum. But there's another rabbit on the block - and she can boast a museum of her own!

The Dick Bruna Huis is a must for Miffy aficionados of all ages. There are displays charting Bruna's extraordinary career for the grown-ups to look at, while younger visitors listen to stories and play.

Tales of Miffy and her friends have been translated into more than 40 languages. Among her biggest fans are the Japanese, and for some of those Utrecht - and anywhere associated with Bruna - has become something of a place of pilgrimage.

The Dick Bruna Huis is part of the Centraal Museum on the opposite side of the street.

Highlights from the museum's collection are works by the 17th-century Utrecht Caravaggists - who were inspired by Caravaggio - and 16th-century painter Jan van Scorel.

An impressive collection of works of art is also on display in the Catharijneconvent Museum.

Housed in a late medieval monastery, the museum tells the story of Christian culture in the Netherlands from the first missionaries to the present day.

The Museum Quarter, as it is known, is easy to explore on foot and even includes an Aboriginal Art Museum.

For a different perspective on what the city has to offer, a canal cruise comes highly recommended.

From the comfort of this watery vantage point, you survey life on two levels - the cityscape above and the cellars below, many of which have been given a new lease of life.

Here you will find subterranean restaurants such as the Restaurant de Aal, where the atmosphere is warm and friendly, and delicious food is served with a flourish among all the hustle and bustle.

There are also numerous welcoming bars with a range of quality beers and often offering delicious food, which are an excellent choice for a lunch stop.

For fine dining in sumptuous surroundings, the restaurant of the Grand Hotel Karel V - within Utrecht's first five-star hotel - is the place to go.

The hotel was converted from the former headquarters of the Knights of the German Order. The building dates from the 14th century, and Emperor Charles V - or Karel V - stayed here in 1546.

The Dutch seem to be very adept at finding new uses for old buildings. Another fine example is the wonderfully-named Winkel van Sinkel - a former department store now operating as a trendy cafe and entertainment venue.

Utrecht boasts Holland's largest shopping mall, Hoog Catharijne, while the city's narrow, inner streets are home to chic boutiques, delicatessens, patisseries, antique shops and the like. Markets also take place on a number of days.

After all that culture, gastronomy and shopping, we were grateful that the journey back to Rotterdam was a relatively short one before our voyage home aboard the Pride of Rotterdam.

The ship's superb facilities include a floating version of London's famous Langan's Brasserie, a carvery restaurant, casino, tax-paid shopping and - if you've any energy left - the chance to dance the night away with a live band and disco.

It's then time to curl up in your comfortable cabin and dream of canals, climbing church towers, the sound of bells and barrel organs, artists from far-flung continents and, of course, that little white rabbit!

TRAVEL FACTS
Mini cruises start at £70 per person return for foot passengers, and from £74 per person with car. Always check for 'two for one' offers.
P&O Ferries' Dover-Calais crossings start at £37 each way for a car and up to nine passengers, for any length of stay.
P&O Ferries reservations: 0871 664 6464 and www.poferries.com. All fares quoted are web fares.
:: Accommodation in the Utrecht area starts at Euro 97.50 per night at the NH Centre Utrecht Hotel, close to the canals, shopping district, restaurants and cafes.
Hotel reservations: 0031 3023 13169 and www.nh-hotels.com
:: Destination information: Netherlands Board of Tourism is on 0207 539 7950 and www.holland.com
:: Useful websites: National Museum from Musical Clock to Street Organ (www.museumspeelklok.nl); Dick Bruna Huis (www.dickbrunahuis.nl); City canal cruises (www.schuttevaer.com).