Museum Catharijneconvent, Utrecht

Housed, as the name suggests, in a former Catholic convent, the Museum Catharijneconvent contains a small collection of mostly medieval religious art. It’s a rather loose definition, though, of “religious,” so perhaps it’s more accurate to stay the art is more spiritual than religious.

In other words, the art is not all images of Maria and Jesus and saints. Some works are more secular but reference religious motifs. Some contain depictions of nuns or wealthy families, but aim to deliver a moral or political message.

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Highlights of the collection

The basement holds one large room with some really exceptionally beautiful pieces from all periods of Catholic (and some Protestant) history.  

Some of these, particularly several of the paintings, made me stop and study them, rather than my usual style of just browsing and moving on. Take Brede en smalle weg, just to give one example. The title translates as “wide and narrow way,” but means something more like “the easy or the difficult path.” The man and woman at the center are deciding between taking the “wide” path, representing worldly comforts and temptations, or taking up the cross and choosing the narrow, i.e. more difficult path. The angel (and the branches of the tree) indicate the good choice. The fire in the background on the right reveals the final destination for those who choose the easy way. And lots of details within the image show more differences between the two paths and the effects they have on the people who choose one or the other.

Elsewhere in the basement is a schatkamer, which means “treasury.” The original arched ceiling is visible here but painted entirely in black. A collection of silver and gold objects, mostly things like challises, reliquaries, monstrances and such, are on display here, dramatically lit and very shiny against the black walls.

The history of Christianity in the Netherlands

On the first floor (second floor in US usage) of the old convent you’ll find works from the museum’s permanent collection, presented as a chronological history of Christianity in the Netherlands. Again, there were some works that made me stop and study them just to take in the many details and the messages they conveyed.

Many of these artworks are expressions of Catholic belief, but the chronology includes the Reformation and later as well. For instance, you’ll see pieces from broken statues from the beeldenstorm, when the Protestants destroyed so many statues in Catholic churches in their anti-idolatry fervor. There are works of criticism as well, sometimes in the form of anti-Catholic satire. All of it, though, in my not-very-knowledgeable view, is very high-quality work.

Temporary exhibitions

The top floor houses temporary exhibitions. When I visited, the exhibition looked at artists and expressions of religiosity or spirituality in the period between the two world wars. These contrasted quite sharply with the works downstairs. The styles were more modern, but also less directly religious. These works question religious symbolism and values, rather than merely expressing them.

The current exhibition, which will continue until March 1, 2026, is called “In the Name of Love.” It brings together about 60 pieces – old to contemporary – from the museum’s collection that address the theme of love, whether that means physical passion between lovers, love of family, or more spiritual expressions of love. There’s a playlist that goes with it that you can download from Spotify or Apple Music called “Liefdesbrieven aan God.” It includes some wonderful songs like Aretha Franklin’s Amazing Grace and Cat Stevens’ Morning Has Broken.

At only about a half hour from Amsterdam, Utrecht is a great alternative to staying in Amsterdam. And its old center is beautiful and lively. Use the map below to book your accommodations.

The Catharijne Convent

First, a note about the museum’s name: in Dutch, the word for “monastery” and “convent” is usually klooster, yet the word convent is used in the museum’s name. It’s not clear to me whether it was nuns or monks or both who lived and worshipped here. The “Catharijne” part means St. Catharina of Alexandria.

Anyway, the convent’s history starts in the Middle Ages, when, on the site where the St. Catherine church now stands, a poorhouse stood, run by monks. A group of Carmelites arrived in Utrecht in 1468 and built a monastery here, with a church and brewery, though they never finished all they planned. They were forced to leave in 1529 by Karel V, who made them move elsewhere so he could give the buildings to the Knights of Saint John Hospitaller, a religious and military order. Karel needed the Hospitallers to move because he wanted to build a castle on the land they’d been using.

The Knights Hospitaller, or Johannites, added more to the complex, finishing the church in 1560 and connecting the buildings to each other. Their focus was on caring for the sick, so they added a hospital as well.

Once the Reformation arrived in 1580, Catholicism became taboo, at least in public. (A side note: if you are interested in the secret Catholic churches that sprang up during the Reformation, make sure to visit the museum On Lieve Heer op Solder in Amsterdam.) The city government took over the hospital, which moved to another location in the 19th century. After that, the convent became a hostel for soldiers. The Protestants used the church for almost 200 years, until they gave it back to the Catholics in the 19th century.

I went to this museum more to see the medieval convent than the art, but not much of the original convent is really visible, except for the arched hallways and windows. It’s been changed a lot over its history and since its conversion to use as a museum. The church, though, is intact and quite beautiful. And I was pleasantly surprised, as a totally non-religious person, at the wonderful artworks I saw in the museum.

Visiting the Museum Catharijneconvent

Most of the museum only has Dutch labeling, except the temporary exhibition. However, an audio guide in English is available and included in the admission fee.

The museum is completely wheelchair accessible.

On the ground floor are a café, lockers and a gift shop.

A visit to the museum will take most people, I’d guess, between one and two hours. I combined it in a pleasant afternoon with the Museum Speelklok, not far away.

NOTE: The entire museum will be closed for about two years starting from sometime in the summer of 2026. This will allow extensive renovation and enlargement of the museum and its outdoor spaces as well.

Museum Catharijneconvent: Lange Nieuwstraat 38, Utrecht. Open Tuesday-Friday 10:00-17:00; Saturday, Sunday and holidays 11:00-17:00. Admission: Adults €15, 65+ €13.50, children under 17 free. There may be an extra fee for special exhibitions. Website.

Rachel Heller

Rachel Heller is a writer living in Groningen, the Netherlands. She is the owner and primary author of this website, Rachel’s Ruminations, a travel blog focused on independent travel with an emphasis on cultural and historical sites/sights. Read more here about her and about this website. All photos in her articles are her own, unless otherwise specified. Rachel also owns and operates a website about UNESCO site travel.

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