Library Neude and Bookish Utrecht: Readings, Events and Bookshops

This guide is for internationals who live in Utrecht, or are about to move here, and want to make the most of Bibliotheek Neude and the city’s bookshops. You will learn which events suit adults, what is on for children, and where to find books in English.

• The library in the old post office
• Readings, walks and exhibitions for adults
• If you have children
• Practical things to know
• Bookshops for readers in English
• FAQ

The library in the old post office

Bibliotheek Neude is at Neude 11, 3512AE Utrecht, in the city’s former post office. The building is worth an hour of your time even if you never borrow a book. The library runs guided tours about the architecture and the details most people walk past: look out for the stone carrier pigeons and the giraffe necks with post horns. The tour also covers the art, old and new, and shows you the best places to sit, read and work.

The library has temporary exhibitions, and five Utrecht artists also have a permanent place in the building: Jan Willem Deiman, Frank Halmans, Daan Paans, Jop Vissers Vorstenbosch and Maarten Baas. For food and drink there is Meneer Potter on the ground floor and NODA on the second floor. Once a month Meneer Potter hosts Gin & Jazz and a pop pub quiz, which makes an easy evening out with friends or colleagues.

Readings, walks and exhibitions for adults

The library agenda covers every branch in the city. Each listing is tagged Volwassenen (adults) or Jeugd (youth), which helps when you are scanning it in Dutch.

The current programme at Neude includes two exhibitions about grief. Troostbrengers is a series of portraits of people who have faced grief or loss, and what they found comforting. Verloren door verlies is a photo series by Harry Slegh, made with model Jana De Guchtenaere, about the disbelief and helplessness that follow the death of someone close. Next comes Alles mag, niks moet, with work by visitors to Odensehuis Andante. Exhibitions depend very little on language, so they are a good place to start if your Dutch is still basic.

To get to know the city, try the Straatpoëziewandeling, a street poetry walk from Neude. A student of Dutch guides you past poems on façades, pavements and bollards and explains them as you go. The listing does not say whether the walk is offered in English, so ask before you go.

Other adult listings at Neude include the building tour, a tarot reading session and the Repair Café, where volunteers help you fix broken belongings. At Bibliotheek Kanaleneiland, Al-Masoedilaan 188, 3526 GZ Utrecht, adults gather to listen to a story together at Luister naar een goed verhaal. The current story comes from Gaza. The programme changes every week, so treat these as examples and check the agenda for what is coming up.

If you have children

Neude is one of the easiest places in Utrecht to bring children, and several sessions are in languages other than Dutch. At Neude, the agenda lists reading aloud in Serbian for ages 3 to 8, in Spanish for ages 4 to 8 and in Italian for ages 2 to 6. Bibliotheek Leidsche Rijn Centrum has reading aloud in Russian for ages 2 to 5.

Neude also has Brullen in de Bieb, a tour for ages 4 to 7 that hunts for the animals hidden in the building, starting with the two lions outside. There is Boek & Yoga for ages 4 to 8 and a Sint-Maarten lantern workshop for children aged 6 and over. Older children can join CoderDojo at Bibliotheek Overvecht, which is free for ages 7 to 17. The Neude page says there is reading aloud every week, so there is usually something on.

Practical things to know

Neude has work and study spaces, wifi, computers, copying, printing and scanning, a reading table, an exhibition space and catering. You can also reserve a workspace online. The main Neude page does not list opening hours; the library’s Openingstijden & contact page has the current times. Most agenda listings do not state prices either, so check the individual listing or the library’s site.

When you are new, the Informatiepunt is worth knowing about. Staff answer questions on language, digital matters, government, money and paperwork, work and income, health and housing, or refer you to the right organisation. Everyone is welcome, including people who are not members. Consultation hours are on the theme pages.

Neude is accessible for visitors with a disability. For specific questions, email the library or call customer service on 030 – 286 1800. Rooms are hired out through Neude11 for anything from book presentations to conferences, and the library says hiring a room supports its work.

Bookshops for readers in English

Discover Utrecht picks five city-centre bookshops, each with its own character.

• Broese, beside the Oudegracht, has two floors of Dutch and international books in almost every genre, from fiction to cookbooks and picture books. It also sells music and has a brasserie that is open daily.
• Boekhandel Steven Sterk covers history, philosophy, poetry, Dutch and English literature, children’s and teen titles, art and cooking. It also has a large range of remaindered books.
• De Utrechtse Boekenbar is as much a meeting place as a shop. It holds regular events with cultural associations, publishers, writers and local artists, and you can have a coffee on the patio.
• Savannah Bay stocks Dutch and international literature and poetry and specialises in gender studies and sexuality.
• Interglobe is the shop for travelogues, atlases, maps, books on birds, and travel and walking guides for every country.

Discover Utrecht does not give addresses or opening hours, so check each shop’s own website before you set out. For author events, follow De Utrechtse Boekenbar and ask whether a particular evening is in English.

FAQ

Do I need to be a member to use Bibliotheek Neude?

You do not need to be a member to use the Informatiepunt, which the library says is open to everyone. To borrow books, see the Word lid section of the library’s website for current membership options and prices.

Are events at Neude in English?

The agenda is in Dutch and most adult listings do not state the language. Exhibitions work well without much Dutch, and children’s reading sessions run in several languages, including Serbian, Spanish and Italian. If language matters to you, contact the library before you go.

How do I join a tour of the old post office?

Tours last about an hour and appear in the agenda. You can also reserve one through the Rondleidingen section of the Neude page, where the library has current dates and booking details.

Which Utrecht bookshops sell English books?

Boekhandel Steven Sterk stocks English literature, while Broese and Savannah Bay carry international books alongside Dutch titles. Interglobe is best for travel guides and maps. Each shop’s own website has its address and opening hours.

Official sources: bibliotheekutrecht.nl · bibliotheekutrecht.nl · discover-utrecht.com

Last checked: 7 November 2026 against the pages linked above. Prices, opening hours and programmes change; the venue’s own site always has the current details.