Sonnenborgh Observatory – Utrecht, Netherlands - Atlas Obscura
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Sonnenborgh Observatory

Utrecht, Netherlands

A historic observatory now an astronomy museum beautifully situated at the moat of the Middle Age city centre. 

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The building was originally intended as a bulwark to defend the city in the 16th century. In the 19th century, a meteorological and astronomical observatory was instituted here and the start of the Dutch Royal Meteorological Institute (KNMI). The building is now a museum at the edge of the old city.

It is situated in a beautiful area of where canals and the surrounding park converge.

In 2019 the museum was awarded a prize for planning to make the collection accessible for the visually handicapped people.

 

Know Before You Go

Easy accesible by foot from the city centre. About a fifteen minute walk from Central Station.

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