Seven Alleys of Utrecht
Zeven Steegjes van Utrecht

An architectural gem: the Seven Alleys are one of the last working-class neighbourhoods in the city of Utrecht.

The Seven Alleys consist of seven streets of workers’ houses that were built in 1843 and 1860. Because the population was increasing drastically and diseases such as cholera were spreading, the government put some requirements on the way the new homes were built: there were no streets allowed with a dead end because the wind had to be able to blow through, and the houses didn’t have their own bathrooms and kitchens, instead there were shared bathrooms and kitchens.

The houses were mainly meant for big Catholic families and for the factory workers who worked at the cigar factory on the Old Canal or at the brewery. This neighbourhood was separated into two parts: the Catholic part and the socialistic part.

Today people still live in the Seven Alleys. The people who live here create a strong community: they all know each other. When the weather is nice, the residents gather and sit together in front of the houses and every week they pay 40 cents per person for the annual neighbourhood festival in August, where everybody dresses up.

The neighbourhood, which is an official monument, has an intimate and cosy atmosphere, which you will notice when you walk through the narrow streets.