Welcome to the Bitterzoete Route

This self-guided tour takes you through the district of Lombok, the multicultural heart of Utrecht. On this tour you will not only learn about the individual stops of the tour, but also about Dutch colonialism in general, its place in the history of Utrecht, and its relevance today. We hope that by doing this we can encourage you to see a more complete picture of Dutch history. Many aspects of the country's colonial past are often disregarded. Massacres such as the ones ordered by Coen do not fit with popular conceptions of a tolerant, freedom-loving nation. Certain commentators have often tried to highlight these darker sides of Dutch history, but they always seem to slip from view as they clash with this more positive narrative. On this tour we try to emphasize how connected this colonial history was to the history of the Netherlands in general and to Utrecht in particular. We aim to raise awareness about how its colonial past is just as much a part of its history as the role it has played in international human rights law. On this website you will find everything you need to explore this exciting, but difficult, part of Dutch history.