Utrecht lies in the heart of the Netherlands, surrounded by a lush green landscape that farmers have worked for centuries. To the west, the Green Heart stretches out — a vast peat meadow area full of farm trails and small homesteads. To the south, the Kromme Rijn meanders through a coulisse landscape of orchards, strawberry fields and farm shops. The Lopikerwaard, with its characteristic strip plots, offers an idyllic setting for a cycling trip to a pick-your-own farm within easy reach of the city.
U-Pick Farms in and around Utrecht
Around Utrecht, Houten, IJsselstein, Woerden and Bunnik you’ll find a variety of pick-your-own farms and fruit gardens where you are very welcome. You can pick strawberries, raspberries, plums and summer flowers, and often enjoy a farm shop or coffee and cake. Discover all u-pick farms in the province of Utrecht .
The best u-pick farms near Utrecht: our picks
Utrecht is compact enough to be in the countryside within fifteen minutes — and the countryside starts generously. Along the Kromme Rijn, through the Lopikerwaard and on the slopes of the Heuvelrug ridge lie farms and gardens that reflect the diversity of the Utrecht countryside: fruit farms, city allotments, historic kitchen gardens and organic flower gardens.
Six kilometres from the Dom tower, Stichting Moestuin De Haar works on the historic grounds of Haarzuilens Castle. The garden holds fifty-plus organic crops, from red cabbage to artichoke. The setting — castle, moat, avenue — makes it a day that is more than picking alone.
Closer to the centre, Stadsboerderij Gagelsteede offers a harvest that follows the seasons within the city limits. Flowers, vegetables, herbs — Utrecht Natuurlijk shows here that agriculture requires no distance.
In Bunnik, a cycle ride along the Kromme Rijn, Fruitboerderij De Achterdijk counts seasonal fruits in its shop and orchard — the address for those who want to enjoy apples and pears directly from the grower in autumn.
Boomgaard de Boswachter , nine kilometres from the city, offers a quiet, accessible fruit-picking experience on a local family farm.
In Kamerik, on the edge of the peat meadow landscape, Pluktuin Wilde Weide is the address for organic tulips, alliums and dahlias — Skal-certified, seasonal, with a colour range you won’t find in any shop.
Tip: the Kromme Rijn makes a beautiful cycling route connecting several picking gardens. Pair De Achterdijk with a picnic by the river.