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Nijmegen may not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of the Netherlands, but here’s why it should be on your bucket list of places to visit.

A Weekend Away

Since September 2021, like many families, my family has been battling with one virus or another, quarantines and isolations and disruptions galore to normal family life. So for my birthday last month we decided to pack a case and get away for the weekend. We chose Nijmegen – great for kids, close by and lots to do.

The Nijmegen 4Daagse

You may have heard of Nijmegen because of the international 4 day march that takes place here every year (except during a pandemic). The 4 day march is particularly known for its military participants, and has been organised for over 100 years. The annual 4daagse walk your school going children get involved in stems from this event.

The History of Nijmegen

2000 years ago the Romans took a liking to Nijmegen. Back then it was just a hill next to a river (the Waal) but it became the largest Roman town in the Netherlands. These days, there are traces of the Romans across the city.

Museums in Nijmegen

Museum Het Valkhof is a collection of Roman archeological finds and ancient and modern artworks. You can learn about the history of Nijmegen, the Roman army and life as a Roman.

De Bastei shares the story of the river Waal with its visitors. There are over 100,000 natural history objects in the museum to admire.

Afrika Museum is an indoor and outdoor museum located in the woods of Berg en Dal that introduces you to African culture and art.

MuZIEum

This museum warrants a special mention and a section of its own. The five of us visited this special museum and it’s an experience that will stay with us for a long time, if not forever.

What is it like to be blind or partially sighted? That’s the premise of MuZIEum. There’s lots to explore in the main room of the museum: games, writing braille, interactive information screens. In short, tools to help you understand what life is like as a blind person. However, the main event takes place upstairs. In the form of an experience. In the dark. Pitch black see-absolutely-nothing-dark.

After a brief explanation of how to use the cane you are given, you begin a guided tour. All guides are blind or partially sighted and tours are also available in English. Note there is a minimum age of 8 for entry to the museum.

In the course of 60 minutes the guide takes you through daily life as a blind person, from getting around an apartment to crossing a busy road.

Personal Experience

My initial reaction was slight panic for a few minutes. The guide’s voice is the only directional guide you have, as well as the cane you have to stop you walking into objects. It’s a scary experience realising you cannot see anything at all, and it will be that way for 60 minutes.

After an hour your guide leads you back into the light. However, it is a humbling realisation that your guide continues to see what you have seen for the past hour – nothing or next to nothing.

Ironically, the most eye-opening museum experience I have ever had and I cannot recommend highly MuZIEum enough.

We were exhausted when we came out of MuZIEum, and so after a short stroll (and an unsuccessful visit to the cat cafe (see places to eat below)) we decided to head to the cinema.

Worth Seeing

Aside from museums, there are beautiful buildings worth seeing in Nijmegen.

Grote Markt

The Grote Markt is the main square and heart of Nijmegen and you’ll find some of the oldest buildings in town here. It’s a perfect spot for people watching from a cafe terrace and the atmosphere is inviting. It is more than worth wandering around to admire the beautiful architecture and explore the shops.

De Waagh is particularly worth a mention. In short, gezellig.

Stevenskerk

We only saw the church from the outside, as the Stevenskerk opens it doors up from April 1 and we were too early. You can take a tour and climb the church tower, but just the outside is definitely worth a gander too if heights are not your thing.

Walk Along De Waal

We started at the Valkenhof park and headed down to the banks of the river Waal (de Waalkade) for a stroll.

The Waalkade has clearly recently undergone a metamorphose. It feels rejuvenated and fresh. There are lots of cafes and restaurants to choose from.

As you wander you will see the Fietsmuseum Velorama, which is as the name suggests a museum about bikes. And the Escape Boot (basically an escape room on a boat). Look out for the ‘water wolf and the boy’ sculpture.

And if it is your thing, there’s a Holland Casino here too.

Places to Eat in Nijmegen

You can pick and choose where and what to eat in Nijmegen. You name it, it’s probably there somewhere.

Worth mentioning is the Kattencafé Balthzar – if you are a cat lover. Basically it’s a cafe with cats. We attempted to grab a coffee here, but there was nowhere to sit. Cats and people occupied all the available seating areas. However, the concept appealed to us, especially the children.

There’s also a Pannenkoekenboot – pancakes and a boat cruise. What’s not to love?

Where to Stay in Nijmegen

Nijmegen offers a wide range of accommodation from hotels, guest houses, holiday homes and hostels.

We are a family of five so finding somewhere to stay for a weekend away is generally a problem. As any other family of five will know, the majority of hotel rooms accommodate a maximum of four people. This means that we generally have to book two rooms. And guess what – that obviously costs us more. So, we were delighted to find a family room in the Van Der Valk Nijmegen-Lent hotel. It comprised two bedrooms, bathroom and separate toilet. And the view over the city was lovely too. There definitely should be more offerings like this for families of five-plus!

Tip: if you are in the same boat and are looking for hotel rooms for more than 4 people have a look on Sleeps5.com.

Over to You

Have you been to Nijmegen? Any tips for others? Share your experiences and stories below.

The post Marches, Romans and MuZIEum – the Oldest City in the Netherlands appeared first on Turning Dutch.