Nijmegen, the Netherlands | City guide for expats

Living in or visiting Nijmegen? Read our expat city guide for information and useful links for students, locals and tourists.

Information about Nijmegen

Considered to be the oldest city in the Netherlands (celebrating its 2.000th year in 2005), Nijmegen has a long and rich history thanks to its position on the River Waal and its surrounding hills, which offered a strategic advantage to settlers throughout history, and, today, beautiful views over the river and the Rhine valley.

A brief history of Nijmegen

Originally a Roman settlement in the 1st Century BC, Nijmegen has seen many historical figures enter its borders, including the Emperor Charlemagne, who apparently built one of his castles in the city. Nowadays the city has a population of some 165.000 people who enjoy some of the warmest temperatures in the Netherlands.

The city is also home to the first Catholic university in the Netherlands, the Radboud University Nijmegen, which was inaugurated in 1923 as the Catholic University of Nijmegen. The university hosts some 19.000 students across seven faculties, all located on an attractive, green campus on the former Heyendael estate.

The city was also the venue for a famous religious event: the Nijmegen Statement. In 1968 many important theologians within the Roman Catholic Church gathered in the city to made demands for reforms on the church's policies regarding theological inquiry.

Sights, attractions & events in Nijmegen

Nijmegen is also famed for its annual Four Day Marches, the largest marching event in the world. Thousands of people flock to the city and the surrounding area to take part in walks of 30, 40 and 50 kilometres over a four-day period. The accompanying festivities, know as the Four Days parties, draw some 1 million visitors each year.

The city of Nijmegen hosts several museums, the most famous of which is the Valkhof Museum. Situated on the site of an old Roman encampment and, many centuries later, the residence of Charlemagne, the museum houses a major collection of Roman antiquities, old masters, and modern art.

Nightlife in Nijmegen can be lively thanks to the presence of students, but it also has a wide range of bars and cafes in the city centre.

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