Wageningen, the Netherlands | City guide for expats

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

Information about Wageningen

Both the name of the municipality and the historic town, Wageningen is a city of some 38.000 people and is located in the province of Gelderland on the North bank of the Lower Rhine.

A brief history of Wageningen

The city was established in 838 AD, though there has been evidence of human activity in the area some 5.000 years BC. Wageningen received its city rights in 1263 but since then has become most famous as the site of the German surrender which officially ended the war in the Netherlands.

On May 5, 1945, German General Johannes Blaskowitz and Canadian General Charles Foulkes negotiated the terms of the surrender in Hotel de Wereld, which can be found in the city centre. Since 1990 the date has become a national holiday and thousands of people flock to the city to celebrate and watch a parade of veterans.

Sights & activities in Wageningen

Wageningen is also the central city in Food Valley, a region where around 15.000 professionals are involved in research and technology development associated with the food related sciences. The Wageningen University and Research Centre forms an integral part of this region and is considered to be world class in the field of agricultural science.

The international nature of the Wageningen University, with around 100 different nationalities making up the student body, means that the town has a cosmopolitan feel, despite its small size.

There are a number of bars in the city centre, with many typically Dutch brown bars and cafes dotted around the Markt, but things are unlikely to get too raucous unless the students decide to do so themselves.

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