Nijmegen, Netherlands
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grote_Markt_%28Nijmegen%29_P1060337.JPG
Author: G. Lanting
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Nijmegen is a city in the province of Gelderland, on the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the border with Germany. Covering 57.53 sq km (22.21 sq mi), it has a population of 164,000 (2011 estimate). Nijmegen is the largest city in Gelderland. It is within the Arnhem-Nijmegen metropolitan area which has a population of 736,000.

Grote Markt, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Grote Markt, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nijmegen_Marktplatz.jpg
Author: Andreas Schmidt
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Nijmegen was one of two settlements in modern-day Netherlands that received Roman city rights in AD 98. The city however celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 2005, meaning a settlement has been established in Nijmegen by AD 5. The Romans built a fort there in 12 BC, but even before then, Batavian tribes have inhabited the area.

Nijmegen therefore regards itself as the oldest city in the Netherlands. That claim however is challenged by another city, Maastricht, which has been settled by Celtic tribes about 500 years before the Romans arrived, and has been continuously inhabited since Roman times. Unlike Nijmegen, however, Maastricht has never received city rights from the Romans, so which is the older city is truly a matter of opinion.

St Nicolaaskapel, Nijmegen
St Nicolaaskapel, Nijmegen
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nijmegen,_kapel_van_het_Valkhof_met_Waalbrug_foto13_2010-12-20_12.36.JPG
Author: Michielverbeek
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After Roman influence declined, Nijmegen was absorbed into the Frankish kingdom, making it part of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1165 the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI was born at Nijmegen, and later, in 1230, his son Frederick II granted Nijmegen city rights.

Nijmegen is one of the hottest cities in the Netherlands, particularly in summer, and is prone heat waves. July is the warmest month, when average high temperature rises to 24.7°C (76.5°F). Coldest month is February, with average low temperature of 0.6°C (33.1°F). August is the wettest month, with 98 mm (3.86 in) of precipitation.

Marikenstraat, Nijmegen
Marikenstraat, Nijmegen
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MarikenstraatNijmegen.JPG
Author: Mark Bergsma
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Visiting Nijmegen

All public transport options to Nijmegen require changes of trains or buses.

The nearest airport to Nijmegen is Niederrhein Airport (NRN) located across the border in Weeze, Germany, about 45 km away. It is served by Ryanair which flies to London Stansted as well as a host of other destinations, along with a number of other airlines. From the airport, you can take a public bus to Weeze Railway Station. From there, take a train to Kleve, Germany, near the Dutch border. Then at Kleve, take a bus to Nijmegen.

To reach Nijmegen from a Dutch airport, the nearest is Eindhoven Airport (EIN), 60 km away. If you arrive there, take the public bus 401 to Eindhoven Central Station. Then take a train to 's-Hertogenbosch (also called Den Bosch). At 's-Hertogenbosch, change trains to Nijmegen.

Places of Interest in Nijmegen

  1. St Maartenskapel
    This church from 1155 is only remnant of Charlemagne's palace complex.

  2. St Nicolaaskapel
    One of the oldest stone buildings in the Netherlands, it is a rare example of Byzantine architecture in northern Europe.

  3. Valkhof
    Hill which was the site of the early Batavian settlement, where the Romans built their fortress and where Charlemagne had a palace.

  4. Velorama
    Museum celebrating the bicycle.

Nijmegen is on the map of the Netherlands

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