Marion’s favourite
Nijmegen walking tours
Nijmegen is the city Marion likes guiding most. It is the oldest in the country, its roots go back to the Romans, and it is the only Dutch city built on two levels.
Ask about Nijmegen
A city on two floors
An upper town along the ridge and a lower town down on the water, which is unusual in a country famous for being flat. The two levels keep resetting the view as you walk: old streets and squares at the top, then the Waal opening up wide at the edge of them. The Stevenskerk towers over the centre and the Waalkade runs along the river below it.
What the walk covers
About two hours through the best known landmarks, with the Roman origins running underneath the whole route. Nijmegen was Noviomagus, a Roman settlement on the empire’s northern frontier, and it has the market square, the church and the river gates that trace what happened to it afterwards, including the floods that used to reach the lower town.
For coach groups
Nijmegen works particularly well for coach groups arriving for the day. It is far enough from Amsterdam to feel like a different country and compact enough to cover properly in a morning, and route and pace are set to the group rather than to a fixed script.
Common questions
What makes Nijmegen the oldest city in the Netherlands?
It grew out of Noviomagus, a Roman settlement on the northern frontier of the empire, and it was the first place in what is now the Netherlands to be granted city rights.
Is the walk hilly?
There is a real height difference between the upper and lower town, which is rare in this country. The route can be arranged to keep the climbing to a minimum.
Can a coach group be dropped in the centre?
Yes, and this is one of the reasons Nijmegen works so well for day groups. Pickup and drop-off points are agreed in advance with the driver.
