Why visit Nijmegen
Nijmegen was a Roman town before it was a Dutch one. It received Roman market and city rights from the Emperor Trajan around 100 AD, Charlemagne held his palace here in 777, and Dutch city rights followed in 1230. Almost nowhere else in the country has that depth.
It also has one of the hardest 20th-century stories in the Netherlands. On 22 February 1944 American bombers, thrown off by cloud, fighter attacks and unnoticed wind drift, released their loads over Nijmegen instead of their German target. Bombs fell in a line from the Valkhof to the station and close to eight hundred people were killed, among them twenty-four children at a Montessori kindergarten. In September the fighting for the bridges destroyed more, and the city was shelled from across the river until February 1945.
This private walk covers both. You see the Grote Markt and the weigh house of 1612 that survived, the Stevenskerk that was gutted and rebuilt over twenty-five years, the Roman and Carolingian fragments on the Valkhof bluff, and you finish on the quay beneath the bridge the American 82nd Airborne crossed the river to take.
A closer look
What our guests say
Real reviews left by our guests across our tours, on Google, Tripadvisor and GetYourGuide. Every one of them is unedited and in the guest’s own words.
“In a small group, as part of an anniversary, took a two-hour private walk with guide Furat. It was relaxed and cozy with a nice mix of historical and contemporary facts. Because we have a personal history with the city, the route was also adapted to our wishes. Absolutely wonderful.”
“In klein comité in het kader van een jubileum een privéwandeling van twee uur gedaan met gids Furat. Het was ongedwongen en gezellig met een leuke mix van historische en hedendaagse weetjes. Omdat we een persoonlijke geschiedenis met de stad hebben was de route ook op onze wensen aangepast. Helemaal geweldig.”
Translated from Dutch
“Elena was an excellent guide! She made the tour very enjoyable and her explanations about the paintings were extraordinary!”
“Excelente guía Elena ! Nos hizo el tour muy ameno y sus explicaciones sobre las pinturas fueron extraordinarias!”
Translated from Spanish
Google · July 2026“The city tour was very good, informative, and entertaining. Our city guide Bart has extensive knowledge of culture and history and answered all our questions competently and with humor. Highly recommended!”
GetYourGuide · May 2026What's included
Included
- All taxes
- Private guide
- 1.5-hour private walking tour
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Museum and attraction entrance tickets
- Gratuities for the guide (optional)
- Pick-up and drop-off (can be booked separately)
What to expect
Kronenburgerpark and the powder tower
Laid out in the 1880s after Nijmegen lost its fortress status, around the Kruittoren of about 1425, the surviving powder tower of the medieval wall. A short walk from the station and a gentle start.
Meeting point: In front of De Waagh, the weigh house on the Grote Markt. You can also choose a custom starting location. Just add it as a comment when you book.
Lange Hezelstraat and Stikke Hezelstraat
Billed as the oldest shopping street in the Netherlands, and home to a cafe whose hospitality tradition is dated to 1542. This street was among the areas worst hit in February 1944. The Stikke Hezelstraat end is the first real climb of the walk.
The Grote Markt, De Waagh and the Kerkboog
The weigh house of 1612 is the square's Renaissance showpiece and it survived the war. The Kerkboog arch leads through to the churchyard behind.
The Sint-Stevenskerk
Begun in 1254 and dedicated in 1273 by Albertus Magnus. The tower and the streets around it took the worst of the bombing, and restoration ran for roughly twenty-five years. It was very badly damaged, not destroyed, and inside you can see the difference.
Up to the Valkhof
A gentle climb east to the bluff above the river, where the Romans built and where Charlemagne held his palace in 777. The fortress was demolished in 1796 and citizens' protest saved two fragments, the Sint-Nicolaaskapel and the Barbarossa ruin.
The Belvedere and Hunnerpark
A 15th-century wall tower on the ridge, with views over the Waal into the Betuwe and the Ooijpolder. The best vantage point in the city, and the place to understand why everyone from the Romans onward wanted this hill.
Down to the Waalkade
The steepest part of the walk, with steps, down to the quay beneath the Waalbrug. Here your guide tells the story of 20 September 1944, when men of the 82nd Airborne crossed the river in canvas boats in daylight and more than half the first wave were killed or wounded.
Highlights
The oldest city in the Netherlands, with Roman market rights from around 100 AD
Charlemagne's Valkhof: the Sint-Nicolaaskapel and the Barbarossa ruin above the river
The 22 February 1944 bombing, and what the Grote Markt kept
The Waalbrug and the Market Garden crossing, told from the quayside
Frequently asked questions
Is Nijmegen really hilly?
Yes, unusually so for the Netherlands. The old centre sits on an ice-pushed ridge above the Waal and a city route over the same ground records heights from six to forty metres. There are two modest climbs and one steeper descent with steps down to the quay. Anyone comfortable on their feet for ninety minutes will be fine, and if steps are a problem tell us in advance and the guide will route around them and finish on the higher ground instead.
Is Nijmegen really the oldest city in the country?
It has the strongest claim, resting on the Roman town rather than on continuous city rights. Maastricht contests it, and your guide will give you both sides rather than just the local one.
How much of the old city survived?
Less than you would expect. Around five thousand houses were destroyed, roughly a quarter of the stock, and thirteen thousand more were badly damaged. What survived is worth the walk, and reading the difference between what is old and what is rebuilt is a large part of what makes this tour interesting.
Where does Operation Market Garden come in?
The Waal bridges were the second-to-last objective on the road to Arnhem. On the afternoon of 20 September 1944 men of the 82nd Airborne crossed the river downstream of the city in canvas assault boats, in daylight, under fire. More than half of the roughly two hundred and sixty men in the first wave were killed or wounded. We tell it on the quay, with the bridge overhead.
Is anything worth going inside?
The Stevenskerk is the one we would argue for, and it is normally open daily. From April to September a guild guide takes visitors up the tower, as a separate climb and a separate ticket, and it is the best view in the city. Museum Het Valkhof holds the Roman archaeology and De Bastei on the quay covers the river. Entrance fees are not included, and your guide will tell you which fits your interests.
What is the Vierdaagse, and will it affect our visit?
The International Four Days Marches, the largest walking event in the world: more than forty-five thousand people walking thirty to fifty kilometres a day for four days in the third week of July, with a week of festivities filling the centre. It is extraordinary to witness and the centre is extremely busy, routes are diverted and normal tours are constrained. Book far ahead and expect a modified route.
What is the best time of day?
Morning for the church open and the Grote Markt before the lunch rush. Late afternoon for light on the river, since the Belvedere and the Waalkade both face north over the water. In summer an early-evening tour can be timed to finish near the Sunset March, when a veteran walks the Oversteek bridge at dusk and anyone can join.
More about Nijmegen
What else there is to see, how to get there, and when to come.
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