About Nijmegen

Sunset in Nijmegen

Old City...

At the approximate time of the start of the Christian calendar, Nijmegen was selected as an important outpost for the armies of the Roman Empire, because of its favourable location. Around 100 AD the Romans had established a complete, functioning city called 'Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum' and Nijmegen received city and market rights from emperor Trajanus. It wasn't just the Romans that put their mark on the city, however! Find out more about the history of Nijmegen here.

Unfortunately, much of Nijmegen's rich history was demolished during WWII, but in the Valkhofkwartier its traces can still clearly be seen. Wander around, visit museums and travel through the Roman period, medieval times, and the Second World War.

Apart from the fact that Nijmegen is the oldest city in the county, it can also lay claim to its oldest high street: the Lange Hezelstraat. It is full of historic shopping premises, specialist shores, and pubs and restaurants. Definitely worth a visit!

...Young Vibe

The Vierdaagsefeesten – the festival surrounding the Nijmegen Four Day Marches – is the largest freely accessible event in the Netherlands, and one of the largest events in Europe with approximately 1.5 million visitors each year. Are you ready for seven days of partying, dancing, visiting awesome gigs and more? If you think the hustle and bustle of the greatest hang in the Netherlands is something you'd enjoy, definitely put this one in your calendar!

The Vierdaagsefeesten grew from the original Four Day Marches, referred to in Dutch as 'de Vierdaagse' and also called 'The Walk of The World' – it's the largest walking event in the world and takes four days. It concludes on the Via Gladiola. You might suspect that with such a huge and renowned festival taking place at midsummer, Nijmegen would be quiet during the rest of the year... Well think again! Events and festivals take place throughout the year.

Did you know that Nijmegen has the highest terrace density of the Netherlands? There's ample space for to enjoy a nice beverage in the sun! Great lunchrooms and restaurants are strewn about the city. When night comes, Nijmegen's cosy pubs come to life.

Or do you want to go all out? The night life of Nijmegen is always turned up to eleven. You can dance until sunrise, go to a great festival, or visit some great gigs.

City of nature

Nijmegen is renowned for its lush nature in and around the city. Moreover, it is so easily accessible: you can get to any number of beautiful spots in minutes. Leave the bustle of the city behind while enjoying the glory of the Ooijpolder, the forests, city parks... the list just goes on.

Opposite the Waalkade (literally 'Waal quay') you can see Nijmegen's river park. It was created as the water volume of the Waal is growing all the time, due to climate change. A side channel, the Spiegelwaal, was dug to make space for the excess water, and it almost poetically mirrors the river. As a result of the dike relocation and the digging of the channel, an elongated island has been formed in the river. The island and Spiegelwaal together protect Nijmegen from flooding. The river park offers a unique mix of water, nature, recreation, and urban activities. Apart from being a great place for a walk or cycle, a lot of people go swimming here in summer, and various water sports are practised.

In 2018, Nijmegen was the Green Capital of Europe, a title the city is extremely proud of. It has only galvanised the city to put more effort into its transition to sustainable mobility and fossil-fuel-free energy. Nijmegen is aiming to be an emission-free zone by 2025, which means that logistic vehicles that use fossil fuel will have no access to the city centre. Furthermore, it hosts a 'Green Friday' annually, to make the city even greener and more beautiful.

Health & High-Tech

Thanks to its significant position in the Health & High-Tech sector, Nijmegen has become a trailblazer when it comes to improving quality of life, healthcare, and developing premium technology for various societal applications.

It has found international renown because of its powerful Health ecosystem. The city's knowledge base is solid, thanks to the presence of the Radboud University, Radboudumc and the HAN University of Applied Sciences. Those institutions are important sources for (scientific) knowledge and know-how concerning themes such as genetics, infectious diseases, nutrition, and neurosciences. This knowledge is applied by Nijmegen-based businesses of all sizes. Within Health, Nijmegen has defined three important areas of innovation:

• Drug Discovery & Development
• Digital Health
• Neuroscience/Healthy Brain

Even though Nijmegen is renowned for 'health', the high-tech ecosystem is as impressive. It all started in 1953 when Philips N.V. moved into a factory in the city centre. Two years later, a large facility was constructed near Neerbosch. One plant after another was built here, and Nijmegen became a prime location for semi-conductor production in Europe.

Many years later, a powerful high-tech network has taken shape in and around Philip's semi-conductor production facility. World-class actors are active here, like NXP, Ampleon and Nexperia. There is an ever-expanding eco system of promising chip companies, such PinkRF, Trymax and NTX. The region recently welcomed the Chip Integration Technology Center, an open innovation centre focusing on the development of an entirely new generation of chips. In other words: Nijmegen is renowned for its progressive chip technology for various societal applications and innovations in the realm of RF technology. Nijmegen: a global powerhouse for solving societal issues.

 

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