NETHERLANDS GUIDE

NIJMEGEN
Feel the history, feel the vibe
TEXT: MICHIEL STOL | PHOTOS: GEMEENTE NIJMEGEN
Embraced by the majestic river Waal,
the city of Nijmegen is the largest city
in the east of the Netherlands, right on
the German border. It is a city where
the old collides with the new; history,
innovation and vibrant culture meet in
the heart of this former Roman stronghold.
You might not see it at first, but
you will immediately feel it.
Nijmegen’s past has been one of war,
prosperity, culture and innovation. It is the
oldest city in the Netherlands, founded
in 19 BC, when the Romans first settled
on the natural moraine next to the river.
The military outpost and adjacent village
turned into a centre of trade, and by 98
AD, ‘Noviomagus’ had received city
rights, the first settlement in modern-day
Netherlands to do so. Throughout the late
Middle Ages, the strategic position on
the Waal fuelled the city’s economy, and
the river beds provided fertile farmlands.
This is also the period when the majestic
Saint Stephen’s Church was built, at
the highest point of the upper city. The
church’s foundations still stem from the
1270s and, to this day, the church is
Nijmegen’s main architectural feature, rising
large above the city.
Misfortune and prosperity
By the 15th century, Nijmegen had become
a city of prominence; it entered
the prestigious Hanseatic trade league
and was fortified with a stone wall. The
wars of the Renaissance hampered
Nijmegen’s growth, and the 1630s black
plague epidemic halved its population.
However, by the 19th century, political
stability had returned to the region
and Nijmegen began to flourish once
44 | Issue 71 | November 2019