April 14, 2025
I am on a riverboat cruising to waterways of the Netherlands and Belgium. It’s another beautiful day perfect for exploring.
Today we are in Nijmegen. It is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River just 6 miles from the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands established in 1000 AD.
The town was key in the downfall of Germany and is featured in the movie “A bridge to far”.
Due to flooding from the Waal they have a system of steel doors around the city that can be closed when needed to protect the city. Dutch are the experts when it comes to managing water!!!
The town is build on seven hills which adds to the character as most of the Netherlands is flat.
The church was originally builds in 1100 and took heavy damage during WWII but was rebuilt and is currently undergoing reconstruction to reinforce the walls. The organ is the largest in Europe
The Blue Hand Cafe, the oldest bar in the city was named after the textile workers in the 17’th century who drank there after working with indigo dye that caused their hands to be blue.
It was an enjoyable day exploring this ancient city and learning it’s history,
