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WINTER VACATION

03 Jan Nijmegen

Posted at 02:15h in Netherlands by Timo Hellman 0 Comments
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Nijmegen

The lovely Nijmegen, in the eastern part of the country, is the oldest city in the Netherlands. It lies in the Gelderland province on a range of hills near the River Waal. It has appr. 168 000 residents in the actual city, and about 285,000 in the whole metropolitan area. It has a university and the city is vivid because of the heavy influence of students.

Nijmegen was first mentioned in the 1st century, when the Roman Empire built a military camp on the site of the current city. In 104 CE, the Roman Emperor Trajan renamed the town, which now became known as Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum, Noviomagus for short (the origin of the current name Nijmegen).

What to do and see in Nijmegen

Kronenburgerpark

This idyllic park is an outstanding place for calm strolling and picnics. The main sight here is the Kruittoren (Powder Tower), a 30-meter long tower, built in 1426; what remains of the wall that surrounded the city in the 15th century.

  • Nihmegen1-1
  • Nihmegen1-2

Grote Markt

This market is a popular gathering place with its cafés and old architecture.  One of the notable sites is a 16th-century weighing hall (waag) on the north side, which now serves as a restaurant.

  • Jerónimos_Monastery-2
  • Jerónimos_Monastery

Museum Het Valkhof

The museum stands on the edge of the Valkhof park, site of a Roman army camp and a citadel built by Charlemagne, at the address Kelfkensbos 59. It depicts Roman artifacts found archaeological excavations, as well as 17th-century paintings, silverware, and modern art.

  • Museu-da-Electricidade-2
  • Museu-da-Electricidade

Commanderie Van Sint Jan

This building, found at the address Franseplaats 1, used to be a monastery for the Order of the Knights of Saint John, but today it houses a brewery and a cozy restaurant.

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  • Botanical-Gardens

Recreation

There are a lot of relatively cheap restaurants (“eetcafés”) to be found in Nijmegen, especially on the Van Welderenstraat and on Kelfkensbos. The city hosts a carneval six weeks before Easter, where people dress up in funny costumes and drink. There are parades in every town & village in Gelderland during the season. The downtown area is the center of the nightlife with its many pubs and cafés. The annual rock festival Forta Rock gathers thousands of music fans every year.

Shopping

Trendy shops are concentrated on the two storey Marikenstraat. Each Monday, there is a weekly market in the centre of Nijmegen, mainly located on the Grote Markt. The nuomerous stalls sell a wide range of products.

Photos: With the CC licence / Finalart2005, Peertje55, G.Lanting, Carole Raddato, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed

May 19, 2024 - Sun
Nijmegen, Alankomaat
overcast clouds
 14°C overcast clouds
Wind 1 m/s
Humidity 86%
Pressure 757.56 mmHg

Top 5 in Nijmegen

  1. Museum Het Valkhof
  2. Kronenburgerpark
  3. Grote Markt
  4. Old Town
  5. Forta Rock festival

                                                      How To Get To Nijmegen

  • The closest international airport is Airport Weeze, 45 km southeast of the town, just across the border from Germany, between the villages of Weeze (Germany) and Nieuw-Bergen (Netherlands). A list of its airlines is here, and destinations here.  Getting to Nijmegen from here is possible with a bus trip to the Weeze railway station, then taking a train into Kleve, where one can get a bus into Nijmegen. This will take about 75 minutes and costs €5.90-7.60 (one-way) – see the bus timetables here.
  • An easier way to get to Nijmegen is via the Eindhoven Airport,  60 kilometers to the southwest of the town. A list of its airlines is here, and destinations here. From the airport one can take bus 401 (with stops in between) or 400 (non-stop) to Eindhoven Central Station and then a train to ‘s Hertogenbosch. In ‘s Hertogenbosch, change trains and take the train to Nijmegen.
  • The Dutch Railways (Nederlandse Spoorwegen, NS) operates regularly between Nijmegen and other main Dutch cities. There are 4 trains an hour to Utrecht, 2 of which continue to Amsterdam and Den Helder. At Utrecht, you can change trains to Schiphol Airport or Rotterdam and The Hague. A handy journey planner on Dutch sites is here.
  • The A73 connects Nijmegen with Venlo, the A77/A57 leads to the German Rhineland. The A15 runs between Nijmegen and Rotterdam and the A50 (Eindhoven-Zwolle) skims the western edge of the metropolitan area.

How To Get Around In Nijmegen

  • The local bus company Breng connects almost every neighbourhood in Nijmegen to the city center. Hermes runs buses into the suburbs as well as a few towns outside of the metropolitan area. More information here.
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03 Jan Amsterdam

Posted at 02:02h in City vacation, Netherlands by Timo Hellman 0 Comments
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Amsterdam

The liberal and exuberant Amsterdam – commonly known just as ”Dam” – is the capital of the Netherlands and is located in the western side of the country. The river Amstel ends in the city centre and connects to a large number of canals. The city has appr. 830,000 residents, and about 1,5 million in the whole metropolitan area.

Amsterdam was granted city rights in either 1300 or 1306. From the 14th century on, Amsterdam flourished, largely because of trade with the Hanseatic League. The 17th century is considered as Amsterdam’s Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the world.

Significant areas

– Old Centre. The most popular area among tourists and known for its pubs, canals, coffeeshops and old architecture.

– Jordaan. The Museum Quarter and the Vondelpark are here.

– South. Prices are cheaper here than in the city center. Here is e.g. the Albert Cuyp Market.

What to do and see in Amsterdam

Begijnhof

This inner court is one of the oldest in Amsterdam, originally constructed in 1307. The buildings in the court are tall, characteristically Amsterdam-style town-houses. It was originally a béguinage, a community of the religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world. There are 47 regular town houses, in the area most of them have facades from the 17th and 18th century. The catholic ministry is still organizing masses and other ceremonies at the chapel in the area.

  • amsterdam1

Anne Frank House

This historic 17th-century canal house and biographical museum, at the address Prinsengracht 263-265, is dedicated to the memory of Anne Frank, a Jewish girl who hid from Nazi occupation with her family and four other people in the hidden rooms of this house. Here she wrote her famous diary, chronicling her life from 12 June 1942 until 1 August 1944, before her death in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. The museum holds the preserved hiding place, a permanent exhibition on the life of Anne Frank, and an exhibition space dedicated to all forms of persecution and discrimination. A site full of moving and tragic history.

  • amsterdam2
  • amsterdam3

The Stedelijk Museum

This museum at Museumplein 10 is concentrated on modern and , contemporary art and design. The collection comprises art and design from the early 20th century up to the 21st century, and it features artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Vasily Kandinsky, Marc Chagall and Jackson Pollock.

Pro tip for museum goers : The Museum Card covers the cost of admission to over 400 museums across the Netherlands and one can buy it at most major museums. See more about the museum area Museumplein here.

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  • amsterdam5

Damrak

This avenue running between Amsterdam Centraal in the north and Dam Square in the south. Its known for its picturesque canal houses and its plentiful pedestrian traffic, thanks to it being a popular thoroughfare. There are many cafés and restaurants along this avenue,  and tram lines 4, 9, 16, 24, and 25 are operating in the area . The heartbeat of Amsterdam pulses loud here.

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Vondelpark

This 47 hectare public park lies west of Leidseplein and Museumplein. It has an open-air theatre and four bar facilities. The theatre, Vondelpark Openluchttheater,  has shows from June until August. Performances include classical music, pop music, world music, dance, musical theatre, and cabaret. Although all performances have free entrance, visitors are asked for a donation of one euro.

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Recreation

  • In summer Leidseplein is a square full of terraces packed with people drinking and chatting. Rembrandtplein is a center of nightlife. The Lovers Canal Cruise is a splendid way to get acquainted with the city’s canal network.

Shopping

  • The main shopping district in Amsterdam is concentrated on a line, satrting near Central Station and heading to the Leidseplein: Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat, Heiligeweg and Leidsestraat. The area is filled with good boutiques and top of the line clothing. Surrounding the city center there are some older areas. The main shopping streets there are the Kinkerstraat, the Ferdinand Bolstraat, the Van Woustraat, and the Javastraat. Javastraat is famous for its many exotic ethnic stores.

Photos: With the CC licence / Steve Collis, Mark Ahsmann, Nikanos, Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, Denis Apel, Eisenacher~commonswiki, Lokilech

May 19, 2024 - Sun
Amsterdam, Alankomaat
mist
 14°C mist
Wind 2 m/s, WNW
Humidity 85%
Pressure 757.56 mmHg

Top 5 in Amsterdam

  1. Jordaan district
  2. Albert Cuyp Market
  3. Pubbing in Rembrandtplein
  4. Begijnhof
  5. Canal cruises

How to get to Amsterdam

  • The international Amsterdam Airport Schiphol  is the main airport of the region, 9 kilometers south-west of Amsterdam.  A list of its airlines is here, and destinations here.
  • Most trains arrive and depart from the Amsterdam Centraal Station, located between the Old Centre and the IJ waterfront. Schiphol Airport also has its own train station.
  • Thalys operates trains to/from Paris, Brussels and Antwerp, to Amsterdam. The IC train to Berlin runs every two hours and connects Amsterdam Central Station with Osnabrück, Hanover, and Berlin. See all European train timetables here.
  • Eurolines offers bus routes from various European cities.

How to get around in Amsterdam

  • Public transport within the city is operated by the GVB (Gemeentevervoerbedrijf). The OV chipcard is quite handy, offering a discount for heavy-users. The tram, with 16 lines, is the main transport system in the central area, and there are also dozens of night bus routes which run in place of the trams between midnight and 5am. There is also a metro system operating with four lines, and several free ferry services across the IJ river, to Amsterdam North, the most frequent one runs every 7min. They all leave from a new jetty on the northern (rear) side of Centraal Station. See the journey planner and timetables of the GVB here.
  • Renting a bicycle is the easiest way to get around in the town area.  See a route planner here. Bicycles can be taken on all metros and tram 26 using the bike supplement fee on the OV chipcard. One should use the special bike racks: locations are indicated by a bicycle sign on the outside of the carriage.
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03 Jan Reims

Posted at 00:17h in France, UNESCO HERITAGE by Timo Hellman 0 Comments
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The former coronation city of Reims is one of the most idyllic urban areas in France. It is located in northern France, 129 km south-east of Paris, and it has appr. 188, 000 residents. It is the dominant city of the Champagne area, and where the famous drink comes from. Almost all French kings were crowned there for about 1,000 years, and its history began as a capital of the Gaullic Remi tribe in 80 BC.

(more…)

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