8x facts about Nijmegen as a student city
There is no denying it: Nijmegen is a beautiful city. Students have the time of their lives here. Here are some facts about Nijmegen, the student city:
1. The oldest city in the Netherlands
Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands! Because of its favourable location, Nijmegen was an important base of operations for the Roman army in the first century. Nijmegen's long history means there is a lot to discover and experience in the city.
2. Largest population in Gelderland
With 177,321 inhabitants, Nijmegen has the largest population in Gelderland.
3. Mariken van Nimwegen
The most famous person in the history of Nijmegen is Mariken van Nimwegen: she even has a statue on the Grote Markt. Read more about Mariken van Nimwegen here.
4. A real university city!
In 1923, a Roman Catholic University opened in Nijmegen. There are currently over 43,000 students in Nijmegen, over 20,000 of whom live in the city. Nijmegen is a real university city!
5. The best student city in the Netherlands
Nijmegen is the second best enjoyable student city according to students in the National Student Survey in 2016. A great result! But be honest: Nijmegen really belongs in first place, doesn't it?
6. The best student associations
Nijmegen is bursting at the seams with student associations! Enjoy being a student and make friends for life at these associations by signing up for, for example, a student union or a sports club.
7. The highest density of pavement cafés
Nijmegen has the highest density of pavement cafés in the Netherlands. Plenty of options if you’re looking to have lunch, dinner or drinks! These are the best pavement cafés in Nijmegen.
8. The Four Day Marches festivities
Did you know that the total number of visitors to the Nijmegen Four Days Festivities was 1.615 million in 2018? That was a record amount! Will you come next time to help set a new one?
Discover more - Hotspots & things to explore
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Ali, Iran
"My choice for Nijmegen was no coincidence. The program here is known for its quality, and the research facilities, such as the Donders Institute, appealed to me enormously. I also felt a welcoming atmosphere in Nijmegen."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Carl, Wales
"I remember walking around the Grote Markt in the city center and thinking that it was very European. You have a lot of cafés where people are sitting on the terraces, even in the evenings. Seeing that makes you understand the word gezellig."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Daniel, Germany
"I like to cycle, so it’s nice that there is such a biking culture in the Netherlands. In Germany, we’re slowly also getting more biking infrastructure, but it’s simply not comparable."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Lara, South Africa
"I was always passionate about human genetics, so I wanted to do a master’s in that field, and that’s how I found Radboud. I started here with a master’s in medical biology and right now, I’m doing my PhD at the Radboudumc."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Eduardo, Spain
"Before moving to the city, I didn’t know Nijmegen. But I found it to be a nice place. In a way, it reminds me a bit of a city where I used to live in Spain. Nijmegen also has a cozy city center with a lot of traditional buildings."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Ivana, Italy/Serbia
"In some ways, Nijmegen reminds me of Lucca, the Italian town where I grew up. It has a human dimension – you can reach most places by walking, and within ten minutes, you’re in nature, but you’re also close to the German border."
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Mark Luke's (CITC) mission: a more sustainable chip industry with revolutionary technology
Since March 2023, Mark Luke Farrugia has been General Manager of Nijmegen's Chip Integration Technology Center (CITC). And he has a clear mission; to make the chip industry more sustainable and thereby also bring it to Europe and, especially, Nijmegen.
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Khaoula, Morocco
"I love it here. The city’s slogan says it best: Nijmegen is an old city with a young vibe. The buildings can tell stories from hundreds of years ago, but the people are young, fresh, and outgoing."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Isabella, Brazil
"I was born and raised in Brazil, but I’m half-Italian from my mom’s side. I was living in Italy right before moving to the Netherlands, so it wasn’t as long of a trip. But the Netherlands is very different from my reality growing up in Brazil."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Sorina, Romania
"The weather, especially in the winter, is sometimes difficult to cope with, but I discovered some places in the city that I really like. One of them is Bhalu. I like that the people there are friendly and I love their homemade pastries."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Giulia, Italy
"After my master’s in Italy, I wanted to leave the country and secure a future somewhere else. Because of that, I was looking into ways to specialize more and found the master’s in Human Geography at Radboud University."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Alex, Romania
"It's quite cliché, but the first thing that really surprised me was how good the bike infrastructure was. I saw people cycle in suits or in dresses – this was really surreal to see, someone so well dressed, but then on a bike."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Elle, United States
"I’m a hairstylist and a fully licensed cosmetologist in America, but it took quite some time to be able to work here. Because I’m from the US, I needed a residence permit to register my business with the KVK."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Stuart, Australia
"Nijmegen is really a great city. Especially on a sports level, there’s an athletics club with world-class athletes, football, rugby, tennis, golf… virtually every sport! And the history of Nijmegen is also incredibly fascinating to me."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Sanchitta, Bangladesh
"One of my favorite places in the city is the Face of Nijmegen statue. In the beginning, when I wasn’t feeling good, my husband and I went there, sat by the river, and drank tea. I still go there to meditate."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Sudipta, Bangladesh
"I’m originally from Bangladesh, but I did my graduate degree in Gothenburg in Sweden, so I had already lived in Europe when I started looking for jobs after my graduation and found a company here in Nijmegen."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Masha, Ukraine
"I moved to the Netherlands on the 12th of May 2017. I remember the day, because it divided my life into a ‘before’ and an ‘after.’ I was born and raised in a small town in Ukraine, with around 30,000 people."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Ken, Belgium
"I moved to Nijmegen in January 2018 and I’m working here as a journalist. Originally, I’m from the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. But before moving to the Netherlands, I lived in Brussels for seven years."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Kyran, Aruba
"On the other hand, one thing that definitely positively surprised me about Nijmegen was how queer-friendly the city is. You go out and see a lot of gay pride flags. I do like De Regenboog as well."
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Expat life in Nijmegen: Romane, France/Indonesia
"One of the main reasons why I love Nijmegen so much is probably the university. Radboud is amazing. It’s not one of those universities where you are dreading to go back on campus to study – there is so much going on all the time."