These 6 oldest cities in the Netherlands are best explored on foot

Stately student city

If you arrive at Groningen station by train, take a good look around you. What a beautiful ceiling in the station hall! The structure dates from 1896 and was designed by architect Isaac Gosschalk.

Groningen has stately church towers, streets full of monuments and medieval merchant houses. It is a real student city and there is a unique museum: the Groninger Museum. The route passes here, so be sure to go in if you have enough time. Also interesting: the Northern Maritime Museum. In addition to the permanent collection, which runs from the Middle Ages to the present, there are various temporary exhibitions every year. Don’t miss the public toilet at Reitemakersrijge for a sanitary stop. The design is by architect Rem Koolhaas and photographer Erwin Olaf. And it’s nice, not only men can pee here, there are also toilets for women.

The Der Aa Church can be recognized by its blue and yellow painted wooden spire. Various scenes depicting the resurrection of Jesus are depicted on the ceiling of the church.

For those who want to stay for dinner, Bistroboys in the popular Folkingestraat is recommended. Share a few dishes with your table companions. Such as burrata with zucchini, prawns or confit de canard with onion compote.

Getting lost in the past

A visit to Zierikzee, with beautifully preserved facades and drawbridges, is like a journey through time. In the fourteenth century the city was a flourishing center for the merchant navy and this can still be seen today. Merchants had beautiful houses built along the quay. Fortunately, the treasures from the past have been preserved. In Zierikzee you can admire no fewer than 570 monuments, including the three medieval port gates: the Nobel Gate, the Noordhaven Gate and the Zuidhaven Gate.

Walk further past the former Burgerweeshuis and marvel at the Regentenkamer. This is now a gallery, sculpture garden, center for creative workshops and wedding location.

The highlight of the city: the Fat Tower. With its 62 meters it stands head and shoulders above everything. The climb takes some time, but once at the top the view is beautiful. Fancy buying something new? Then Zierikzee is also the right place for you, there are plenty of nice boutiques and in the summer there is a flea market every Thursday.

Nice fortified city

Wander past fortifications, the most beautiful houses and cozy cafes. There is a lot to do in Den Bosch and the atmosphere is wonderfully Burgundian. Because you follow this route via an app, you can choose from multiple starting points. For those who come by train, Stationsweg is probably the most convenient.

Along the way you will learn all about the history of the city, which originated in the twelfth century. Duke Henry I of Brabant then came into possession of an estate. The Market is now located on that spot. The name of the town means nothing more than ‘the duke’s forest’, although there were soon no forests left, because defenses were constructed and the estate became a fortified town.

Don’t forget to walk past the oldest brick house in the Netherlands at Markt 77. The building, called De Moriaan, was built by order of the Duke of Brabant in 1220. Important families from Den Bosch lived there over the centuries. Despite all that history, the building was nominated for demolition in 1956. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. There is plenty of choice for dinner. Recommended are Nom Nom, a restaurant with daily changing tapas, and Nippen Restobar. Nightcap? Drink another one at De Keulse Kar with a view of St. John’s Cathedral.

Picturesque

Rembrandt was born and raised in Leiden and he started his career here. Walk past the places where he went to school and where he first held a paintbrush. And along the spot where his birthplace once stood, recognizable by a gable stone at number 27. Opposite the Van Rijn family house used to be the city wall with the mill where the family ground malt (Rembrandt originally came from a miller’s family).

Start and end the tour at the railway station. Although the walk is only 4.3 kilometers, it is smart to take part of the day for it. Leiden, with its historic buildings, canals, idyllic bridges and squares, is an ideal walking city. Enjoy the cozy shops, take a boat trip or stop at one of the interesting museums along the way. Such as the National Museum of Antiquities, Rijksmuseum Boerhaave or Museum De Lakenhal with work by the young Rembrandt and other famous Leiden masters.

Monarchs, dukes and emperors

Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands. The history goes back two thousand years, when the Romans settled here. A few centuries later, Emperor Charlemagne chose the Valkhof to build a palace and it became one of the most important places of his empire. And long afterward, Nijmegen was an important city for princes, dukes and emperors. During the Second World War, part of Nijmegen’s city center was accidentally destroyed by an Allied bombing. Yet there is still plenty of history to discover, such as part of the city wall in the Kronenburger Park.

Also walk past the Stevenskerk, the symbol of the city. And visit the Cloth Hall from the fourteenth century, where the trade in English wool used to take place. Even older is the Barbarossa ruin. This is a remnant of the castle that Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had built in 1155.

Along the way you walk through the Lange Hezelstraat, the oldest shopping street in the Netherlands. What fun! The sixteenth- and seventeenth-century buildings, the terraces and characteristic canopies provide atmosphere. You can always find a nice gift or gadget in the many concept stores. Nijmegen is also a culinary paradise. Stop by the Blonde Pater for an espresso and a sandwich. Or at Fresca for the extensive lunch menu, home-baked cakes and other sweets.

Historical & hip

The Hanseatic city of Zutphen has many old warehouses, merchant houses, churches, courtyards and squares. The nice thing is that almost all sights are within walking distance of each other. And in addition to the monumental buildings, the historic center also has all kinds of trendy shops and nice coffee and lunch places.

Start the walk at the front of the railway station and go through a gate to the former monastery garden of the Broederenklooster. On Lange Hofstraat you pass the Burgerzaal, which together with the adjacent buildings form the former town hall. The hall was previously used as a meat hall, court and now as a council chamber and exhibition space. The Citizens’ Hall is regularly open to the public and admission is free.

At the end of the walk, walk past the ruins of the Spanjaardspoort. Named after the Spanish troops who invaded the city in 1572. And finally: coffee and something tasty. At Van Rossum’s Koffie in the Turfstraat, the cakes are already beckoning from the display case.

Photography: ANP, Getty Images, Groninger Museum/Eric and Petra Hesmerg, Groningen Image Bank/Stella Dekker Photography, @sophie.felice, Hollandse Hoogte, In Zutphen, Leiden&Partners, Anne-Claire Martens, Tessa Pennings @zoetenverleidelijk, Shutterstock, VisitBrabant