You can certainly visit McDonald’s, H&M and the pubs on the Molenstraat in Nijmegen, but the real gems are found elsewhere. This guide will give you ideas what to do both day and night.

7:00 – If we’re being honest, the average student is of probably still in bed at 7:00 in the morning. Knackered from a night out, tired from a late night study session or just because… well, why not. The early birds among us probably thrive on their morning runs. Of course, any park would do for this purpose, but the real locals do ‘het bruggenrondje’ (the bridge route). As the name suggests, this involves a jogging route over the three bridges across the Waal. You decide how long you make the route — you can of course also run two bridges instead of three.

9:00 – Time for breakfast. Head to HEMA at around 9:00. It might not be as cosy as all those cute breakfast places, but where can you grab breakfast for just 2 euros? Well, at HEMA. With a view of the Grote Markt, you can enjoy your coffee, orange juice, egg, bread roll and croissant between 9:00 and 10:00.

 

11:00 – Now that you are in the city, check out the rest of the centre. For vintage clothing, go to Porch People (also on the Grote Markt). Then turn into Lange Hezelstraat to visit (among other stores) Make My Day, a friendly concept store. Buy designer clothes and plants (Yes, seriously!) at 5|12 in Van Broeckhuysenstraat. Buy your cheese and vegetables at the market and climb the steps of the St. Stevenskerk on Mondays. You can enter the tower with a guide, who will be able to tell you the necessary facts about your new home city. When you make it to the top, you will be rewarded with a magnificent view of Nijmegen. (For those who prefer sleeping in to running: you have by now burnt the calories from your breakfast. How convenient!)

13:00 – Lunch! Our tip – and only for insiders: the Alex bread roll in the Mediterraanse Hoek in Houtstraat. It is actually a Turkish green grocer, but if you walk in and say you’d like a ‘broodje’, Alex the owner will make a delicious sandwich for you with a huge piece of Turkish bread, with all kinds of vegetables, herbs and other vegetarian condiments. And it’s dirt cheap: 2.50 euros.

13:30 – Those who want to study in the afternoon can certainly do that at home or at uni, but the city also offers just as many great study areas. The Mariënburg library is just one fine example. Near the window at the back you can stake your claim to the best private spaces. It is quiet there, you have enough room and you can see all the Nijmegen shoppers passing by. Or go to one of Nijmegen’s many lovely cafés. Sid en Liv in Van Welderenstraat offers tasty lunches (if you still haven’t eaten) while you continue doing your coursework. De Fuzz in Broeckhuysenstraat has excellent coffee. They play great music and you can even donate your tip to Bert the house cat. (House cat is actually not exactly correct: Bert is a red stray cat and De Fuzz, together with the adjacent student residence, has taken Bert under its wings. De Fuzz pays for Bert’s visits to the vet from the donations as well as cat food. In short: a worthy cause.)

15:00 – Had enough of studying and the bustle of the city? Cycle to the Honigcomplex. Among other attractions, you can indulge your inner child here at the trampoline paradise Bounz. By all means, bounce around on your own, but it is certainly more fun to participate in one of the workouts or play dodgeball with others. Then grab a well-deserved craft beer at STOOM (see photo above). Looking for something romantic? Take the Veolia train to Mook Molenhoek and visit Mokerheide with your new ‘uni date’. You’ll be there in no-time: just one stop from Heyendaal (and two from Centraal). Step into an oasis of peace, picnic among the sheep and hike through the hills. If the weather’s good you will feel like you’re in a foreign country

19:00 – To prepare for what’s to come, make sure you have a hearty meal. You could prepare a large pan of pasta at home or polish off a few jars of Chicken Tonight. If you would rather eat out, Nijmegen has plenty to offer. If you’re after tapas, you can go to Eten en Drinken in Nijmegen-Oost (large portions!) or De Kluizenaar in Bottendaal. Wally in Hertogstraat is all about the burgers. Of course we can’t omit the oldie-goldie Dromaai at Plein 1944 from our list of studentfriendly restaurants. If your parents are in town and you can profit from a more generous budget, try restaurant Nibble on the Ganzenheuvel.

21:00 – Let’s head to the pub now. First a small, tight-packed pub. Dancing comes later. A classic is Samson in Houtstraat, with baskets full of peanuts and a wide selection of beers. It’s likely that it’ll be full (and you’ll bump into acquaintances). For the Samson-ish experience, you could go to Café Jos in Daalseweg, which doesn’t call itself a ‘master parlour’ for nothing. At Maxim, Frowijn or Sint-Anneke – all around Keizer Karelplein – you will also find great atmosphere and plenty of beer.

21:30 – In order to keep from losing your orientation week brothers and sisters and further strengthen your bond, you could sign up for the pub quiz at Beij Ons on the Daalsedwarsweg on Tuesday night from 20:30. Good for a date: at House of Billiards on the Graafseweg, you can play pool all night for next to nothing. A good alternative is bowling at Olround Bowling on the Heyendaalseweg, where there is a student competition every Thursday. The less talented bowlers can go disco bowling. The DJ mainly plays guilty pleasures, including their equally embarrassing but nostalgia-inducing music videos. With a bit of luck, a strike may also get you a free round of drinks.

22:00 – Of course, a student night out on the town is not complete without a round of dancing. For a good warm up, you can dance for free every Monday night at dance school Salsa Tipica in Meijhorst and at Fusion Latina in Tweede Walstraat every Wednesday night. Or would you rather start your night singing? Every Thursday night at Café Dollars in Grotestraat starting from 22:30, you can bowl the whole pub away with your golden voice. If your singing voice is not all that but you love live music, go to De Fuik in Eerste Walstraat on Thursday night.

00:30 – Now the night really begins! Where should you go on which day? On Mondays in Café TweeKeerBellen at In de Betouwstraat – besides drinking in the vomit-infused air – you can win attractive prizes in the beer bingo. Walk to De Fuik one street down for Metre Monday, or skip all that nonsense and visit Bascafé, also at In de Betouwstraat. The nice thing about this pub is that if you lose or forget your coat, it will still be hanging there two days later. On Thursday, women drink cocktails for free at trendy Toon at Mariënburg from 23:00 until 01:00, surrounded by suited-up men. On Friday, continue your night at Van Rijn in Molenstraat: spin the wheel and win (or pay for) shots until you drop. Figuratively, of course.

04:15 – Your body probably wants to go home now. But not before you’ve grabbed something greasy for the way home. A Nijmegen invention is the broodje spee – a cheese soufflé with saté sauce, chili sauce and onions. This delicacy is available from the snackbars Corona in Tweede Walstraat and Cafetaria Keizer Karelplein. Even the discodel (see picture: a frikadel with mayo and disco dip – no kidding!) is worth a drunken attempt. Kebab lovers go to Döner Kebab Nijmegen in Molenstraat. / Lara Maassen & Wiep de Ligny