Nijmegen

From the Valkhof chapel to the Waalbrug, ending at In de Blaauwe Hand

Climb the Valkhof in the morning, the hill where the Romans first camped above the Waal, to see the ninth-century Carolingian chapel and the museum. Walk west along Burchtstraat past the 15th-century town hall, drop to the Waalkade to watch the barges, cross the Waalbrug, and end at In de Blaauwe Hand, the oldest pub.

Museum Het Valkhof, at the edge of the park, fills in the Roman chapters with finds from the town. If the weather is clear, walk east to the Belvedere, a 17th-century lookout tower on the Hunnerberg, for the long view over the river.

Midday. Head west along Burchtstraat, passing the 15th-century town hall (admire the front; the inside holds little of note), to the Grote Markt and its old weigh house. Go through the gateway into the Stevenskerk courtyard for the Latin school and the 13th-century church, stripped inside during the 16th-century revolt. A student eetcafe on Van Welderenstraat makes a cheap lunch.

Afternoon. Drop down to the Waalkade and watch the barges, then cross the Waalbrug to Lent to look back at the skyline.

Evening. Begin in In de Blaauwe Hand on the Grote Markt, the oldest pub in the city, and move on to Samson on Houtstraat, old-fashioned and smart.

Cheap student eetcafés on Van Welderenstraat

Students from Radboud University and the HAN shape how Nijmegen eats, keeping prices low and portions generous in the eetcafés, the Dutch cross between café and restaurant, on Van Welderenstraat and Kelfkensbos below the Valkhof. Snack bars fry kroketten and patat, and the city claims an unusually dense crowd of pubs.

De Dromaai on Plein 1944 is a long-standing student eatery. Pizza is the city's surprise strength: plenty of pizzerias do sit-down Italian meals as well as the takeaway trade.

Snack bars across the centre fry Dutch standards such as kroketten and patat, and many add Turkish grills. For a picnic on the Waalkade, the supermarkets in the centre (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Coop and others) bake fresh bread daily.

Drinking is where Nijmegen really stands out. It claims more pubs for its area than any other Dutch town, and the old ones repay a visit. In de Blaauwe Hand on the Grote Markt has been pouring longer than any of them, and Samson on Houtstraat keeps up an old-school standard of service. In July, the Zomerfeesten fill the centre with stages and street bars during Vierdaagse week, and on the final day the marchers come in carrying gladioli, handed to them by the crowds along the route.