Arnhem
Travel Guide > Europe > Netherlands > Gelderland > Arnhem
Introduction
Arnhem is the capital of the Dutch province of Gelderland. It lies between the river Rhine and national park the Veluwe. It is also one of the few cities in the Netherlands that isn't entirely flat. The city has 142,638 inhabitants (July '07). In Arnhem you can find Burgers' Zoo, the National Dutch Open Air museum, the Airborne Museum and the Kröller-Müller Museum, which is located in the Veluwe. Thanks to its many parks, Arnhem is a green city, but it's also a city undergoing a face lift: a new train station is currently being built, and there are also plans to bring the river into the city by making a channel straight into the inner city.
Arnhem is borders other smaller towns like Velp, Rozendaal, Schaarsbergen, Elden and is near Oosterbeek. A large part of the city lies on the southern bank of the river Rhine. Here you will also find the Gelredome, home of football team Vitesse Arnhem and a venue for large concerts and events.
History
It is not exactly clear how old Arnhem is, but it is clear that the settlement had started at a high point along the stream of the Sint Jansbeek. It was granted city rights in 1233 by Otto II of Gelre. In 1579, it became the capital of the region of Gelre, and joined the Republic of the 7 united Netherlands in 1585. In 1817 it became the capital of the province Gelderland.
World War 2:
Arnhem was the site of the failed attempt to take the bridge of the Rhine during World War 2. In September 1944 thousands of mainly British and Polish paratroopers were dropped in enemy territory outside Arnhem during operation 'Market Garden'. These paratroopers were meant to take the bridge in Arnhem so that the ground troops coming from the South could cross the bridge in Arnhem. Most of the paratroopers were dropped too far from the bridge, and never made it to the bridge, but a small group actually secured the bridge, but couldn't defend it long enough. Because of the slow progress that the ground troops coming in from the south made, the plan eventually failed. The troops had to pull out, and the bridge was blown up by the Germans. As a tribute, one of the bridges between Arnhem and Arnhem-Zuid is named John Frost Bridge, after Lt. Col John D. Frost, the commander of the 1st Airborne division that secured the bridge in September 1944.
The events that took place in September 1944 were turned into a film called A bridge to far by director Richard Attenborough, starring Sean Connery, James Caan, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Caine, and Gene Hackman.
Sights and Activities
Airborne Museum & Cemetery
The Airborne museum depicts the events that took place during Operation 'Market Garden' in September 1944. Operation Market Garden, also known as the Battle of Arnhem, was the failed attempt to take the bridges over the Rhine before the winter of 1944. In Oosterbeek, you can also find the Arnhem-Oosterbeek War Cemetery, with 1750 graves of mainly British and Polish soldiers. Most of the men buried here died during the operation 'Market Garden', but there are also graves from people who died during other battles, and even some civilians.
The museum is located in Oosterbeek at the Utrechtseweg 232, just outside Arnhem at Hotel Hartenstein, the Headquarters of the Allies during the operation. The Cemetery is located at the Van Limburg Stirumweg in Oosterbeek.
Burgers' Zoo
Burgers' Zoo is one of the biggest zoos in the Netherlands. The zoo is divided into separate sections. In Burgers' you van visit the Bush, Safari, Mangrove and the Desert. The Zoo can be reached by city bus line 3 (Burgers' Zoo) in 15 minutes from the Central Station. In the summer, line 13 (Burgers' Zoo) also runs between the station and the Zoo.
Open Air Museum
The Open Air Museum depicts the Holland of the past. It shows how common people lived in the Netherlands in the days gone by. It houses a collection of historic buildings from all over the Netherlands. The museum also owns a collections of trams, which still work, and a lot of other objects.
Kröller-Müller museum
The Kröller-Müller museum is named after Helene Kröller-Müller. She began collecting art in 1905 and founded the museum in 1938. She died one year later. The collection has works by van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and many other painters. The museum also has a huge sculpture garden which is beautifully set in the national park.
St. Eusebius Church
The Saint Eusebius Church is the largest church in Arnhem. The building of the church started in 1450, and it took more than a century to complete. During the battle of Arnhem the church was destroyed, but it was later rebuilt. Inside the church it is possible to visit the grave of Duke Karel of Gelre. It is also possible to take a ride with an elevator to a height of 73 meters to the Belvedere. It is also possible to climb another 7 meters of stairs to the panorama area at 80 meters, where you can have a great view of the city, the river and the surrounding area.
Events and Festivals
Airborne March
The Airborne wandeltocht is a one day marching event that takes place the first Saturday of every September. The route goes along the battlefields and drop zones. There are 10, 15, 25 and 40 kilometers walks. Even if you are not sporty enough to join in, you can still enjoy the atmosphere and the celebrations, and pay homage to the veterans that visit the event.
Weather
Getting There
By Plane
There is no airport near Arnhem. Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam can be reached in an hour and a half from Arnhem Central Station by train. The nearest airport is the small airport of Niederrhein in Germany. Amongst others, Ryanair has flights to and from this airport, although connections are unfortunately not optimal.
By Train
Arnhem has excellent train connections to other cities in the Netherlands. Amsterdam can be reached in 1 hour and 20 minutes, Utrecht in 30 minutes and Nijmegen in 15 minutes. Oberhausen in Germany can be reached in just under 50 minutes.
Besides the central station, there are also smaller stations in Arnhem-Zuid and Arnhem-Velperpoort.
By Car
Arnhem is located at a crossroad of motorways. The A50 goes north towards Apeldoorn, and south towards Eindhoven. the A325 takes you south towards Nijmegen. The A15 goes to the west towards Rotterdam. The A12 also runs west towards Utrecht, and goes east towards Oberhausen in Germany (in Germany the A12 changes it's name to A3).
By Bus
Arnhem is connected to the smaller towns and villages by buses. It also has connections to cities like Nijmegen and Apeldoorn. Longer trips are best taken by train. Eurolines buses make a stop in Arnhem, at the Central Station.
By Boat
Arnhem lies on the banks of the Rhine, which makes it possible to visit the city by boat.
Getting Around
By Car
Arnhem is not the hardest city to drive around in, and also finding a parking spot should not prove too difficult. At the central station there is a huge underground parking lot.
By Public Transport
Arnhem is the only Dutch city to have trolleybuses. These are buses attached to electricity wires running overhead (similar to trams). This network, which also reaches Oosterbeek, is one of the largest in Western Europe. These trolleybuses combined with normal buses can make you reach almost every destination in the city, without having to walk huge distances. The bus station can be found in front of the central station.
By Foot
If you stick to the north side of the Rhine you can visit the inner city by foot. The shopping area is closed to cars, making it a safe place to walk around.
By Bike
Just like anywhere else in the Netherlands you will find lanes for cyclists all over the city. This city isn't flat, and that is something you notice when you are riding a bike.
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