Rent a Home in Enschede City Centre
A nineteenth-century city centre that was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1862, yet retained its medieval street structure. Today, it is the commercial and cultural heart of Overijssel's largest city.
Enschede has over 160,000 residents, making it Overijssel's largest city. The city centre is its core: shops, hospitality venues, cultural institutions, and a compact housing market within walking distance of everything. Renting a home in Enschede's City Centre means choosing an environment that is vibrant during the day and evening, but also has quiet residential streets outside the main shopping areas.
Apartments Price Breakdown in Enschede
| Bedrooms | Average | Median | Price Range | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
€625 | €625 | €625 - €625 | 1 | |
€882 | €899 | €528 - €1,600 | 15 | |
€1,402 | €1,350 | €945 - €2,250 | 8 | |
€1,301 | €1,255 | €1,077 - €1,750 | 4 |
The Fire of 1862
On May 7, 1862, most of Enschede's city centre burned down. A textile fire spread to the wooden buildings, destroying the medieval city in a few hours. More than a thousand homes were lost. The fire was a catastrophe for the residents but also offered an opportunity. The rebuilding of the centre was carried out at a modern pace, with wider streets and sturdier buildings.
What survived the fire was the street structure. The oval layout of the medieval city, surrounded by canals, is still visible in today's road network. The Stadsgravenstraat and Bolwerkstraat follow the former city moat's course. Those who walk through the centre and know the map can read the medieval blueprint in its streets.
Oude Markt and Surroundings
The Oude Markt (Old Market) is the centre of the centre. Terraces, a monumental water tower at its edge, the city hall. On warm evenings, the Oude Markt is the busiest place in the city. The Walstraat, one of the oldest streets that survived the fire, runs alongside it. Its name refers to the medieval city wall. The hospitality venues on Walstraat are more varied than on the Market itself.
Wilminkplein, a little further east, has a different character. The theatre and surrounding terraces make it a quieter cultural anchor point. Van Heekplein is the city's shopping centre, modern in design, with the large-scale retail that keeps the centre running.
Housing Supply
Living in a city centre in Enschede typically means: an apartment above a shop, a renovated property on a side street off the Oude Markt, or a home in one of the urban renewal projects completed in recent decades. The City Centre is not a large residential district. The supply is limited in size but diverse in type.
The University of Twente and Saxion leave their mark on the rental market. Students and young professionals live in the city centre. The free-sector rental market primarily consists of apartments, ranging in size from studios to two-room homes. Larger rental homes exist, but they are scarce.
The city centre is not a place for a car. Parking is paid and limited. Those who live there without a car and can reach the station on foot in ten minutes benefit the most from its location.
€1,049 / month
€1,066 / month
€955 / month
€1,600 / month
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€1,010 / month
Accessibility
Enschede Station is located on the west side of the city centre, a ten-minute walk from the Oude Markt. Direct train connections to Hengelo (eight minutes), Almelo, and Zwolle. Via Hengelo, there is a connection to the intercity service to Amsterdam. The A1 towards Amsterdam and the A35 towards Almelo are accessible via the city outskirts. For those who commute by train during the week, the station's proximity is a practical advantage.
Medieval Street Structure After the Great Fire
The fire of 1862 destroyed the buildings but not the layout. The oval street structure of the medieval city has been preserved. Those who walk through the City Centre follow routes that existed before the fire. In a city as young as Enschede, this is an unexpected historical layer.
Oude Markt as Twente's Social Hub
The Oude Markt is known as the coziest terrace square in the Eastern Netherlands. On warm days, it's the busiest spot in the city. Those who live nearby always have this within walking distance. And those who pass by on a weekday morning find the terraces empty and the square quiet.
Student and Knowledge City in the Border Region
Enschede has two large educational institutions: the University of Twente and Saxion. Together, they bring tens of thousands of students to the city. This keeps the rental market active and the service level high. For non-students, it means a lively city with a young population.
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