Renting a home in Nijmegen
The oldest city in the Netherlands, built on hills along the Waal, with two universities and a district of 19,000 homes across the river.
Nijmegen has existed for two millennia. The Romans established Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum here on the hills on the south bank of the Waal. This location is still defining: the city climbs up from the river, with the center on the ridge and the forests of Berg en Dal to the south. It is one of the few Dutch cities with elevation differences, and you notice this in the streetscapes, the views over the Waal, and the stair streets in the city center.
Anyone considering renting a home in Nijmegen enters a market dominated by two forces: the universities and the river. Radboud University and HAN together have more than 44,000 students, of whom about 16,500 live away from home. This pressure is felt in every popular neighborhood. At the same time, the city is changing on the other side of the Waal: the Waalsprong, with 19,000 planned homes, is one of the largest new construction sites in the Netherlands. Nijmegen has about 187,000 inhabitants (2024) and is still growing.
Houses in Nijmegen
Bottendaal: a hinge between the city center and the university
Bottendaal is located directly east of the city center and is the neighborhood that best characterizes Nijmegen: dense, lively, mixed. Nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century mansions and workers' houses line narrow streets. Van Welderenstraat connects the neighborhood with the center, Heyendaalseweg runs towards the university. Students, young professionals, and older residents live here side by side.
The homes are predominantly pre-war and divided into apartments and upper floors. Small rooms, high ceilings, narrow stairwells. The location compensates for the limited square meters: a five-minute walk to the center, a ten-minute bike ride to the Radboud campus. The popularity has a downside. The supply is limited and goes quickly, especially around the start of the academic year.
Hazenkamp and Brakkenstein: forest and university within walking distance
South of Bottendaal, towards the Radboud campus and Goffertpark, lie Hazenkamp and Brakkenstein. Hazenkamp is half pre-war, half post-war. The eastern part has spacious 1930s homes along wide avenues with mature trees. The western part is more post-war: low-rise flats and single-family homes. The neighborhood borders Goffertpark, 23 hectares of greenery in the middle of the city.
Brakkenstein, even further south, borders the forest edge towards Berg en Dal. It is one of the quieter neighborhoods a short distance from the university. The homes are on average larger than in Bottendaal, the streets quieter, the greenery more abundant. For tenants who want to combine proximity to the university with space and tranquility, Hazenkamp and Brakkenstein offer an alternative to the busier shell neighborhoods.
€1,750 / month
Waterkwartier: the former working-class neighborhood on the rise
West of the city center, towards the Waal, lies the Waterkwartier. A former working-class neighborhood with a small-scale street structure and homes from the early twentieth century. For years, the neighborhood was one of the cheaper parts of the city, but now attracts young tenants who appreciate the atmosphere of a working-class neighborhood without the prices of Nijmegen-East.
The Waterkwartier borders the Waalfront, the major transformation of the former Honig factory complex. This proximity is changing the neighborhood: new amenities, more catering establishments, growing attention. For tenants looking for character and willing to be a little further from the center, the Waterkwartier is a neighborhood in development.
The Waalfront: from Honig factory to residential area on the river
Directly on the Waal, west of the center, the Waalfront is rising on the former site of the Honig factory. The industrial complex was purchased in 2010 and temporarily leased to entrepreneurs: restaurants, studios, a hotel. This creative interim period gave the area an identity that the municipality consciously maintains in the redevelopment.
The Waalfront is being built in phases. The Waalkwartier comprises approximately 750 homes, the sub-areas Ulpia and Fabrica will add another 1,000 homes. Predominantly apartments, from mid-rent to free sector, with views of the Waal. The industrial character is reflected in the architecture: brick, steel, references to the factory history. For tenants looking for urban living by the water, the Waalfront is the most distinctive location in Nijmegen.
Houses Price Breakdown in Nijmegen
| Bedrooms | Average | Median | Price Range | Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | €1,307 | €1,307 | €1,307 - €1,307 | 0 / 1 |
3 | €1,530 | €1,528 | €1,097 - €1,975 | 1 |
4+ | €1,863 | €1,995 | €1,210 - €2,790 | 0 / 7 |
De Waalsprong: 19,000 homes across the river
The Waalsprong is the largest expansion area in Nijmegen and one of the largest in the Netherlands. On the north bank of the Waal, around the former village of Lent, a total of 19,000 homes are being built. Sub-areas such as Hof van Holland, Groot Oosterhout, and Vossenpels together form a district that is larger than many independent municipalities.
De Oversteek, the bridge opened in 2013, connects Nijmegen-Noord with the center. A ten-minute bike ride to the Grote Markt. The homes are predominantly new construction: energy-efficient, spacious, with gardens and parking spaces. The antithesis of Bottendaal and Waterkwartier: modern instead of historical, spacious instead of compact, village-like instead of urban. Those looking for a single-family home with a garden will find the largest offer in Nijmegen in the Waalsprong.
Two Thousand Years of City
Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands. The Romans founded Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum here on the hills along the Waal. This history is more than just a sign at the city gate: the center has elevation differences found nowhere else in the Netherlands, with stair streets, viewpoints over the river, and the Valkhof hill where a Carolingian palatine once stood.
The Four Days Marches
Every year in July, more than 40,000 participants from 70 countries walk for four days through Nijmegen and the surrounding areas. The Four Days Marches festivities attract over a million visitors. It is the city's largest event and a week where the center, the Waalkade, and the approach routes take on a different rhythm. For residents, it's a week of celebration or a reason to go on holiday.
Hills and Forests
Nijmegen is one of the few Dutch cities with real elevation differences. The ice-age push moraines create hills on the south side. The forests of Berg en Dal begin where the last houses end. Goffertpark offers 23 hectares of greenery in the middle of the city. River, hills, and forest in one city: that's something the rest of low-lying Netherlands cannot offer.
Finding a home to rent in Nijmegen requires speed and flexibility. The supply in Bottendaal and Nijmegen-East goes quickly, especially at the beginning of the academic year. Make sure income proof, employment contract, and identity document are ready before you respond. Set up a search alert for new listings and look beyond the shell neighborhoods. The Waterkwartier, the Waalsprong, and the Waalfront offer what the popular neighborhoods cannot always: space, new construction, and availability.
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