Arnhem is an underrated little gem among the Dutch cities if you ask me. It is the capital of the Province of Gelderland and close to the German border. It’s not as popular among tourists though because it is located away from the coast. Arnhem is not even among the top ten biggest cities in the country but let me tell you, it has a lot to offer and is wonderfully laid-back compared to the crowded Amsterdams, Rotterdams and Den Haags. Plus: It is regularly voted into the list of best Dutch cities for shopping and culture.

Mode of travel

From my hometown Düsseldorf and the surrounding areas you can actually take the regional train (RE19) to Arnhem. It’ll take you about 1.5 hours and cost somewhere between 7 and 25 € to get there (depending on if you have a regional ticket subscription, Deutschlandticket or similar). Arnhem Central Station is very central (it’s in the name, duh), so from there and within the city centre you can walk everywhere. To get around the city suburbs there are bus lines available for fair prices. You can use your debit card to clock in and out and the fare is automatically taken from your bank account.

Accommodation

You can of course get a hotel or flat in the city but I booked an accommodation on the outskirts of Arnhem (about 6 km from the city centre) because I wanted a mix of city trip and hiking in the nearby National Park “De Hoge Veluwe” (which I will show you in a separate article). I found the perfect tiny house for 1-2 people at EuroParcs De Hoge Veluwe and fell in love with its picturesque appearance and great off-season pricing right away! It’s a gated holiday park that offers accommodations in a lot of different styles and sizes. From serviced rooms to tiny houses and trailers to family houses, you’ll find what you need – and they’re all very modern, pretty and cosy. My tiny house was only 50 € per night (in early November), had its own little bathroom, a basic kitchen and even a wood pellet stove for cold rainy nights. There is a little grocery shop as well as a restaurant on the premises, another restaurant just outside of the park entrance and a bus stop a five minute walk away (in case you don’t have a car like me). I really enjoyed the pellet stove because it made the already cosy house extra cosy at night.

Eusebiuskerk (Eusebius Church)

Even if you’re not into churches, believe me Eusebiuskerk is an interesting one! First of all it’s massive and a real late-Gothic looker on the outside. The inside is really cool too though: It is no longer used as a church and is therefore purely a museum. You can descend to the crypt to see the skeletal remains of Dutch royals or you ascend the huge church tower to learn more about the city’s history – and dare to walk on the glass balconies! Yes, there are balconies made of glass, they were my absolute highlight – not for people with fear of heights, that’s for sure. On your way back down you can watch a short animated film about the history and role of the church in WWII. Admission costs 16 euros and includes access to the nave, tower and crypt.

Nederlands Openluchtmuseum (Open-Air Museum)

Nederlands Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem takes you on an excursion into cultural history. Here you can learn about the homes, work and traditions of the Dutch. Plan a minimum of three hours for your visit because the museum is huge and there is so much to see. You cover quite a distance walking along the trails and in the main season you are even able to enter all of the buildings, which will take even longer. During the off-season I couldn’t enter the houses and still spent a solid 3.5 hours there. It is a beautiful museum with many different picturesque Dutch houses from different eras, lots of lush green nature, sheep, horsies etc. I highly recommend this in any season (as long as it’s not raining of course).

Park Sonsbeek

Park Sonsbeek is Arnhem’s biggest green attraction. It is 67 hectares in size and houses the Dutch Water Museum, De Witte Watermolen (water mill, not water melon), House Sonsbeek, the tea house De Palatijn and the restaurants De Boerderij and the Sonsbeek Pavilion. There is so much to see and do for kids and adults! You can see different animals, climb the viewing tower, explore sculptures, go hiking or cycling, you name it, the possibilities are endless. I loved the autumnal look with all the fallen leaves in November but I’m sure it’s wonderful with all the flowers and trees in bloom in Spring/Summer too.

Street Art Walk

Going for walks and looking for street art is one of my favourite ways to explore a new place. Good thing that Arnhem is full of cool street art. You can take a guided tour or go and hunt down the artworks yourself (this map will help). Either way you will come across some great pieces and get to know the city and artists along the way.

Food in Arnhem

I cooked a lot in my tiny house because I was staying outside of the city but I can recommend these three places I visited for food in Arnhem:

Café Anne & Max is perfect for all-day-brunch. It’s a Dutch franchise chain with cafés in several cities with coffee, tea, eggs, croissants and everthing a brunch lover’s heart desires on the menu. The food was tasty and the staff was so kind, thumbs up!

Fat Phill’s is another chain. They specialise in smash burgers and Philly Cheese Steaks, so if you crave a dirty little fast food meal, this is the place to go! I loved the Tater Tots with gravy too but definitely skipped the bus for a few stops and took a walk instead afterwards because I was so full.

“Tostis” are beloved Dutch classic snacks and at Koffiebar Floor you can get the gourmet version. I had one with minced meat and cheese that was seasoned to perfection, so scrumptious! They have smooth coffee, sweet treats and cold beverages, too. A nice little café to look out the window and watch te world outside pass by.

Other things to see and do

I did not have enough time to explore all that Arnhem has to offer because I included the nearby national park into my itinerary but if you stick to the city only, you should be able to see everything within 2-3 days.

What I had to save for next time is the Historische Kelders Tour that takes you underground to explore historical cellars and tunnels.

If you want to focus on museums there is also Museum Bronbeek, which tells the story of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia. Another interesting one that I will try to visit next time is Airborne Museum (or War Museum) that’s dedicated to the Battle of Arnhem in WWII. It’s supposed to be really interactive, so much so that it was awarded by TripAdvisor in 2023.

Other than that the city is perfect for shopping and trying out different restaurants. The central station has a super cool futuristic interior that makes for great photos and I forgot to mention that there is a zoo in Arnhem too if you’re into that.

Anyway, I’m sure there’s even more cool stuff I missed this time around so I’ll definitely be back to finish what I started. My mom was already so smitten with the photos of the Open-Air Museum, she made me promise we’ll go there this summer.

Arnhem is a lovely city, not too big and so diverse – go there if you have the chance. Don’t skip the lesser known Dutch cities, I promise they’re worth your time. 🙂