In Nijkerk, city history and the nature of Polder Arkemheen offer different ways to explore: walks pass a stream, artworks and historic buildings; northwest of the city lies an important area for birds. If you would like to combine both, you can also explore the history of water. To help you choose what to focus on, consider the seasons, specific routes and historic sites.
Exploring Nijkerk on foot
City walks are available with or without a guide and last about an hour and a half. A walk along the Brede Beek runs from the city park through the centre to the Plein. From there, the route continues along Kolkstraat to the harbour. This walk takes in the stream and several stops around the city, rather than being limited to the centre.
Another way to explore is the art and poetry route: it passes twelve notable artworks in the city centre and starts and ends at Nijkerk station. This gives you a choice between two different focuses: the sequence of places sets the course on the walk along the Brede Beek, while the artworks take centre stage on the art and poetry route. Buildings and monuments that recall Nijkerk’s rich history are also part of a city walk.
Arkemheen: polder, water and birds
Arkemheen, a Natura 2000 site important for meadow birds, breeding birds and migratory birds, lies northwest of Nijkerk. Whistling ducks, geese and Bewick’s swans spend the winter in Polder Arkemheen; in spring, you can spot lapwings, black-tailed godwits and redshanks there. The seasons offer different highlights: in winter, the focus is on the species that overwinter here; in spring, it is on the meadow birds mentioned above. You can take these seasonal differences into account when choosing when to travel.
The Stoomgemaal Hertog Reijnout is part of the area’s water management history. From 1883 to 1983, it pumped excess water out of Polder Arkemheen and is the only still-functioning pumping station with two external paddle wheels. The Bezoekerscentrum Arkemheen provides information about the polder, its special natural features and the role of water. In this way, natural and technological history offer two different ways to explore Arkemheen.
A church and museum as historic sites
The Grote Kerk has an organ dating from 1756 and a pulpit dating from 1789. Tobacco leaves are incorporated into its wood carvings, recalling Nijkerk’s tobacco-growing past. The organ was played during visiting hours in summer 2026. The church was open for visits on Saturdays from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. between 18 July and 5 September 2026. These dates have passed; if you plan to visit in a later season, check the opening hours in effect at that time.
Museum Nijkerk also offers a way to explore the city’s history: it is housed in a Rijksmonument, originally a late-medieval guesthouse. At the Grote Kerk, the organ and pulpit draw attention to specific interior details and the tobacco-growing past; at the museum, the historic building itself is a defining feature. The two places therefore offer different perspectives, without requiring you to focus on just one subject.
Getting your bearings by bike
Several cycling routes pass through and around Nijkerk. Cycling and walking maps are sold at the VVV Informatiepunt in Nijkerk, which also stocks a wide selection of Klompenpad route materials. You can also rent bikes at the same information point. Two bikes are available for rides from the city centre to the Stoomgemaal Hertog Reijnout. This provides both route information for exploring the area around Nijkerk and a specific rental option for the ride to the pumping station.
For a visit that combines the city and its surroundings, several themes are available: walks and art in the centre, historic water technology and the seasonal birdlife of Arkemheen. Which one you choose depends on whether you would rather focus on the course of a city route, individual historic buildings or the birds of the polder.
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