Nijmegen, Mook, Berg en Dal

What began as a military fitness training exercise in 1909 has become, the largest walking event in the world, in the 21st century. Every third Tuesday of July, tens of thousands of walkers gather in Nijmegen for the Nijmegen Marches. Participants from as many as eighty countries take part and the march travels in four different rounds through the wide surroundings of the city in Gelderland. The Walk of the World has become a multifaceted event with a strong character. This cycle route passes the highlights of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches.

Originally, about 300 soldiers walked to the Brabant town of Breda during the first edition in 1909. In the years that followed, the start and finish locations changed regularly and the Four-Day Walk remained mainly an event for the army. This changed after World War I. The four-day march soon took the form it still has today: in 1925, Nijmegen was chosen as the fixed start and finish for all four days, partly because of the city's beautiful location. One man in particular was responsible for this.

From 1922, Jaap Breunese began to slowly renew the Four Days Marches into the Nijmegen Marches. Breunese would eventually remain the organiser of the event until 1963. Under his leadership, participants from every country in the world were allowed to participate, the number of citizens taking part increased rapidly and the stages took the form they still have today. Since 1925, the distances per day have changed slightly. But the places the event passes through are still the same.

Nowadays, participants can choose from three different distances per day: thirty, forty or fifty kilometres. The routes of the four rounds are very varied and have both a traditional and modern character. On the first day, walkers walk a route through the vast Betuwe region, north of Nijmegen. The west is sought on the second day, culminating in the festively decorated Wijchen. On Wednesday, a tough day with lots of altimeters through the forests around Groesbeek is scheduled. On the final day, the event heads south and ends on the Via Gladiola.

Where year after year a wonderful walking tradition was built, the cultural status of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches also grew. The number of participants doubled in the 1950s and entrepreneurs in the city saw opportunities to turn Nijmegen into a place of celebration during the event. Since 1970, during the Four Days Marches, the annual Summer Festivities have been organised, which are visited by more than a million people in four days. From the 1980s, Pink Wednesday during the Four Days Marches has been considered a day of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. The walking event itself also continued to grow: wheelchair users are now also allowed to participate, and since 2005 a draw has been held when the limit of 47500 registrations is exceeded.

Nijmegen residents also play an important role in the Four Days Marches, for example by offering accommodation to international walkers as lodgers. The heroic walks, the great parties, the masses of supporters and the international character make the Four Days Marches a special and versatile event. Partly because of these characteristics, the Four Days Marches was declared national intangible heritage by Unesco in 2014. And the people of Nijmegen are rightly proud of that!


This Premium Cycle route was compiled by our editor: Huub Mol.