Where to stay in Nijmegen: a river city with a green second block
Nijmegen combines urban history, the Waal riverfront and hillier landscapes towards Groesbeek. A night works when city and walking do not have to share one rushed half-day.
Nijmegen Centraal sits west of the core, about five minutes' walk from the centre according to Visit Nijmegen; Nijmegen Lent serves the north bank. Late at night NS runs an extra late train from Utrecht, and night bus 806 links Arnhem with Nijmegen via Lent only on the night from Saturday to Sunday. Elevation and regional bus routes make the exact stay area more important than map distance suggests.
Recheck the live journey planner, engineering work and the final connection shortly before travel; timetables and access are not fixed editorial facts.
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Plan the morning and evening
First block
Sleep in the Centre for evening life on foot, or on the Waalkade when the river is the view you want; count the climb between the two.
Second block
Give the second day to Groesbeek or the Ooijpolder from Nijmegen-Oost, on the hillier side, or choose Lent on the north bank only if its station and bridge routes fit your programme.
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Use it as a base — but not by default
Groesbeek, Ooijpolder and Arnhem each need their own day logic. Nijmegen is the better base for river and hills; Arnhem for different museum and Veluwe routes.
