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ARNHEM |
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Way south of Groningen, ARNHEM was once a wealthy resort, a watering-hole
to which the merchants of Amsterdam and Rotterdam would flock to idle
away their fortunes. Last century it became better known as the place
where thousands of British and Polish troops died in the failed Allied
airborne operation of September 1944, code-named " Operation Market
Garden ", which gutted the greater part of the city. What you see today
is not especially enticing. But Arnhem is a lively town, with plenty
going on, and a good centre for seeing the numerous attractions
scattered around its forested outskirts. The best of the old town is the
northwest part of the centre, around Korenmarkt , a small square which
escaped much of the wartime destruction and has one or two good facades.
The streets which lead off Korenmarkt are full of restaurants and bars,
but otherwise Arnhem deteriorates as you walk southeast towards the John
Frostbrug - the "Bridge Too Far" - named after the commander of the
battalion that defended it for four days. It's just an ordinary bridge,
but for Dutch and British alike it remains the symbol and focus of
remembrance of the battle. At its north end, the characterless Markt is
site of the sixteenth-century church of St Eusabius (Tues-Sat
10/11am-4/5pm, Sun noon-4/5pm; free), reconstructed in the 1960s after
wartime bombing, when a new tower was added (same times; ¬2.30). To mark
the fiftieth anniversary of Operation Market Garden a glassed-in viewing
platform was added to the top of the church, from where you can look
down on the fifteenth-century Stadhuis tucked in behind. In the opposite
direction, fifteen minutes' walk west from the station along
Utrechtsestraat, is the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem , Utrechtseweg
87 (Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; ¬4.50). It's linked to the
Historisch Museum Het Burgerweehuis , about ten minutes' walk away at
Bovenbeekstraat 21 (same times); collections include numerous
archeological finds from the surrounding area, a display of Chinese,
Japanese and Delft ceramics, and a modest selection of paintings, with
the emphasis on views of the landscape, villages and towns of Gelderland,
and canvases by the so-called magic realists.
Immediately north of Arnhem, the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum (April-Oct
daily 10am-5pm; ¬10.70; www.openluchtmuseum.nl ; bus #3 towards Alteveer
and, during July & Aug, special bus #13) is a huge collection of Dutch
buildings assembled here from all over the country. Where possible,
buildings have been placed in groups that resemble the traditional
villages of the different regions of the Netherlands - from the
farmsteads of Friesland to the peat colonies of Drenthe. There are about
120 buildings in all, including examples of farmhouses, bridges and
every type of Dutch windmill, and several working craft shops
demonstrating traditional skills. Other parts of the museum incorporate
one of the most extensive regional costume exhibitions in the country
and a modest herb garden. All in all, it's an imaginative attempt to re-create
the rural Dutch way of life over the past two centuries, and the
museum's own guidebook (around ¬3.60) explains everything with academic
attention to detail.
Arnhem's train station is on the edge of the centre, next to the bus and
trolleybus stations. Always check the destination of buses and
trolleybuses, as several routes share one number. Nearby, the VVV ,
Willemsplein 8 (Mon 11am-5.30pm, Tues-Fri 9am-5.30pm, Sat 10am-4pm; tel
0900/202 4075; www.vvvarnhem.nl ), operates an accommodation-booking
service. Among the cheaper hotels in the centre are Parkzicht ,
Apeldoornsestraat 16 (tel 026/442 0698, www.bookings.nl ;
£10-15/$16-24/¬18-27), ten minutes' walk from the station; Rembrandt ,
Paterstraat 1 (tel 026/442 0153; £10-15/$16-24/¬18-27), the second right
off Apeldoornsestraat; and the Old Dutch , Stationsplein 8 (tel 026/442
0792; £15-20/$24-32/¬27-36). Take bus #2 in the direction of
Schaarsbergen out from the centre to reach Pension Warnsborn ,
Schelmseweg 1 (tel 026/442 5994; £10-15/$16-24/¬18-27). The HI hostel ,
Alteveer , 4km north at Diepenbrocklaan 27 (tel 026/442 0114;
£5-10/$8-16/¬9-18), can be reached on trolleybus #3 (direction
Alteveer). The nearest campsite is Warnsborn (tel 026/442 3469), 6km
northwest at Bakenbergseweg 257 (bus #31). For eating , Pizzeria Da
Leone on Korenmarkt is a good, moderately priced place and there are
plenty of cheap options on Jansplein near the post office; for more
traditional Dutch fare try Old Inn , Stationsplein 40.
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