Nijmegen Waalkade

A quay with character

The Waalkade in Nijmegen is one of the most versatile photo locations along the great rivers of the Netherlands. You stand on the bank of the Waal, with the Waalstrandje and the floodplains on the far side, and behind you the city skyline of one of the oldest cities in the country. The combination of a wide river, historic buildings and the striking Waalbrug makes this a place where almost any camera and lens will serve you well.

What makes this spot photogenic

The Waalbrug dominates the frame when you look east. The bridge is imposing, but also a little rough around the edges, which is what makes it interesting. Not the polished kind of photogenic, but the real kind. The quay itself is worth your attention too: café terraces, moored ships, cyclists and pedestrians. There is always movement. That makes it a fine street photography location, especially on busy summer afternoons. At the same time, the long quay wall and the wide river offer plenty of room for quieter landscape compositions.

For the city skyline you look west, towards the Stevenskerk and the higher-lying city centre. That is the classic Nijmegen shot. The city sits on the ridge and that difference in elevation gives you a layered image of river, quay and skyline in a single frame.

Light and timing

Sunset works well here, particularly when the sun is low and warm light falls on the facades of the city centre. The blue hour is even better, because the city lights and the bridge reflect in the water and you get that characteristic evening atmosphere where the sky has not yet gone fully black. A tripod is well worth bringing.

Early in the morning the quay is almost deserted. Good for calm compositions with long exposures when the water is still. In autumn you may find mist drifting over the Waal, which lets the bridge and the far bank dissolve into the scene in a pleasing way.

Practical information

You can park in the car park at Kelfkensbos, a few minutes' walk from the quay. The quay itself is publicly accessible and no permit is required for photography. When it is busy, watch out for cyclists on the quay road, they pass through regularly even in the evening. A focal length of 24mm to 50mm covers most situations, but a short telephoto around 85mm gives you nice compressed shots of the bridge and the passing ships.

Sources and further reading

• Gemeente Nijmegen
• VVV Nijmegen (Stadsmarketing)
• Wikipedia: Waalbrug (Nijmegen)