Something few people know, but the relatively small city of Roermond is the second tourist city of the Netherlands. Buy cheap branded clothing in the big Outlet, rent a boat or visit the historic center of Roermond. An ideal city to visit as a student and this can all be done on one of the first e-scooters in the Netherlands.
Designer Outlet Roermond
The Efteling amusement park in Waalwijk is number 1, but the Designer Outlet in Roermond is justifiably in second place. With over eight million visitors a year, the designer outlet is more than popular, mostly among young people, Germans and Chinese tourists and is one of the biggest attractions/day trips in the Netherlands. Buying designer clothes with high discounts is only possible in Roermond. Well known brands like Nike, Prada, Tommy Hilfger, Boss and for example Armani are for sale at the Designer Outlet. In many cities Outlet centers are big goods houses, in Roermond they are separate stores in an old style. From mid-October, the Designer Outlet is transformed into a real Christmas experience, with lighting.
At the Hatenboer parking lot you can park your car for free, and then rent an e-scooter via a special app on your smartphone from Citysteps. About five minutes later you can park the scooter in front of the Designer Outlet. Preferably on the parking lot of the Designer Outlet this can also be done for only €3,- per day, on this parking lot there is room for over 6.000 cars. You start your shopping day in one of the restaurants on the grounds of the Designer Outlet with a cup of coffee and cake to get ready for a shopping day. Highly recommended for students is the Starbucks To Go, the most famous coffee in the world is for sale here. You can use the spacious terrace or you can take it on the go, in many stores it is not allowed to bring food or drinks.
Corona measures in the Designer Outlet: important to take into account in Corona time: mouth caps are mandatory in the Designer Outlet (you can buy a mouth cap for €0.50, only pay per pin), come with a maximum of 2 people, keep 1.5 meters distance from each other and the store staff, pay as much as possible with pin and last but not least stay at home when you have health problems such as: flu or fever. These measures are in line with all other measures that apply in the Netherlands. For the current measures: click here.
Citysteps in Roermond
Roermond is one of the first cities in the Netherlands where the e-scooter can be seen and rented. Easy to rent via an app (just like the scooter companies like Check, GO-Sharing and Felyx – often already known to students). You download the Citysteps app on your smartphone, you create an account by filling in your details, you link your payment details to the app and you scan the QR code on the e-scooter. Then you can use the e-scooter. The e-scooters in Roermond can currently be rented at three popular locations in Roermond: on the Markt, near the Stationsplein (near the station of Roermond) and at Hatenboer (just outside the center and possibility of free parking). The Citysteps cost 0.23 per minute with an unlock fee of €1. In addition, there is a cheaper option when you put the e-scooter on the so called break rate, this costs in Roermond €0.09 per minute. You can use this for example when you go into a store, sit on a terrace or when you go somewhere to eat. When you want to finish the e-scooter and return it, you can do this at the same three points (the Markt, the Stationsplein and at Hatenboer) where the e-scooters could also be picked up. You can also close the e-scooters via the special app of Citysteps. Roermond has good bike paths and infrastructure for the e-scooters and can be rented from the age of 18, so you don’t need a driver’s license.
Currently there is a pilot with the e-scooters, but according to the municipality this is so successful that it is being looked into whether a definitive interpretation of the Citysteps can be given and whether the number of e-scooters can be scaled up. In short, the new way of transport is not only good for the environment, but also a very nice way to transport yourself during a visit to Roermond. Ideal for students who want to transport themselves in a cheap and fun way.
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Lunch and dinner
The center of Roermond reminds you of beautiful Belgian cities such as Ghent or Leuven. A historical touch with lots of nice and very diverse restaurants and bars. The nightlife in Roermond is limited, but there are more than enough recommendable places to have lunch or dinner. Various recommendations:
Noir Fashioncafé: if you want to combine food and drink with shopping then Noir Fashioncafé is highly recommended in Roermond. One of the hippest hotspots in Roermond. Noir Fahsioncafe can be found at Neerstraat 27.
Café De Kade: drinking cocktails by the water? The beautiful historic buildings in Roermond can be seen from the water and super close to the center of Roermond. In the winter there is more than enough space inside where you can find several DJ’s every week. Café de Kade can be found in Roermond, as the name suggests on the Roerkade 73.
Castle Hattem: outside the center of Roermond is a beautiful location to find. Even the smallest castle in the Netherlands. Which immediately reminds you of a French Chateau. You probably think this is something for me as a student? Yes it is! For students who love wine and champagne the Castle Hattem is really a must, with a beautiful garden.
Goals: rather a quick bite, but still healthy? You can buy delicious fresh sandwiches at charities. A true concept in Roermond since 1990. Ideal to combine when picking up or handing in the e-scooter at the Stationsplein. Goals can be found at Stationsplein 19 in Roermond.
Beachclub Koers Zuid: prefer the Ibiza feeling? Even that is possible in Roermond. Beachclub Zuid is ideal for students to relax on the lounge terrace, where you can also do sporty outings with your fellow students, friends or girlfriends like SUPpen, windsurfing or Yoga. Beachclub Koers Zuid is located at the waterfront and can be found on the Weerd 85.
Burgers enzo: one of the cheapest options next to Goals is Burges enzo a cheap option, ideal for students. A cheap burger with fries. Burgers enzo is ideally located in the center of Roermond. The Market 25.
Rent a boat
As students you no longer have to be in the canals of Amsterdam, Utrecht or Breda to enjoy yourself on the water. Also in Roermond nowadays you can rent a boat with or without skipper in one of the many available harbors. Have a drink on the water together with your friends and enjoy one of the most famous rivers of the Netherlands: the Maas, the Roer and the Maasplassen (created by gravel excavation).
Besides the option of boating, there is also a real water paradise with several beach clubs. The water paradise can be found on the Maas and there is ample parking space. There are now four different beach clubs: Alm Beach, Beaver Creek Biberbar, Sunset Lounge and Koers Zuid.
The boat is a good closure when you have come by train for example, so an alcoholic refreshment is also an option.
Due to corona there are many stricter measures in force and it is currently not possible to rent a boat or use one of the recommended beach clubs. Keep the website of the various beach clubs in the gate to read the latest measures.
Stay the night:
Do you expect that one day is not enough to visit everything in Roermond? Roermond has many different hotels so you can make it a multi-day trip. Hotels in the center: Hotel Dux, B&B N10, Hotel Grand Valies. Just outside the center, easily accessible by car: the Van der Val hotel Roermond. Not only visit Roermond, but also a city like Maastricht? Then The Student Hotel Maastricht is highly recommended for students. Well affordable, with the most beautiful (disco) rooms and many peers. Then you can see the big differences between the Limburg cities of Roermond and Maastricht.
All in all, Roermond is an ideal city to visit as a student. One or more days, there is more than enough to do. Shopping, lunch, boating, having a drink, dining, visiting the historic center and using the first e-scooters (of Citysteps) in the Netherlands in the form of partial mobility. Where the Designer Outlet is the biggest recommendation for students, buy cheap branded clothing with a wide choice of different well known brands. For many students this is a less well known city, but Roermond is certainly not inferior to the ‘better known’ cities in the Netherlands. In short, be sure to visit Roermond as a student.
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