The Dutch city of Arnhem lies in in Eastern Netherlands on the banks of the river Nederrijn while the mighty river Rhine is a little bit further south
. Arnhem was first noted in the late 9th century but there is an ample amount of evidence to suggest human habitations were in the region approximately 70,000 years ago.
The city itself was founded in the 13th century and right up until it became part of the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1585, it had been the scene of several power struggles. The French were next to have aspirations of Arnhem and it wasn't until the mid 19th century that peace came to Arnhem. The city and surrounding region was known as a charming region of Holland.
During World War II, Arnhem was the scene of a prominent battle as the advancing Allies tried to get a breakthrough into Germany. In June 1944, Allied Forces had arrived on the beaches in Northern France and were heading in the direction of their eventual goal of Berlin. Arnhem and the immediate region had quite a few important bridges traversing the Rhine which if taken whole, would enable the Allies a route into Germany.
Operation Market Garden was an airbourne assault in September 1944, to secure the bridges but the mission was unsuccessful. The city was ultimately liberated by Canadian soldiers in April 1945.
These days, Arnhem is a main railway centre with trains going to places as far away as Moscow. The Burgers Zoo is one of the most popular in the Netherlands and here the National Heritage Museum can be found on the outskirts of the town.
The Gelredome is the home of Vitesse Arnhem and was the 1st football stadium to feature a slide out pitch. This lets more air and natural light to get to the grass.
For the visitor, hotels in Arnhem isn't usually an issue with everything from camp sites to high quality hotels being offered. There are plenty of dinning establishments and eating out is popular for locals as well as tourists.