The pulsing heart of Nijmegen

The Big Market is really the centre of the town, the pulsing heart of Nijmegen. There is always something going on here. Markets, festivals and fairs are held and everybody meets each other on this old marketplace. According to legend, it was here where the devil himself seduced 'Mariken van Nieumeghen' in the late medieval Dutch text from the early 16th century. A statue of the devil Moenen still stands in front of the entrance to the Stevenskerk. This mighty church casts it’s shadow over the market square and stands in the backdrop as the most visible landmark of the city. Bombed heavily during the Second World War, the Big Market regained its grandeur and still serves as the 2000 year old jewel in the crown of the city of Nijmegen.