Nieuwegein
Nieuwegein is a municipality and city in the Dutch province of Utrecht.
It is bordered on the north by the city of Utrecht, the provincial capital. It is separated from Vianen to the south by the river Lek and borders on IJsselstein in the southwest and Houten in the east. Nieuwegein has 64,606 inhabitants as of 1 December 2021.
Getting to Nieuwegein
Nieuwegein is bounded by three motorways, the A2, A12 and A27, which all have a (different) exit named Nieuwegein. The exits Utrecht-Lunetten and Utrecht-Zuid on the A12 and Nieuwegein Zuid on the A2 also serve the city. All these motorways can get quite congested during rush hour. Nieuwegein does not have a train station and instead relies on Utrecht for connections to the rest of the country.
Worth seeing
In the historic center of Vreeswijk (Dorpstraat/Oude Sluis), it is pleasant to walk along the canals, locks and cafés. Park Oudegein. Park close to the (modern-day) city centre. Poldermolen Oudegein, W and Su 13:00–17:00 (in Park Oudegein). Windmill built in 1667, working again since 2021. Run by volunteers.
Things to do
Down Under. Activities such as wakeboarding and water skiing on a lake, or surfing on an indoor wave Skipiste Nieuwegein. Five dry ski slopes on an artificial hill. Local kids learn to ski here, but adults are allowed, too.
Where to eat
A growing number of food options can be found in and around Cityplaza, but there are some hidden gems to be found around town, especially in the older neighbourhoods of Jutphaas and Vreeswijk. Samono Lunchroom, Raadstede 76 (next to the Stadhuis). Mon–Sat 10:00–17:00. Stop by for a broodje (or panini) at lunch. Sandwiches €6–9. MangoLeaf. Mon–Thu 12:00–22:00, Fri 12:00–23:00, Sat Sun 11:00–23:00.
Getting around Nieuwegein the local way
- Get inThere is also a small ferry (pedestrians/cyclists €1.25/€1.75) across the river Lek to Vianen.
- Go nextUtrecht IJsselstein Vianen is a short ferry ride away across the river (or a short bicycle, car or bus ride across the motorway bridge)
From Wikivoyage: Nieuwegein, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.