Museum De Bastei

About the museum

Museum De Bastei stands on the Waalkade at the foot of the Valkhof hill in Nijmegen and opened in May 2018. It tells the story of the river Waal, of the city and of nature in the Gelderse Poort. The museum grew out of the former Natuurmuseum Nijmegen (Nijmegen Natural History Museum) and also incorporated the Stratemakerstoren, which had previously been independent.

The core of the building is the Stratemakerstoren, a bastion built between 1538 and 1543: a horseshoe-shaped fortification with fourteen gun loops, a cannon gallery and two casemates. The design goes back to ideas by the German artist Albrecht Dürer; it is the only largely preserved bastion in the Netherlands. The new building by the Delft firm Van Roosmalen van Gessel Architecten encloses it and follows the old layout. For the underground passage between the entrance and the main building, the museum received the Schreudersprijs for underground construction.

In the depths are remains of a Late Roman wall that belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage site Niedergermanischer Limes (Lower German Limes), medieval city walls, the Werner-van-Heze-Turm and cellars of 14th-century townhouses. There are also exhibitions on the formation of the landscape, the animals of the river region, flood protection and the Rivierpark Nijmegen. The natural history collection, with around 100,000 objects, is one of the most important regional collections of its kind.

Highlights

• The only largely preserved bastion in the Netherlands, with a cannon gallery and casemates
• Underground archaeology: remains of the Late Roman Limes wall and the city wall
• Oergrond: mammoth skull and wolf from the Ice Age
• Schatkamer van de Rivier with animals of the river area, including wolf and beaver
• Museum café with roof terrace and view of the Waal

Permanent exhibitions

• Oergrond – How the Ice Age, terminal moraines and rivers shaped the land: with a mammoth skull, a wolf and the foundations of the medieval Werner-van-Heze-Turm.
• 2000 jaar bouwen aan de Waal – An underground walk through archaeological remains from the 2nd to the 21st century, including a piece of the Late Roman Limes wall that visitors can touch.
• Schatkamer van de Rivier – Stuffed animals from the city, the terminal moraine, the floodplains and the river, including wolf and beaver.

Founded

2018

Operated by

Stichting De Bastei

Admission & discounts

Free with the Museumkaart, the VIP card of the VriendenLoterij, and for Friends of the Museum. The Museumkaart is also available on site. Tickets online or at the counter.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The historic building is largely but not fully accessible: part of the archaeological walk and the mezzanine in the entrance building cannot be reached. There are two elevators, and almost all stairs have handrails; there is an accessible toilet in the entrance building and in the café. A loan wheelchair must be reserved in advance (balie@debastei.nl, 024 329 70 70). The glass balcony is currently not accessible. Please register assistance dogs in advance; visitors with visual impairments are advised to bring an escort.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations
• Kids’ birthday parties

The museum sees itself as a low-threshold family offer. In the Waalzaal, children can shape the course of the river themselves at an interactive sandbox. The children's party "Bastei Bouwers" includes a puzzle hunt through the underground passages for 8- to 12-year-olds.

Getting there & parking

Visitor address and entrance at Lange Baan 4. Bicycles can be parked in the free, supervised bicycle shelter at Kelfkensbos or at the bicycle racks on the Waalkade.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Museum café on the top floor with roof terrace, accessible without a museum ticket (card payment only): Mon–Wed 11:30–17:00, Thu–Sun 10:30–17:00, and daily 10:30–17:00 during school holidays. Museum shop in the entrance building, also accessible without a ticket.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Available for hire are the amphitheater (up to 40 people), the atelier (up to 30 people) and the museum café with roof terrace; during the day, hiring the café is restricted. Private visits with breakfast or an aperitif outside opening hours are also possible.

Plan your visit