Singles in Arnhem: where to meet people

Where do you meet singles in Arnhem?

Arnhem sits on the Rhine and has the most famous bridge in the Netherlands: the John Frost Bridge. Around 165,000 people live here and the centre takes fifteen minutes to cross. The nightlife concentrates on and around the Korenmarkt, while the Eusebiuskerk and its glass lift give the highest view in the city.

What sets Arnhem apart is the mix of history, fashion and greenery. The battle of Arnhem in 1944 is still tangible around the bridge, and the Airborne commemorations in September draw thousands of visitors. At the same time this is a fashion city: the Modekwartier in Klarendal is full of studios and shops run by designers producing their own collections, and the art academies keep a young creative layer in the population.

The Korenmarkt as the heart of the evening

The Korenmarkt is where Arnhem gathers in the evening. Terraces, pubs and clubs sit within a few square metres, so you never have to decide where to start: you start there and see where you end up. On weeknights it is calm enough for a conversation, at weekends it is loud and full, and then it helps to have a second place in mind.

Around the square lie the small streets with restaurants, a short walk from the Korenmarkt. That is the quieter part of the evening: wine bars, small kitchens and places where you can sit for hours without anyone moving you along.

The Rijnkade and Sonsbeekpark

On the Rijnkade you walk along the water in summer with the bridge in view, and on warm evenings it fills with people sitting on the quay. Sonsbeekpark is the city's big park, with the stream, the old trees and the manor house. In summer there are concerts and events, in autumn it is the place for a walk without a plan.

Culture does not require leaving town: the Netherlands Open Air Museum, Burgers' Zoo and the Openluchttheater are all a short bike ride from the centre. That makes Arnhem a city where you can plan a first meeting outside the pub, at an exhibition or a zoo.

Where singles live in Arnhem

The districts around the centre are popular with single people and couples without children. The Spijkerkwartier and the Burgemeesterswijk are within walking distance of the Korenmarkt and full of small apartments. Klarendal and the Modekwartier attract people working in fashion or culture. If you want more space you look at Presikhaaf or Arnhem-Zuid, on the other side of the Rhine.

Eating and drinking around the Korenmarkt

Most places to eat cluster around the Korenmarkt and in the streets around it, from small kitchens to restaurants where you settle in for the evening. On Friday and Saturday it pays to book, on weeknights you usually walk straight in. On the Rijnkade you sit outside in summer with the water in view, and in the Modekwartier the places are smaller and calmer.

Season by season

May to September is the best stretch: the Rijnkade becomes an extension of the centre and Sonsbeek is at its finest. September is busy with the Airborne commemorations and visitors from home and abroad. December is quiet and warm indoors, and in spring the city is small but lively, with terraces full again on the first sunny weekend.

Getting there and getting around

From Amsterdam Arnhem is about an hour by train, from Utrecht just under thirty minutes and from Nijmegen twenty minutes. From the station it is a ten minute walk to the Korenmarkt. The centre is compact and walkable, and for Sonsbeek and the Modekwartier you take a bike or the trolleybus that runs through the centre.

What differs by age

Arnhem has a large group of people in their twenties thanks to the university of applied sciences and the art academies. They find each other around the Korenmarkt and in Klarendal. People in their thirties and forties get more out of the Rijnkade, Sonsbeek and the restaurants in the centre, where conversation starts more easily than in a packed pub.

Above fifty the museums, the park and the cultural calendar are what produce encounters. Arnhem is friendlier than many other cities in that respect: plenty of green, short distances and a broad cultural programme without the crush of the Randstad.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arnhem a good city for singles?

Yes, with a compact centre, a lively Korenmarkt and plenty of green and culture nearby, which makes meetings outside the pub easy.

Where do you go out in Arnhem?

On and around the Korenmarkt, with terraces, pubs and clubs. In summer the Rijnkade is the calmer alternative with a view of the Rhine.

How do you get to the top of the Eusebiuskerk?

With a glass lift on the outside of the tower. From the top you look over the city, the Rhine and on a clear day as far as Nijmegen.

Where can you sit quietly in Arnhem?

In the small streets around the Korenmarkt, and on the Rijnkade in summer. There you sit further from the music and can actually hear each other.

When is the Airborne commemoration in Arnhem?

In September, with commemorations, parachute drops and events across the city. It is the busiest month of the year.

Read more

Singles in Nijmegen, singles in Utrecht and singles in Breda: the other city guides are on adamevening.com/blog. Each guide lists the squares, the cafés and the places where a first meeting feels natural, city by city.

Adam & Eve singles events

Adam & Eve runs singles events in Amsterdam, where we host editions most often, and elsewhere in the Netherlands: from a drink to a dinner and from a beach edition to a gallery night. Upcoming editions are in the calendar.

Singles only dinner & party

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Every edition follows the same shape. A welcome drink, a dinner where you switch tables between courses, then the party. In Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, all year round.

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