Netherlands - Nijmegen Summerparties (1 week of parties troughout the city)

[Alfa]

The Vierdaagsefeesten as the Dutch call these 7 days of festivities can be compared to Amsterdam's Queensday. Only then it goes on for a full week. If you are planning to come to Holland, be sure to come to the city of Nijmegen and enjoy the summer parties. Here is the website:
http://www.vierdaagsefeesten.nl/

Nijmegen is very liberal towards cannabis smokers and many parties allow smoking.

[Woodman]

Damn! The Stones were there in June.


Here is a nice information site for visitors:
http://english.nijmegen.nl/

About Nijmegen:

‘Noviomagus’, the Latin name for Nijmegen, reminds us of its Roman past. ‘Noviomagus’ means ‘new market’ and refers to the right to hold a market as granted by the Romans. In the days of Charlemagne, the city was called ‘Numaga’; later on, this became ‘Nieumeghen’ and ‘Nimmegen’. However, citizens born and bred in Nijmegen speak affectionately of ‘Nimwegen’.

The Second World War hit Nijmegen very hard. On 22 February 1944, allied bombers dropped their deadly load on Nijmegen by mistake (the pilots thought it was a German city). It was a catastrophe; the city centre was totally ruined, some 800 citizens were killed, and hundreds of people were injured. In the Town Hall’s courtyard – the very spot where a primary school was located – a monument in the shape of a 4-metre high iron swing was erected in memory of this bombardment.

Operation "Market Garden":

http://www.marketgarden.com/2010/UK/frames.html

In 1944, British Field Marshal, Montgomery, received news of V-2 attacks in London. It became vital to prevent V-2 missile bases in the Netherlands from being accessed by the Germans. Montgomery advocated an assault over the rivers Maas and Waal, with the bridge of Arnem being the primary target.

Thirty thousand British and American airborne troops were to be flown behind enemy lines to capture the eight bridges spanning the network of canals and rivers on the Dutch/German border. This was to coordinate with British tanks and infantry pushing up from the Allied front line. They would relieve the airborne troops, who could then cross the intact key bridges.

The First Allied Airborne Army including one British and two American divisions would begin the operation, dropping by parachute and gliders. They were to land near the Dutch towns of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem, and take the eight key bridges. This was known as the 'airborne carpet', along which the advancing British armour of XXX corps could push through to Germany.

Operation Market Garden failed to achieve its objectives. It was another four months before the Allies crossed the Rhine again to successfully capture the German industrial heartland. Arnem was never reached, despite the number of men who gave their lives to hold the bridge.