Poland July 2025

Today's route: Nijmegen – Mook – Milsbeek – Groesbeek – Berg en Dal – Nijmegen. "It's beautiful today. Very green," we have been promised. "No rain jacket today." Such a beautiful morning! The constant 8 to 10-hour strain on your whole body after teo full days of marching takes its toll. Yeah, there's a 100-percent chance your body's going to hurt! "There are places on my foot that feel ok - but the majority doesn't," comments Greg at the start. On average, about 8% of the participants who start the march do not complete it. We check the barometer each morning. Yesterday 978 walkers didn't finish. "Slow and steady finishes the race," Scott reminds us. It is so true - a slower pace feels so much better on the aches and we have plenty of time to finish! Even though you have to walk, not run, fast walking is NOT allowed (another rule). I fell behind my team first thing in the morning when I stopped to orde...

Today's route: Nijmegen – Alverna – Wychen – Beuningen – Weurt – Nijmegen. What a dreary start we had today. "It's going to pour," we were warned. And that it did - nonstop for two hours. If there is one thing I can say about 4Daagse, it is that no one complains. Somehow, marching in the rain together - knowing there are ~45,000 doing it with you - makes it seem less miserable. Another strict rule about 4Daagse: you cannot use any sort of object to help you walk, for example, a walking stick. You're not even allowed to use an umbrella in the rain! (The official website has a page dedicated to ten different regulation manuals.) Most of the walkers who drop out do it today - and of the people who have walked it before, this is their least favorite day. At first we had only one cheerer. But as we continued, the total went up to at least 12 on our way out of Nijmegen. It was nothing like the hordes out yesterday morning! Everything you get out of today...

Today's route: Nijmegen – Oosterhout – Valburg – Elst – Bemmel – Lent – Nijmegen At 3:00am, I hear a gentle, "It's time to get up," as the walker next to me is awoken. We are not allowed to have alarms in the sports hall; I've woken up naturally on my own. We are to get ready, eat breakfast, pack snacks that are laid out for us, and get in our shuttle by 4:15am. The start of 4Daagse each day is de Wedren – the epicenter – a square in Nijmegen where the march starts and finishes each day. The beginning of the march is deafening - the college students who have been out partying all night are still up to cheer on the walkers. However, as part of a group, we are using the quieter starting gates at Vierdaagseplein so miss out on the majority of that excitement. At 4:45am, they scan our wristband, and we are officially off! Right away, on our way out of town, we walk over the Nijmegen Bridge. Nijmegen's Waalbrug bridge was once the longest arch bridge...

Vierdaagse (also called the 4Daagse) is a massive 4-day walking event that happens every July. It isn't just a walk in the park. Each day the route covers 25-30 miles! As the world's largest walking event, it draws around 47,000 participants from all around the globe. With parties running all night long, the entire affair attracts over 1.5 million people. The whole city just buzzes. One of the event contributors captures it well: "The 4Daagse embodies everything that makes a sports event beautiful: endurance, joy, participants pushing themselves to the limit, the atmosphere, and celebrations along the route. The immense sense of accomplishment upon reaching the finish line." The idea for us to participate was only hatched about a year ago, just after Greg discovered the event. (When Greg mentions a travel idea, I run with it!) We thought it'd be fun to include our venturesome brother/sister-in-law Scott and Jeannette, who were in from the get-go. "You only ...

When you think about the Netherlands, usually it is Amsterdam, windmills, or even tulips. Chances are, you aren't thinking Nijmegen…or even heard of it. Over near the German border, it's the oldest city in the Netherlands. We have traveled all the way here for an event that attracts not only us but hundreds of thousands of people to it every year. It is called the Vierdaagse, which refers to "4-day march" in Dutch. Vierdaagse Basics The Vierdaagse is a big deal. Participants choose a distance: 30, 40, or 50 km. PER DAY, day after day, for 4 days in a row. It takes real consistency. This all happens in the old Dutch town of Nijmegen, the hub and heart of it all. You start here each morning, walk a specific route out into the country-side, and then walk back to Nijmegen by the end of the day. History of the 4-Daagse The 4Daagse started in 1909 as a military event to build stamina for soldiers and has evolved over the last 116 years into the huge global even...

Kraków is a city layered with history, beauty, and charm. It was Poland's only major city to escape World War II virtually intact, preserving its Old World vibes. The Nazis claimed it was an ancient German city and wanted it saved. We did a lot today, absorbing Kraków's sights, foods, and drinks; the tourist area is compact enough to walk to just about everything of interest in less than 15 minutes. Krakow's picture-perfect Old Town seamlessly blends a rich mix of European architectural styles amid a jumble of cobbled streets, churches and palaces, and medieval sights. At each sight Scott kept joking, "is this a church or a castle?" We are starting today at Wawel Castle, a complex on a hill with a historic castle, museum, and Poland's National church (like England's Westminster Abbey). We just walked around to view it from the outside. Perched on a hill overlooking the Vistula River, Wawel Castle tells the story of royal legacy, cultural endura...