6x things to do in Kleve across the border near Nijmegen

One thing I really miss in the Netherlands is the German breakfast culture. Meeting up with the girls in a cosy café at ten o'clock to have breakfast together and chat for hours. My favourite place for this in Kleve is Café Samocca. Not only do they have the most delicious breakfast in town, but they also roast their coffee themselves. On top of that, the cakes and pastries are delectable and part of the lunch menu changes daily.

What do I like most about Café Samocca? It is a workplace for people distanced from the labour market. In the café, they learn at their own pace what it is like to work independently. Just goes to show: everyone can contribute something if we give them space. Many of the faces are now familiar to me because most of them have been working there for years.

My mother recently told me proudly that not one, but even two zero waste shops have opened in Kleve. For such a small town, that's really special. After all, by reducing packaging waste, we can all do our bit for a cleaner world. We only have to make a small effort, namely to bring our own packaging to the shop.

At the packaging-free shop LoLa Unverpackt, located in a side street in the centre of Kleve, you will find unpacked pasta, rice and other basic ingredients and all kinds of zero waste accessories are also part of the range. So you can also do your (unpacked) shopping while on a shopping trip in Kleve. KornKammer is located near shopping centre EOC, which is very popular with our Dutch neighbours. Here you get unpacked, dry food products and cosmetics as well as seasonal, regional fruit and vegetables. Time for a break? At the Café KornKammer, they serve locally roasted coffee, freshly made sandwiches and home-baked cake.

Sometimes you have no idea what pearls await you in your own city. This is one such case. Only in recent years have I discovered my fascination with art history. During our trip around the world, my boyfriend and I visited the finest museums for a vis-à-vis the Great Masters like Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Vermeer. That while my birthplace is home to the best Dutch landscape painter of his time: Barend Cornelis Koekkoek.

OK, OK, Koekoek may not be as well-known as Rembrandt, but his paintings of winter landscapes, cityscapes and nature scenes will make you dream away to another world. Born in Middelburg in 1802, Koekoek moved to Kleve in 1834 simply because he liked it so much here. His city palace with its studio tower now houses a museum with a collection of his works.

Near the museum on Kavarinerstraße, you will find the Mittendrin tea shop. Whether you like black, white or green tea, with over 140 different varieties there will be a flavour for you. All, of course, organic and ethically produced.

Kavarinerstraße is a side street connecting Kleve's main shopping street with Koekkoeksplatz. Traditionally, you'll find the somewhat smaller shops of local entrepreneurs here, and usually these are speciality shops. Think, for example, of a shop with knitting supplies, a coffee shop and this organic tea shop. For special gifts and souvenirs, this is the place to be.

Above the city, the highlight of our small town literally and figuratively flaunts itself: the castle. There is a saying that a true Klever feels homesick as soon as he no longer sees the Schwanenburg. In any case, I get butterflies in my stomach every time I see the outline of the castle on the horizon when I come home.

Unfortunately, the tower is currently closed to visitors (apparently fire safety used to be less important than now). But because the castle is built on a hill, you can also enjoy a wonderful view of the landscape Koekkoek loved so much (and so do I) from the foot of the Schwanenburg.

It seems really lovely to spend a night in this tiny house. The side panels fold out like the petals of a lotus flower. It's like sleeping under the stars, overlooking the peaceful meadows of nature reserve De Duffelt (definitely also recommended for a nature bicycle ride from Nijmegen).

The cottage is located on the healing field of Vlierhof, a holistic community. Swim a lap in the nature pond, meditate in the dome, unwind in the labyrinth or roast marshmallows over the campfire. This is where you get all zen.