Walk hard, relax harder!

Walking 160 kilometers in four days is never going to be easy. In July 2026, I took on the Nijmegen 4Daagse for the third time, but this year I decided to do things a little differently.

Instead of simply looking for a convenient place to sleep, I stayed at Thermen Berendonck, a luxury five-star wellness hotel just outside Nijmegen. With early breakfasts for walkers, packed lunches, wellness facilities, recovery options and even a jacuzzi in our Junior Suite, it completely changed my 4Daagse experience.

After completing the full 160 kilometers, I can honestly say I have never felt this fit after a Nijmegen 4Daagse. My legs recovered incredibly well each day, I woke up feeling ready to walk again every morning, and the hotel became a huge part of the experience.

So, is Thermen Berendonck the ultimate luxury hotel for the Nijmegen 4Daagse? After staying there throughout the entire event, I have a pretty clear answer. Let me take you along on my third 4Daagse adventure and show you exactly what it was like.

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Walking the Nijmegen 4Daagse

The 4Daagse is also known as the “Walk of the World.” In 2026, 47,000 participants of 77 nationalities took part. It is the largest multiple-day marching event in the world. The 4Daagse is organized every year in Nijmegen, the Netherlands in the third week of July.

Participants walk a distance of 30, 40, or 50 kilometers per day for four consecutive days. The distance you need to walk to receive the official Four Days Marches Cross depends on gender and age. The Four Days Marches Cross is an official Dutch decoration and can even be worn on the uniform of Dutch military personnel.

For me personally, it is the greatest challenge I have ever taken on, but also the most wonderful and amazing event I have ever participated in. The sense of togetherness among all the participants and spectators is truly unprecedented.

I strongly recommend everyone to take part in this special event at least once. I guarantee you will return home filled with wonderful memories and, just like me, catch the ‘4Daagse bug’.

A successful Four Days Marches depends on good preparation. That means clocking up plenty of training miles, but it also means having good accommodation during the event.

And after my experience this year, I think I have found the ultimate place to stay during the 4Daagse: Thermen Berendonck.

Staying at Thermen Berendonck During the 4Daagse

Hotel Thermen Berendonck is located in Wijchen. Wijchen is one of the municipalities the 4Daagse passes through on Wednesday. It’s a short 20-minute drive or 30-minute bike ride from the hotel to the start of the marches in the center of Nijmegen.

It’s a perfect location, yet the hotel itself is peacefully situated on the waterfront of the Berendonck recreation area, making it an incredibly relaxing place to return to after an intense day of walking.

Thermen Berendonck combines an extensive wellness resort with a luxury five-star hotel, giving you the best of both worlds: a fantastic hotel stay together with endless opportunities for relaxation and recovery. On paper, it sounds like the perfect combination for anyone walking the 4Daagse. But is it really? I experienced it firsthand and am happy to share what it was like.

Rooms

All rooms at Thermen Berendonck are highly luxurious and very spacious. So, whether you choose the standard Deluxe Room or upgrade to one of the other room types, it makes no difference to the comfort and luxury of the room. The Deluxe Room is included in Thermen Berendonck’s ‘4Daagse’ package and is a fantastic room. These rooms feature a large, incredibly comfortable bed. Almost all Deluxe rooms have a balcony. The bathroom is equipped with a spacious shower with a rainfall shower head.

Of course, you can always upgrade to a different room type. For instance, we chose to upgrade to a Junior Suite, primarily because it features a jacuzzi in the bathroom. Something we really wanted to have in our room. Especially so we could unwind in a jacuzzi in the peace and quiet of our own room after a full day of walking, and give our legs a chance to relax.

The Junior Suites offer extra space. Like all other rooms, they feature a large, very comfortable bed. These suites also include a desk and a coffee corner with a lounge area, complete with a sofa, chair, and small tables facing the TV.

We particularly valued the extra space and the Jacuzzi in the Junior Suite and would choose it again without hesitation for a future stay.

Check out the Hotel Thermen Berendonck rates on Booking.

Breakfast at 3:00 AM

The start times for the 4Daagse are incredibly early. Depending on the distance you are walking, you start somewhere between 4.00 AM and 8.00 AM. For me, as a 40-kilometer walker, the start was between 5.00 AM and 6.40 AM.

Thermen Berendonck takes a different approach during the week of the Four Days Marches. Walkers can sit down to a breakfast there as early as around 3:00 AM. A breakfast that, while limited, is still very extensive. I can’t think of any other hotel where you can sit down for a buffet breakfast so early.

Fresh bread rolls and bread, a wide selection of meat and cheese cold cuts, fresh orange juice, fresh fruit and yogurt, boiled eggs, and cookies. Coffee and tea are also available and there are even to-go cups so you can take your first cup of coffee with you on the go.

An excellent start to the day for a hiker, and a delicious breakfast right in the middle of the night. If you’re not a big breakfast eater that early in the morning, no problem! You can always just prepare some sandwiches to take with you for on the road.

Good to know: If, like me, you are walking the 4Daagse alone but are coming to Thermen Berendonck with your partner or friend or family member, the person not walking can enjoy the regular breakfast usually served between 08:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

Packed lunch for the walk

In addition to this extensive super early breakfast, packed lunches are also ready for all the walkers. These contain drinks, fruit, sandwiches, gingerbread, a candy bar, and an energy bar for the journey.

With this extensive breakfast and the packed lunches for the day, as a hiker you are optimally prepared by Thermen Berendonck for your day of walking.

Coming back after 40 kilometers

Breakfast and the packed lunch provide enough energy to get you through the 30, 40, or 50 kilometer walk. Then, after a long day of walking, a delicious, healthy super smoothie awaits you upon your return to Thermen Berendonck. You can get this smoothie at Restaurant Numa by speaking to one of the staff members there. You can enjoy it in the restaurant, out on the terrace, or simply take it back to your room.

Believe me, it is truly wonderful to return to your hotel after a 40 kilometer walk, sit out on the terrace in the sunshine, and enjoy a delicious, healthy smoothie.

Dinner at Restaurant Numa

The last thing you want after a long day of walking is to have to think about what or where to eat. Fortunately, the ‘4Daagse’ package at Thermen Berendonck takes care of that for you. You can sit down to a three-course dinner at their restaurant, Numa, every evening. You can also enjoy a four-course or even a five-course dinner here for an additional fee.

Dining at Restaurant Numa is a truly unique experience. The dishes are works of art on your plate, and the flavor combinations are extraordinary.

It is a real treat to be able to sit down here at Restaurant Numa every evening during the intense week of the Four Days Marches.

Recovering at Thermen Berendonck During the 4Daagse

One of the biggest advantages of staying at Thermen Berendonck during the Nijmegen 4Daagse is, of course, the wellness experience. After walking 40 kilometers every day, recovery became a very important part of my routine, and this is where staying at a wellness resort really made a difference for me.

Magnesium and Bath Salts

As a walker, you can enjoy a magnesium foot bath every evening at Thermen Berendonck. I have to admit that I wasn’t really familiar with magnesium treatments before this stay, but after long days of walking, anything that could help me relax and recover was more than welcome.

Do take note, though, that a magnesium foot bath is not recommended if you have blisters. Since I already had blisters after the first day, I decided to skip the foot bath just to be safe.

Fortunately, upon arrival, there was also a bottle of liquid magnesium waiting in the room. I used this to give my legs a good rubdown in the evening and make them feel ready for another long day of walking.

In addition to the liquid magnesium, there was also a bottle of bath salts in the room. After a long walk, soaking my legs in a warm bath became one of my favorite parts of the day.

I’ve already mentioned that we had a jacuzzi in our Junior Suite, and I made the most of it every single day. As soon as I got back from the 4Daagse, I would fill it with water, add the bath salts and turn on the bubbles.

I genuinely believe this played a huge part in keeping my legs feeling fit every morning and helping me complete the full 160 kilometers of the Nijmegen 4Daagse.

Wellness

Thermen Berendonck is one of the most beautiful and extensive wellness resorts I have ever seen.

The great thing about staying at Thermen Berendonck is that access to the wellness facilities is included with your hotel stay. This also applies when you are staying here during the 4Daagse. Throughout your entire stay, you can make use of the wellness facilities during opening hours.

As a walker, that is one of the greatest luxuries I have experienced during all the Four Days Marches I have participated in so far. After spending an entire day on my feet, being able to walk straight into an extensive wellness resort for some much-needed relaxation felt incredibly luxurious.

During the 4Daagse week, I mainly used the hot and cold plunge pools, the salt bath and the infrared sauna. It was very relaxing and pleasant, but for me it was mostly about giving my legs as much recovery time as possible every evening.

And this really paid off. My legs felt almost brand new every morning, as if I hadn’t even started the Four Days Marches yet. It is an amazing feeling to arrive at the start line every morning knowing that your legs still feel good, especially when another 40 kilometers are waiting for you.

Another real treat is that you can make full use of the wellness facilities on the day you check out. So, if you stay an extra night after completing the Four Days Marches, you can spend the whole of Saturday relaxing in the wellness area.

That is exactly what we did. We thoroughly enjoyed the hot and cold plunge pools, the many saunas and a few aufguss sessions. We also had a lovely swim and, above all, simply enjoyed having some relaxing downtime after four incredibly intense days of walking.

At the end of that day, I walked back to the car as if I hadn’t done a thing all week. Nothing could have been further from the truth, of course, with 160 kilometers in my legs.

Yet I felt incredibly good and my legs still felt remarkably fresh. Even in the days that followed, I didn’t experience the muscle soreness or tired, stiff legs that I had experienced after previous editions.

I have genuinely never felt this good and fit after completing a Nijmegen 4Daagse.

Getting to the Nijmegen 4Daagse Start

With close to 50,000 walkers taking part in the Nijmegen 4Daagse, getting to and from the start and finish can be a challenge.

A car is actually the least convenient mode of transport. Wijchen train station is less than a 10-minute drive from Thermen Berendonck and offers a direct connection to Nijmegen Central Station.

However, Thermen Berendonck also offers bike rentals. Since the ride to the start takes only half an hour, this is an ideal option. What’s more, you warm up your legs on the way there and enjoy a perfect cool-down on the way back.

What’s new for the 2027 4Daagse package

2026 marked the first year Thermen Berendonck offered a ‘4Daagse’ package. It was therefore largely a process of figuring things out and getting a feel of what the walkers want and need.

They have already posted the package for the 2027 Four Days Marches online. So, if you’re participating in the Four Days Marches next year, just like me, be sure to take a look! There are a number of upgrades compared to the 2026 version.

A really great upgrade is that, starting in 2027, they will offer a daily shuttle service to the start in Nijmegen. This is ideal for people without a car or for those who don’t want to cycle. I definitely would have made use of this service this year.

In addition to the many benefits the wellness facilities offer, a sports recovery massage will be included with all packages in 2027. You can schedule this for a day of your choice.

Is Thermen Berendonck Worth It for the Nijmegen 4Daagse?

To be completely honest, I think Thermen Berendonck has ensured that I can never walk the Four Days Marches again without staying there. As far as I’m concerned, Thermen Berendonck is truly the ultimate place to stay during the Nijmegen Four Days Marches.

The luxury of the five-star hotel, the all-inclusive service, from early breakfast and dinner to magnesium and bath salts in the room, and access to the full wellness facilities and all the associated recovery options. It’s not too good to be true, it’s simply amazing!

What I found truly special was the immense interest shown by the staff at Thermen Berendonck in my 4Daagse adventure. From the night porter wishing me luck as I set off every morning, to the staff at reception, the bar, and the restaurant asking how it went upon my return. That interest makes the stay here special and personal.

I cannot deny that Thermen Berendonck contributed to my third successful Nijmegen Four Days Marches. I am certain that all the benefits offered by Thermen Berendonck ensured I woke up rested and fit each morning, that my legs felt brand new, and that I was able to walk each day as if it were the first. Thanks to Thermen Berendonck, I was fully ready for it every single day and completed the 4Days Marches with ease.

In fact, I didn’t experience any muscle soreness or stiffness in the days following the Four Days Marches either, unlike previous years, when I struggled to even walk up and down the stairs at home during those first few days. This is entirely due to the comprehensive recovery facilities at Thermen Berendonck. Walking and finishing the Four Days Marches feeling fresh and energetic? Thermen Berendonck makes it happen.

I’ll be back in Nijmegen for the 4Daagse in 2027, and after this experience, I already know where I want to stay.

Check out my Instagram reel about my stay at Thermen Berendonck below.