If you have just arrived and are wondering what Enschede has to offer besides the university, here are some useful tips.
First, the city has four cinemas to choose from: Alhambra (Stadsgravenstraat 31), Concordia (Oude Markt 15), Cinestar (Adventure Boulevard 1, near Drienerlo train station) and Lumière (Hofpassage 15). You can check the programmes of the first three on their websites: www.alhambra-theaters.nl, www.cinestar.nl, www.concordia.nl, respectively.
Concordia also offers cultural activities and different kinds of art courses you may like to take part in (more information on the website).
Another interesting option to consider, if you are planning to do some recreational activity or even to learn Dutch, is the Volksuniversiteit (Molenstraat 27). You can receive a brochure about the courses they offer if you send an e-mail to: [email protected].
To study music or to learn to play a musical instrument, the best option is the Muziekschool, a very nice building on the corner of the Boddenkampsingel and the J. Coststraat.
To enjoy concerts you can go to the Muziekcentrum Enschede (Noorderhagen 27) and to the theatre Twentse Schouwburg (Langestraat 49) where you can also find drama, dance, comedy, etc. Pick up a season's programme if you want to know in advance what they will offer.
A special place of interest downtown is the Public Library (Pijpenstraat 15) and specifically, the CD library with more than 30,000 CDs that you can rent for a week.
If you are a sportsperson, the campus offers you a wide range of possibilities but if you would like to practice a sport outside the University you can go to different clubs depending on the sport of your preference. To watch professional football at the highest level there is the Arke Football Stadium (Drienerlo train station), for playing look up 'voetbalvereniging' in the phone book; for playing golf, cricket and hockey the best place is the country club Prinses Wilhelmina (Maatmanweg 25/31); for practicing squash and tennis the Twente Hallen has indoor and outdoor courts (De Reulver 120) and for ice skating the Euregio Kunstijsbaan has a nice indoor ice rink. Enschede has three swimming pools: Het Slagman (Park de Kotten 325), De Brug (Schipholstraat 43) and Aquadrome (J.J. van Deinselaan 2). You can also find information about them and their differences on: www.enschedesezwembaden.nl.
When the weather is nice and you want to be in the open air, you can choose between the parks and the Rutbeek Lake. One of the parks is very close to the campus (the Ledeboerpark), another is close to downtown (the Volkspark) and the other is a little farther but has an added attraction: a children's farm (the Wooldrikspark). The three of them are worth a visit.
The Rutbeek is a good option for a sunny day. It is very easy to reach by bike and once you are there you can walk in the forest, swim in the open air, and enjoy a pleasant time.
Of course, these are just a few suggestions, the rest is up to you and the time you invest in walking around to turn Enschede into "your own" city.
