Cuijk

Cuijk stands on the west bank of the Meuse in the northeastern part of North Brabant, about 13 kilometres south of Nijmegen. Its name appears to descend from the Celtic Keukja, meaning a bend or curve in the river, which the Romans rendered as Ceuclum. The river crossing was already central to the settlement's identity. Remains of Bronze Age burial mounds show prehistoric activity nearby, and Roman roads connected a fort and bridge here with Nijmegen and Tongeren. A bridge across the Meuse was built in the late fourth century, strengthening the site's importance for military traffic and regional movement.

After the Roman period, pottery from the Merovingian and Carolingian eras indicates continued habitation. The Lords of Cuijk emerged in the eleventh century, and Cuijk remained a local centre even after its castle was destroyed and the lordship's principal residence moved to Grave. The Meuse shaped daily life in another way: repeated floods isolated the town for parts of some years. Most residents lived from agriculture. Cuijk's history joins a river bend, a crossing, a fortified road junction and a farming community.