Groningen

Understand

thumb|387px|Hoge der A, Groningen Archaeologists have found traces of habitation from the Neolithic and the later Iron Age. The city appeared in writing in the year 1040 as "Villa Cruoninga", apparently already a place of some significance. The city has a rich history, which can be seen clearly from the Medieval buildings in the downtown area.

In the 13th century, when the city was an important trade centre, its inhabitants built a city wall to underline its authority. The city had a strong influence on the surrounding lands and made its dialect a common tongue. The most influential period of the city was the end of the 15th century, when the nearby province of Friesland was administered from Groningen. During those years, the Martini Tower was built, which loomed over the city at (then) 127 m tall, making it the highest building in Europe at the time. The city's independence came to an end when it chose to join forces with the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War in 1594. It was later reconquered, and joined the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands.

In 1614, the University of Groningen was founded for religious education. In the same period the city expanded rapidly and a new city wall was built. That city wall was tested during the Third Anglo-Dutch War in 1672, when the city was attacked fiercely by the Bishop of Münster, Bernhard von Galen. The city walls resisted, an event which is celebrated with music and fireworks on 28 August (as "Groningens Ontzet" or "Bommen …

Get around

Like most cities in the Netherlands, Groningen's historic city center is surrounded by a canal, the diepenring. Most of the sights are within this area, and the Central Station is 50 m outside it, and the museum built in it.

Within the diepenring, traffic is very restricted; Groningen's centre is designed to be as traffic-free as possible, and it is very difficult to drive and park within this area. Even resident parking permits are strictly rationed. However, the central area is compact and can be easily crossed on foot or with a bicycle.

Further out, Groningen has a loosely connected ring road, consisting of several N-roads forming a rather square ring shape around the centre. The city sprawls somewhat and crosses this ring in places, but most of the population live within this area.

See

thumb|The Martinikerk tower has been the city's main landmark for centuries Downtown Groningen is pleasant and interesting. The city centre provides plenty of cultural heritage and a laid-back atmosphere. Together with the excellent Groninger Museum, it forms the main attraction for visitors.

Like many cities in the Netherlands, the centre is surrounded by a canal. Several historic canals have been "gedempt", or filled, however, and turned into streets. This is reflected in their names, and you'll likely find yourself strolling along the Gedempte Zuiderdiep. The heart of the city is formed around the two adjoining market squares, The Grote Markt (or Great Market) and the Vismarkt (or Fish Market). Standing tall on the edge of the Grote Markt is the Martini Tower, a true landmark for Groningen and one of its main attractions.

Do

Football: FC Groningen were promoted in 2024 so they play soccer in Eredivisie, the top tier. Their home ground Euroborg (capacity 22,500) is 2 km southeast of city centre.

Buy

thumb|Vismarkt during winter thumb|Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat by night

Groningen is the largest place to go for shopping in the region, and offers a wide range of large and small stores, including international and national chains and a good number of small speciality shops.

Drink

thumb|350px|De Drie Gezusters Groningen's reputation as a university town is borne out in its nightlife, which is comprehensive, with numerous options for drinking and clubbing. There are also several places to play pool/billiards. Most bars have the standard Dutch beers, but more and more international, especially Belgian, beers are beginning to have a presence. Bars in the down town area do not have fixed closing hours. Theoretically they can stay open for 24 hours a day, which a few bars do.

The largest nightlife area in Groningen is the Poelestraat area, located southeast of the Grote Markt. Here you'll find a lot of clubs and bars. The busiest nights are Thursday to Friday (student night) and Saturday to Sunday.

Some of the biggest electronic music parties in the Netherlands can be found here and are listed on Partyflock (in Dutch).

Sleep

As it is a fairly popular city trip destination among the Dutch, Groningen has plenty of choices for places to stay. There are no real top-end hotels however, so if you're out for luxury, you'll have to resort to some of the better mid-range places. Still, there are several very nice, historic hotels as well as a range of semi-modern and modern mid-range options. Travellers minding their budgets will find that accommodation here is relatively cheap.

Connect

As of July 2022, Groningen has 5G from all Dutch carriers.

Go next

The small town of Appingedam with its medieval town centre is well worth exploring, and it is famous for the "hanging kitchens". The star fort of Bourtange is another good choice and is less than an hour away by car. Explore the historical region of Middag-Humsterland by car or bicycle. The region is one of the oldest cultural landscapes of Western Europe and known for the villages built on wierdes (artificial hills) to shelter themselves and their stock from the high tide. Visit the seal rescue centre in Pieterburen. Catch a bus to Lauwersoog, only to hop on a ferry to the island Schiermonnikoog. This small island is a popular day- or weekendtrip destination. Take the train to Uithuizen and visit the Menkemaborg, a particular kind of castle and one of the oldest and best kept examples of its kind in the region. Visit the Drentsche Aa National Park and take a walk in the valley of the small river the Drentsche Aa, through the wide heathlands or the diverse forests. The famous dolmen sites are also here.