Groningen

Groningen is a lively student city in the Northern Netherlands. It is the capital of a province with the same name and home to about 217,000 inhabitants (2023), making it the largest city in the north. A university town with some 50,000 students gives the city its famous vibe; a pleasant youthful atmosphere, some fine historic heritage and with plenty of things to do.

This article includes the former municipality of Haren, with which Groningen merged in 2019.

Understand
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 Berend").

The city did not escape the devastation of World War II. In particular, the main square, Grote Markt, was largely destroyed in April 1945, during the Battle of Groningen, which lasted several days. However, the Martinitoren, its church, the Goudkantoor, and the city hall were not substantially damaged.

Nowadays the city of Groningen is nationally renowned for the university, the museum and its vibrant atmosphere. 50% of the citizens are below the age of 30, making this the youngest city in the country. For decades, the bicycle has played a central role in the lives of people in the city, and today accounts for no less than 60% of all traffic movement with more bikes than citizens.

Climate
The temperate climate is pleasant in Groningen, without extremes due to its coastal climate. Due to its location in the north of the Netherlands, during winter the average temperatures of this city are slightly lower than the average of the rest of the Netherlands. Snow and freezing temperatures are common in the winter but rarely last more than a few days. 30°C in the summer is not exceptional. Most average daytime highs in summer are around 22°C. Daylight hours run from 05:15 - 22:00 in the summer months to 08:45 - 16:15 in the winter.

Tourist office

 * The Tourist Information Wall at Groningen Airport Eelde provides information flyers about the city and its surrounding area in Dutch, English, German and Polish.
 * The Tourist Information Wall at Groningen Airport Eelde provides information flyers about the city and its surrounding area in Dutch, English, German and Polish.

By plane
Groningen is served by

Groningen is also easily reached by direct train (2.5 hr) from Schiphol Airport, which has far more direct connections than Groningen Airport.

To travel between the airport and the city:
 * Bus 9 runs twice per hour between the airport and city. The journey to the centre takes approximately 40 minutes. €5 one way, tickets can be purchased from the driver, or use the OV-chipkaart. Not all line 9 buses go to the airport, but this is clearly stated on the digital rollsigns. You can no longer buy bus tickets with cash. Make sure you have a card valid in the Netherlands (Maestro is best) or be ready to negotiate with the driver.
 * Bus 100 is a special shuttle bus to and from the airport starting at the Central Station, but only around the Copenhagen, Brussels, Munich, London and Gdansk flights. Besides Central Station, bus 100 also stops at the main down town places and hotels (including Hampshire Plaza Hotel in the southern part of the city), and the academic UMCG Hospital. This bus trip takes about 20 minutes from the Central Station and costs €5 one way, tickets at the driver.
 * Taxis are not always available at the airport. If you wish to travel by taxi, book in advance. A taxi to the city will cost you €25-30.

By train
By Dutch standards, it's a fairly long way from the major destinations in the western Netherlands. Getting here, however, is not hard. Groningen has three train stations, the central station (, often called 'Hoofdstation'), and. All trains eventually arrive at the central station; only a few trains stop at the smaller stations. Tickets for all train journeys can be purchased at the train station or online at NS.nl.

There are two trains departing from Groningen Station to southern destinations like Amsterdam and Rotterdam every hour. One train terminates in The Hague and the other train terminates in Rotterdam. The train towards The Hague also calls at Amsterdam South Station and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Station. Amsterdam Central Station can be reached with one change at Almere. Brussels and Paris can be reached with one change at Schiphol Airport Station. A regional line operated by Arriva runs west to Leeuwarden three times per hour. Some popular destinations include:

Train service between Leer (Germany) and Groningen is replaced by a bus service until around 2020 due to a ship crashing into a bridge on the rail line in 2016. You can either take a direct bus (55 min, every 2 hours), or take a bus to Weener then a train to Groningen (1 hr 30 min, every hour).

Commuter trains, all operated by Arriva twice per hour, run towards Uithuizen/Roodeschool, Appingedam/Delfzijl, Winschoten and Veendam.

By bus
The main bus station is right next to the central train station. At the bus station you can find a wide range of city buses and lines to virtually all large and small destinations in the region, and direct buses to Emmeloord, via Heerenveen and Lemmer.

Flixbus operates a couple of domestic intercity bus lines from Groningen. Line 821 runs to Hengelo and Enschede and line 822 runs to Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Eindhoven. These bus lines leave at P+R Haren (near Postillion Hotel) and opposite the central train station, at the other side of the road. Booking in advance is cheaper. The buses are in most cases cheaper and faster than making the same journey by train.

International buses
There are several direct buslinks to Germany and Belgium operated by German carriers. For example to Bremen, Oldenburg, Hamburg, Berlin, Antwerp, Brussels and Leuven (starting at €9, one-way) by Flixbus.

Destinations in Belgium, France and England are reachable with one transit in Amsterdam. Destinations in Sweden require a change in Copenhagen. It is not possible to book a domestic journey. Ecolines operates a bus line towards Warsaw and stops en route to Poland in some German cities like Bremen and Berlin.

All international bus lines leave opposite the train station. Book a day in advance to get the lowest fare.

By car
A myriad of roads lead to Groningen, making the city well reachable by car. The major highways are the A7 (west-east) and the A28 coming from the south. Several fine N-roads connect to the city from nearby destinations, and are the way to go further north. The most notable ones are the N360 from Appingedam and Delfzijl, and the N361 north, direction of Winsum.

Driving in the old city, particularly within the central canal ring, is not the best option. Parts of town are car-free, there are many one way roads, parking is not always easy to find, and none of it is free. You can, however, park for free overnight at IKEA (a 5 minute cycle from downtown).

There are several Park & Ride facilities around Groningen. At these facilities you can park your car for free and take a fast and frequent bus to Downtown for a small amount. One of the biggest facilities is on Sontweg, to the east of the city and near Ikea. It is clearly marked when driving on the ring road. Parking there is free, and for €2 (one way) or €5 return for 5 people, a regular bus service takes you right to Downtown. If you come from the direction of Assen (south), the Park & Ride facility Haren is your best option. From the west, from direction Drachten, P+R Hoogkerk is on your route. If you are coming from Germany you can park at "Kardinge". Follow the road to "Eemshaven" and take the exit "Kardinge". All P+R facilities are clearly marked on the motorways.

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.

By bike
Cycling is the best way to travel around. Getting from any place in Groningen to the centre will take at most 20 minutes. This makes the bike a fast, cheap and easy way to travel in Groningen. Don't get scared by the overwhelming number of bicycles. The city houses tens of thousands of students, whose primary means of transportation is the bike. Bicycle theft is pretty high. Most bikes have one lock, but it is best to use a good second lock (preferably a strong chain lock for least €30).

By bus
If you don't have a bike, the bus is the best option for distances you don't want to walk. All buses run through (or end on) Central station. Most buses have a stop at the Grote Markt square (central downtown). The major bus lines are listed below. Tickets are available from the driver (during off-peak periods you can buy a Eurokaartje, cost €2.50) or use the OV-chipkaart for payment. The Central Station is listed as bus stop "Hoofdstation" in and on buses and on bus stops. As mentioned earlier, buses no longer accept cash. Bring a card that works in the Netherlands (Maestro is best) or be ready for disappointment.

Q-Link
Q-Link is a group of 5 bus services which are air conditioned, have a WiFi connection, and run from city destinations to places just outside the region. One exception for line 15 which is a student express line to Zernike.
 * Line 1 runs from the Central Station to the Zernike/Zuidhorn, via Grote Markt, Noorderplantsoen and Paddepoel.
 * Line 3 runs from Lewenborg to Leek via Kardinge, Grote Markt, Central Station and P+R Hoogkerk.
 * Line 4 runs from Beijum to Roden via Kardinge, Grote Markt, Central Station and P+R Hoogkerk.
 * Line 5 runs from station Europapark to Annen via UMCG Hospital, Grote Markt, Central Station, P+R Haren and Zuidlaren. Sometimes this bus terminates at P+R Haren, so make sure Zuidlaren and Annen are mentioned if you travel this way.
 * Line 6 runs from P+R Haren to Ten Boer/Delfzijl via Central Station, Zuiderdiep, UMCG Hospital and Ruischerbrug.
 * Line 15 is a student express service from Central Station to college campus Zernike. It is just north of Paddepoel and line 15 runs via Rembrandt van Rijnstraat and Paddepoel. These buses are very crowded in the morning to Zernike, and in the afternoon back to the Central Station. This route does not run in weekends.

See
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.

Architecture
Warfare left hundreds of buildings in ruins in 1945, but a good number of monuments remain. Strolling through the city centre you'll encounter former canal warehouses, the city hall, several churches, the former Gold Office and many other historic buildings. The city has, with success, attempted to find a balance between modern architecture and historic grandeur. The latest initiative is a major renewal of the eastern side of the Grote Markt.

Typical Dutch architecture is the Amsterdamse School, a style of architecture that arose from 1910 through about 1930 in Amsterdam. The Amsterdam School movement is part of international Expressionist architecture, sometimes linked to German Brick Expressionism. While Amsterdam has the most buildings in this style, Groningen also has some wonderful edifices, and sometimes called the northern capital of Amsterdamse School. at Parkweg in the lovely Grunobuurt district and at Gedempte Zuiderdiep 96 are worth walking along.

There are a number of special architectural skyscrapers. The Kempkensberg is a 25-storey high-rise building in the south of the city and is commonly called 'The Cruiseship' by locals. The Gasunie Building is considered to be a great example of an ‘organic building’, situated on the edge of the Stadspark.



Museums
As in many cities in Europe, Groningen's museums are generally closed on Mondays.

Historic heritage
Most of the historic heritage can be found within the ring of canals. The most visited tourist attraction is without doubt the Martini Tower, but there is much more to see in Groningen: old canal warehouses, guesthouses, typical Dutch gables and beautiful gardens. Probably the most characteristic streets of the city are the. These two streets run along the A canal and are known for the dozens of national heritage sites, in particular the outstanding warehouses from the Middle Ages and a 17th century brewery named 'Batavia'.

Scattered through the city centre are several late-medieval Guest Houses (Gasthuizen). During daylight hours these picturesque courtyards can be visited for free. The houses are not open to the public: the people living in them enjoy their quiet and privacy. Access is through gated doorways that will be unlocked during daylight hours and locked during the evening/night. The largest and oldest one is the courtyard of the, located in the Pelsterstraat, next to the Pelstergasthuis church. The Guest House consists of several courtyards connected through archways. In the Peperstraat, near the end on the left when viewed from the Poelestraat, is the. The Peper Guest House was founded in 1405. Part of the medieval city wall is still visible from the courtyard. At the tourist information is a city walk available through many courtyards. Other important heritage listings are:





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.

Cycling
Groningen is a cycling city par excellence. The inhabitants of Groningen possess an average of 1.4 bikes per person. The city features the highest cycling rate for anywhere on the planet; almost 60% of journeys are by bike. Groningen is arguably the world's best cycling city. 40 years ago the local government made a radical choice to ban the car from the centre of the city to increase liveability in the city. Since then, cycling has evolved into the new normal. Some cycling features:
 * Bikes everywhere
 * A bunch of guarded bike stalls across the city
 * Free way for cyclist with the many cycling lanes
 * Priority on roundabouts
 * Shared space with pedestrians in quieter and narrower streets
 * Traffic lights with rain sensors to give quicker priority to cyclists on wet days
 * Traffic lights that go green for all bikes from all directions (has to be seen at rush hour to be appreciated!)

Bicycles are available for rent at a number of places around town like, (only e-bikes),  and  (carrier bikes!). Bikes are also available at the Central Station with the OV-Chipkaart. Many hotels offer bike rental to their guests, usually for fees of roughly €10 or less per day. Renting an electric bike is a little more expensive, but a lot of fun and very interesting for longer trips outside the city. Bike maps are available at the tourist information centre. Use the map to explore the city and the surrounding areas or follow a signposted cycle route using the Dutch cycle junction network.

There is also a possibility to discover the city's highlights with a 2½-hour. You have to book this tour in advance. Departure from May through October every Friday at 14:30 and Saturday at 10:30.

Paterswoldsemeer lake
Locals love to spend their leisure time at Paterswoldsemeer south of the city, and cool down on hot days. On windy days sailors and surfers find their way to the lake. It is also popular with cyclists and joggers. There are beaches, marinas, boat rentals, restaurants, and accommodations. Rental sail boats and canoes are available at the is the place to be if you want to rent a boat or canoe. , at the north-western corner of the lake, is a lovely location for a drink with lakeview. At the adjacent water skiing club you can take introductory waterskiing lessons or have a fun ride on the banana. Call ahead to find out what's available. Restaurants include, and.

Other hotspots

 * (Ebbingekwartier) is a real hotspot and a must-visit during sunny days. The location is superb, located just adjacent to the centre of the city. So take a dive after a hard day shopping and have a drink at the bar of DOT.
 * Noorderplantsoen (mentioned in &sect; See) is the perfect place to relax after a hard day's work. On a sunny day, join the students which gather on the grass or take a seat on the stairs at the fountains.
 * Hoornseplas lake is the perfect place to visit on a hot day with children. They can play at one of the two beaches or clamber on one of the biggest publicly accessible playgrounds of Europe.

Festivals and events

 * Every year in January: 'Eurosonic-Noorderslag', European's biggest showcase festival, Where dozens of bands from all over the world perform on various stages spread throughout the city.
 * Every year on Good Friday: 'Bloemenjaarmarkt', the biggest flower market of Northern Netherlands, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year. Among the visitors are a lot of Germans.
 * Every year on April 26: 'Koningsdag' (kingsday), a holiday celebrating the birth of King Willem-Alexander. Many events in the city, including a lot of vrijmarkten ("free markets") at which the Dutch sell their used items. The night before Kingsday is called Koningsnacht ("kingsnight"): many young people celebrate in the streets and squares throughout the night.
 * Every year on May 5: 'Bevrijdingsfestival' (Liberation Festival), together with many other festivals throughout the country.
 * Every year in August: 'Paradigm Festival', one of the most innovative electronic music festivals in the country, organized by Paradigm050 (which was chosen as best underground electro-house club in the Netherlands)
 * Every year in August: 'Noorderzon Festival', a festival focused on music, visual arts and performance arts.
 * Every two years in September/October: 'Noorderlicht' a photography festival.
 * Every year in autumn: 'Jonge Harten', a nine-day theater festival that takes place in almost all theaters in Groningen. It is a festival to discover. Including a lot of young creators, visual physical theater, performance, dance, music and a captivating festival heart.

Buy


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.

Opening hours
With some exceptions, shops close at 18:00 on weekdays and Saturday and Sunday at 17:00. Thursday is "buying-evening", on this day a lot of shops are open until 21:00. In downtown almost all shops are open on Sundays, but not before noon. Supermarkets are generally open from 08:00-22:00.

Downtown area
All streets within the central canal ring are low traffic due to restrictions - but watch out for cyclists, who don't often pay attention to pedestrian crossings. The Herestraat, the city's longest pedestrianised shopping street, runs south off the Grote Markt and contains most of the city's everyday shopping needs and 'standard' Dutch clothing stores and chains. This is where you'll find Hema, Blokker, C&A, Zara and so on. The Westerhaven, at the western edge of the centre, houses some big stores like Media Markt and Primark.

Other shopping streets extend out from the Grote Markt and the Vismarkt. This streets are often worth a look too. AKerkhof contains higher-end brand shops, for example Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Marc O'Polo, but also houses some great food stores. For example 'Droppie', a store selling typical Dutch liquorice. The Zwanestraat and the Grote Kromme Elleboog contain a lot of specialty shops selling beer, herbs and spices, coffee, cooking utensils, etc. Especially take a look at the Dille & Kamille shop and the gift store Truus & Bregje.

The most picturesque shopping street is called the Folkingestraat; it runs south from the Korenbeurs (the former wheat exchange) at the end of the Vismarkt towards the museum bridge and the Central Station. It has a lot of little shops full of firsthand and secondhand little gifts, intercultural foods and great books. 'De Bourgondiër' is a specialty shop in the Folkingestraat selling local products like wine, typical Groninger sausages, mustard, cheese and candy. Have a look into oriental supermarket Le Souk.

The lovely Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat has different characteristic shops including plenty of art galleries, a travel bookshop, two branches of a great coffee and tea chain, an excellent independent bakery, a particularly nice cafe, shops selling toys and games, and a few second-hand furniture and clothes shops. Place for the best cake in town.

Other noteworthy shopping streets in downtown are Oosterstraat, Oude Ebbingestraat and Zuiderdiep.

For fair & eco fashion have a look at Koko Toko at Oosterstraat, Schone Zaken at Nieuwe Ebbingestraat and Diezijner at Zwanestraat. Vintage lovers go to Stardust at Carolieweg, Recessie and Kroy Classic Wear at Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat; for vintage furniture have a look at Verroest at Donkersgang.

Markets
Both main squares are filled with market stalls during the week markets on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. You'll find food, street food, fashion and other stalls on the markets. The Vismarkt is named after the fish that were sold on the spot during the centuries and still you can find many fish selling stalls today. Try the typical Dutch fish street food like kibbeling, haring and lekkerbekjes.

Local product and market for foodies Ommelander Markt settles on Harmonieplein square every second Saturday of the month. Local food producers sell their ware at the market such as cheese, meat, honey, fruit and vegetables.

Klein Berlijn is the annual market for vintage fashion and other stuff. Grote Markt square will be covered in vintage treasures. Also good food and coffee.

The large free Flea market at Koningsdag is an institution in Groningen. Many people are selling their second hand or hand-made goods during the Dutch national holiday. It is a large market and the vibe is superb. The market's location is the Singels between the central railway station and the city centre.

Local specialties
A typical 'Groninger' specialty is Groninger worst, a sausage made from raw minced pork which is then air dried. You can buy this sausage in every supermarket and butchery. When visiting a snackbar, you should try a eierbal. The eierbal is a ball-shaped croquette, filled with veal and a whole egg. The eierbal is seen as the Groninger variant of the Dutch croquette.

The Netherlands is known for its cheese. Groningen has some typical Dutch cheese stores:



Groningen continues the 'simple and straightforward' cuisine that the Netherlands is known for. Nevertheless the centre of Groningen has many nice little cafes or restaurants where you can eat. As befits a real university city, there are plenty of cafe-restaurants where you can eat for about €15.

Drink
Groningen's reputation as 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 (studentnight) 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).

For a drink
This is a list with bars which are excellent for a drink during the day and during the evening. You'll find most bars and cafes around Grote Markt square, Gedempte Zuiderdiep and Poelestraat. Don't forget however to have a look for bars in the other streets.



Nightlife
Nightlife in Groningen is as important as life during the day. The city never sleeps and no venue has to close early. Venues ranges from life music podiums which originate from the underground scene, clubs, night cafes, and a fully grown-up electrohouse/techno scene.





Gay nightlife
Groningen is not renowned for its gay clubs. However, the normal nightlife scene is quite open-minded, especially the clubs with roots in the alt scene. Luckily there are LQBT+ and LGBT+-friendly bars and clubs in the city.

LGBT+ people are also very welcome in VERA, OOST, and night cafe Warhol.

Electrohouse & techno scene
Other than its size of it suggests, there is a mature electrohouse and techno scene in Groningen. Groningen was quite alternative in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. This has resulted that the unofficial underground capital of the Netherlands provides residence to a few great internationally renowned music venues.

Coffeeshops
Groningen has a few excellent coffeeshops, where you can buy and smoke cannabis products at a reasonable price. Alcohol is not served in any of the coffeeshops.



Red light districts
Window prostitution in Groningen takes place in the Nieuwstad area, with over a 100 windows in the street. A typical price is €50 for 15 minutes.

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.

Hospitals
In case of medical emergency, Groningen is well-served by a wide variety of hospitals and other medical facilities. The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is the main hospital. It is one of the largest hospitals in the World, offering supraregional tertiary care to the northern part of the Netherlands. The Martini Hospital is the second hospital, located in the south of the city.

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.