Come to Groningen, Netherlands

Groningen, located in the northern part of Netherlands, has a rich and colorful history that goes a long way back. In fact, the oldest archeological findings in this place date back to the third century BC. Today, Groningen is the capital of the province of Groningen. It is a place with many faces. For the locales, Groningen, in the first place, is a student-city. It has a famous university, another university dedicated to applied sciences, a school for fine art and design, an academy of music and many more training institutes. The 400-year-old University of Groningen is one of the largest and oldest in the country as well as in the world. But it’s the rich history of the place alive in the historical buildings, courtyards and certainly in ‘Uncle Loek’s Horse’. One of the world’s largest natural gas fields is located in this region. It has a largely flat terrain and agriculture is the main occupation. The city’s love for sports reflects through the popular soccer club FC Groningen and the fact that Groningen has been chosen as ‘world’s best bicycling city’.

Best Time to Visit

Summer is the best time to visit Groningen. The average temperature during this time is 24°C with occasional very hot days. Snowfall is pretty common in winter. Rain here occurs in the form of light showers throughout the year.

Places to Visit

Groningen has a glorious past history of more than 5,000 years. Today the city is known as an important commercial and industrial centre in the country, a city with varied opportunities for living, working, shopping and relaxing. This amalgamation of a golden past and a prosperous present draws thousands of visitors to this region each year. Groningen also enjoys a leading edge in the fields like development of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. In a nutshell, Groningen is a real ‘City of Talent’.

The Groninger Museum

Designed by the famous Italian architect Mendini, the Groninger Museum is one of the must-see spots in this region. Surrounded by water, it looks like a sea-going vessel that accidentally ended up in the city canal. It bears the finest example of the modern architecture in Groningen. You can enjoy a lot of exhibitions from several artists here. But these exhibitions change regularly. It is very difficult to say what is exposed in the museum because it changes regularly. When you are in Groningen just see for yourself. The more than 100 years old library of the Groninger Museum gives an answer to many questions. You will find literature on all collections of the museum; Ancient and Modern Fine Art, Archeology & Regional History and Applied Art are only a few to name.

The Wall House

The Wall House or the Bye House manifests itself as an autonomous, sculptural object. Originally designed in 1973 for Ed Bye, in Ridgefield, Connecticut USA, it only existed as a concept for a long time until Groningen decided to actually build the house. A striking concrete wall is the basis of the structure. It draws a line between the service spaces and the living spaces that are stacked one above the other in three organic volumes. You will find the bedroom downstairs, on the second floor there is the kitchen and dining area and the living room is on the top floor, each with a framed view of the lake.

The Martini Church and Tower

The Martini tower is one of the most well known monuments in Groningen. With a height of 97 meters, you can never miss this tower once you visit this town; that’s for sure. Statistically, it is third highest tower of The Netherlands and still dominating the Groningen skyline for more than 500 years. You can also climb up the tower up to the second gallery. The top of the tower offers a magnificent view of the city. Make sure you also visit Martini Church, the largest church in Groningen. Established around 1230, the church includes frescos from the 13th century.

Prinsenhof en Prinsentuin

Prinsenhof en Prinsentuin is another fine example of Groningen architecture. The place was originally used as a monastery. In recent years, the Prinsenhof is home to the channel called Radio/TV Noord. They moved a short while ago and the authorities are looking for a suitable function for this complex.
Right behind the Prinsenhof, there is the Prinsenhoftuin or the Prince’s Court Garden. The garden includes a rose garden and herb garden along with a footpath covered with foliage. The garden is surrounded by a wall and is one of the best available specimens of a Renaissance Garden in the Netherlands.

The Dutch Comic strip Museum

If you are a lover of comic books, you must visit the Het Nederlands Stripmuseum or the Dutch Comic Museum. The Dutch Comic Museum in Groningen is home to the works of renowned cartoonists. Virtual reality setups here will allow visitors to experience the adventures of the comic heroes and enable them to create simple animated cartoons. It’s the key attraction for the children. Here you make a journey through time, from the favorite comic characters of the yester years to the most recent comic figure. The Dutch Groningen Strip introduces you to famous Dutch comic heroes like Eric the Norseman, Agent 327 and Ollie B. Bommel.

Groningen offers a lot more. Shopping in Groningen means tantalizing fun. The city has diversity and small-scale shops, including numerous design shops with the latest trends and novel accessories. It also has ample opportunity for entertainment. There are no less than 160 pubs and discotheques with dozens of outdoor cafés in the city centre. No matter you are on a business tour or personal holiday, travelling alone or with family, Groningen has always something for you to see, hear, or do.

Europe Netherlands Groningen, the netherlands, visit the Dutch, Visit the north of Holland