Groningen
Updated October 19, 2026
Also known as: Grunn, GRQ, Stad
Main Landmarks in Groningen
Martini Tower
The Martini Tower, Martinitoren, completed in 1482, about 97 m tall, is the symbol of Groningen, called d'Olle Grieze, the old grey one, by locals. Visitors climb about 260 steps to the top for panoramic views over the city and the flat countryside to the Wadden Sea. Tickets cost about €6–8. Allow about 45 minutes. Next to it, the Martini Church, from the 12th to 15th centuries, has a famous organ and frescoes. Visit on a clear day, and combine it with the Grote Markt.
Groninger Museum
The Groninger Museum, opened in 1994, is a postmodern building of colourful pavilions on an island in the canal, opposite the main station, designed by Alessandro Mendini and others, displaying contemporary art, design, fashion and photography, as well as old masters and the history of Groningen. Tickets cost about €17–19. Allow about two to three hours. It is closed on Mondays. Book online for major exhibitions. The building itself is a highlight, with a colourful interior and a café. Allow extra time in the high season.
Grote Markt and Forum
The Grote Markt, the main square of Groningen, partly destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt, is surrounded by the City Hall, from 1810, the Goudkantoor, the gold office, from 1635, the Martini Tower and the Forum, a modern cultural centre opened in 2019, with a library, cinemas, exhibitions and a rooftop terrace with views. Entry to the Forum and its rooftop is free. The square hosts markets on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and it fills with people at night. Visit the Forum rooftop at sunset.
Noorderplantsoen
The Noorderplantsoen, a park built in the 19th century on the site of the old city fortifications, is a long, winding park with a pond, lawns, trees, a rose garden and paths, the favourite green space of students and residents. In August, it hosts the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival, with theatre, music, dance and food stalls. Entry is free. Visit on a sunny afternoon for a picnic, and in August for the festival. It is about 10 minutes' walk from the Grote Markt.
Prinsenhof and Prinsentuin
The Prinsenhof, a former convent and residence of the stadtholders, now a hotel, has the Prinsentuin, a Renaissance garden from 1625, with hedges, herb gardens, a rose garden, arbours and a sundial from 1730, a peaceful oasis in the centre. A small tea house, the Theeschenkerij, serves tea and cakes in summer. Entry to the garden is free. Visit in spring or summer, when the roses and herbs are in bloom. It is near the Martini Church. Allow extra time in the high season.
Academy Building of the University
The Academy Building, Academiegebouw, of the University of Groningen, built in 1909 in neo-Renaissance style, after a fire destroyed the previous building, is the ceremonial centre of the university, founded in 1614, with an elegant façade, a grand staircase, stained glass and the aula, where PhD defences and ceremonies take place. Visitors can see the exterior and the hall. Entry to the exterior is free. Combine it with the University Museum nearby, about history of science and medicine. Allow extra time in the high season.
Canals and Diepenring
The Diepenring, a ring of canals around the old centre of Groningen, built on the old city moats, is lined with houseboats, warehouses and historic houses, and boat tours, about one hour, show the city from the water, costing about €12–15. Walking or cycling along the canals is free. The Hoge der A and Lage der A, with old warehouses and gabled houses, are among the most picturesque streets. Visit in the evening, when the canals are lit. Allow extra time in the high season.
Wadden Sea Mudflat Walking
The Wadden Sea, about 30 km north of Groningen, a UNESCO site, is the largest unbroken system of tidal flats in the world. Guided mudflat walks, wadlopen, from Pieterburen, cross the sea floor at low tide, from about May to September, ranging from short walks of a few kilometres to crossings to the island of Schiermonnikoog, about 10–12 km. Walks cost about €15–40, and must be with a licensed guide. Wear old clothes, high socks and sturdy shoes, and book in advance.
History
Groningen, the largest city in the north of the Netherlands, about 200 km north-east of Amsterdam, was founded on the northern tip of the Hondsrug, a sandy ridge, and the oldest traces of settlement date from about 3950 BC. The first written mention of the city dates from 1040, when the German emperor Henry III gave the village of Cruoninga to the Bishop of Utrecht. In the Middle Ages, Groningen became a powerful trading city, a member of the Hanseatic League, dominating the surrounding countryside, the Ommelanden, and controlling trade in grain, beer and peat. The Martini Church and its tower, completed in 1482 and rebuilt after a fire, became the symbol of the city. During the Dutch Revolt, Groningen sided with Spain until 1594, when Maurice of Nassau captured it after a siege, and it joined the Dutch Republic. In 1614 the University of Groningen was founded, the second oldest in the Netherlands. On 28 August 1672, the city resisted a siege by the Bishop of Münster, known as Bommen Berend, which is celebrated every year as Gronings Ontzet. In April 1945, Canadian troops liberated Groningen after heavy fighting, which destroyed parts of the Grote Markt. In 1959 the Groningen gas field, one of the largest in Europe, was discovered. Today about 240,000 people live in the city.
Culture
Groningen is a young, lively city, with about 60,000 students at the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, out of about 240,000 residents, making it one of the youngest cities in Europe, with a famous nightlife, as bars have no fixed closing times and stay open until late. The city is often called the Metropolis of the North, and locals call it simply Stad, the city, in their dialect, Gronings. It is known for its bicycle culture, as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world, with about 60% of trips made by bike in the centre. In 1977 the city introduced a traffic circulation plan, which divided the centre into four zones, with cars unable to drive directly between them, giving priority to cyclists and pedestrians. Groningen has a strong cultural scene, with the Groninger Museum, a colourful postmodern building, the Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival in August, Eurosonic Noorderslag, a music showcase festival in January, and theatres and cinemas. The surrounding countryside, with terp villages, medieval churches and the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO site, gives the region a rural, maritime character. Local food includes Groninger mustard soup, Groninger koek, a spiced cake, and metworst, a sausage. Earthquakes caused by gas extraction have become a major social issue.
Climate
Spring
2–16°C
March to May brings mild, changeable weather, with days of about 9–16°C, slightly cooler than the west, with sunshine, s…
Summer
11–22°C
June to August is mild, with days of about 19–22°C, long daylight until about 22:30 and occasional rain. The Noorderzon …
Autumn
5–17°C
September to November brings cooler days of about 9–17°C, more rain and strong winds. Students return in September, brin…
Winter
-1–6°C
December to February is cold and damp, with days of about 4–6°C, nights around 0°C, frost and occasional snow, colder th…
Fun Facts
A city of bicycles
Groningen is often called one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, with about 60% of trips in the centre ma…
Bars with no closing time
Groningen is famous for its nightlife, as bars and clubs in the centre, especially on the Grote Markt, the Peperstraat a…
A colourful museum on the water
The Groninger Museum, opened in 1994, is a postmodern building of colourful pavilions on an island in a canal, opposite …
Walking on the sea floor
North of Groningen, the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO site since 2009, is the largest unbroken system of tidal flats in the world…
The siege of Bommen Berend
On 28 August 1672, the city of Groningen resisted a siege by Bernhard von Galen, the Prince-Bishop of Münster, nicknamed…
Earthquakes from gas
The Groningen gas field, discovered in 1959, was one of the largest natural gas fields in the world, providing a large s…
Local Cuisine in Groningen
Groninger Mosterdsoep
Groninger mustard soup, made with the strong local Groninger mustard, cream, leeks and bacon, is a traditional dish of the city, warming and tangy. It is served in cafés and restaurants, especially in winter. A bowl costs about €6–9. Buy a jar of Groninger mustard as a souvenir. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it.
Groninger Koek
Groninger koek is a spiced cake, made with rye flour, honey or syrup, and spices, such as cinnamon, cloves and ginger, sometimes with candied ginger or orange peel. It is eaten with butter for breakfast or with coffee. A cake costs about €3–6 at bakeries and supermarkets. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it.
Metworst
Groninger metworst is a dried, smoked sausage, often flavoured with cloves or fennel seeds, a traditional product of the region, eaten as a snack with bread or cheese. Butchers and markets sell it. A sausage costs about €5–10. Try it with a local beer or on bread. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it.
Student Snacks
Groningen's large student population supports many cheap snack bars, serving Dutch fries, kroketten, croquettes, frikandellen and shawarma, especially around the Grote Markt and the Poelestraat, open late at night. A snack costs about €3–8. Try a broodje kroket after a night out. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it.
Market Food
The markets on the Grote Markt and Vismarkt, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, sell cheese, fish, kibbeling, stroopwafels, bread, fruit and flowers. A snack costs about €3–8. Try fresh kibbeling and a stroopwafel, and buy Groninger koek and mustard. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it. Portions are usually generous.
Hooghoudt Jenever
Hooghoudt, a distillery founded in Groningen in 1888, produces jenever, Dutch gin, and liqueurs, such as Groninger Kruidenbitter, a herbal liqueur, and Fladderak, a sweet liqueur. A glass costs about €3–5 in bars. Taste it with a snack, and buy a bottle as a souvenir. Ask locals for their favourite place to try it.
Practical Travel Information
Transport & Accessibility
International Transport
Groningen Airport Eelde, GRQ, about 12 km south of the city, has limited flights, mainly holiday charters. Amsterdam Schiphol is about 2–2.5 hours away by train. Groningen station, a grand building from 1896, has direct Intercity trains to Amsterdam, about two hours, Utrecht, Zwolle and Leeuwarden, and regional trains to Germany, such as Leer, with connections to Bremen. FlixBus and other buses connect Groningen with Germany, such as Hamburg and Berlin. Ferries to the Wadden Islands leave from Lauwersoog, about one hour away.
Local Transport
Groningen's centre is compact and walkable, and cycling is the main way to get around, with about 60% of trips in the centre by bike, bike rental and OV-fiets at the station. Qbuzz buses connect the centre with the suburbs, the university campus, Zernike, and the region, with payment by contactless bank card. Cars are restricted in the centre, under the traffic circulation plan, so park in Park and Ride sites on the edge of the city, with buses to the centre. Boat tours explore the canals.
Safety & Health
Personal Safety
Groningen is a safe city, with low crime rates. Pickpocketing can occur in crowded areas, such as the station and the Grote Markt at night. Bike theft is very common, so lock your bike well with two locks. Watch for the many cyclists when walking, and do not walk in bike lanes. Nightlife is lively, so be careful at night, and watch your drinks. Be careful near the canals. On mudflat walks, always go with a licensed guide, as tides are dangerous. In an emergency, call 112.
Medical Services
Groningen has the University Medical Center Groningen, UMCG, one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands, with an emergency department and English-speaking staff, and the Martini Hospital. For non-urgent care, visitors can see a general practitioner or use out-of-hours GP services. EU citizens can use the European Health Insurance Card, while others need travel insurance. Pharmacies are common. Tap water is excellent and safe to drink. Carry your insurance details and any personal medicines. Keep a small first-aid kit for day trips.
Budget & Costs
Travel Costs
Groningen is one of the most affordable cities in the Netherlands. A hostel bed costs about €25–45, a mid-range hotel €90–150 and a boutique hotel from €160 per night. A coffee costs about €3–4, a lunch €9–14 and dinner in a mid-range restaurant €20–35 per person. A beer costs about €3–5, cheaper than in the west. The train from Amsterdam costs about €27–30 each way, the Martini Tower €6–8, the Groninger Museum €17–19, a canal tour €12–15 and mudflat walking €15–40. A mid-range traveller should budget about €90–140 per day.
Budget Tips
Visit free attractions, such as the Forum and its rooftop, the Prinsentuin, the Noorderplantsoen, the Grote Markt and the canals. Eat at student snack bars, markets and cafés. Rent a bike or use OV-fiets. Use the Museumkaart for the Groninger Museum. Book train tickets with off-peak discounts. Stay in Groningen as an affordable base for the north and the Wadden Sea. Enjoy student prices in bars. Walking is free and often the best way to explore. Booking early usually secures better prices.
Culture & Traditions
Social Norms
People in Groningen are known for being direct, sober and down-to-earth, with a dry sense of humour, and they value modesty. Greet people with moi, the local greeting, used at any time of day. English is widely spoken, especially by students. Do not walk in bike lanes. Tipping is not obligatory, but rounding up is appreciated. Respect residents at night, as the nightlife can be loud. Be sensitive about the earthquake issue, which is painful for many locals. A few words of the local language are always appreciated.
Cultural Activities
Climb the Martini Tower. Visit the Groninger Museum. Enjoy the nightlife on the Grote Markt and the Poelestraat. Attend Eurosonic Noorderslag in January and the Noorderzon festival in August. Celebrate Gronings Ontzet on 28 August. Visit the Forum and its rooftop. Walk on the mudflats of the Wadden Sea. Visit the terp villages and medieval churches of the countryside. Watch FC Groningen at the Euroborg stadium. Say moi to everyone. Check local listings for free events during your stay. Ask your hotel about seasonal festivals.
Unique Experiences in Groningen
Climb the 260 steps of the Martini Tower, the symbol of Groningen, about 97 m tall, for panoramic views over the city's rooftops and the flat countryside to the Wadden Sea on clear days. Tickets cost about €6–8. Visit on a clear day, and combine it with the Grote Markt.
Walk on the sea floor of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO site, on a guided mudflat walk from Pieterburen at low tide, wading through mud and tidal channels, with views of seals and birds. Walks cost about €15–40. Book with a licensed guide, from May to September, and bring old clothes.
Experience Groningen's famous nightlife, with bars and clubs that have no fixed closing times, on the Grote Markt, the Peperstraat and the Poelestraat, filled with students every night of the week. Drinks cost about €3–5. Go out on a Thursday, the busiest night for students.
Explore the colourful Groninger Museum, a postmodern building on an island in the canal, with contemporary art, design and fashion, then go up to the rooftop of the Forum for views over the city. The museum costs about €17–19, and the Forum is free. Book online.
Cycle through the Groningen countryside to the terp villages, built on artificial mounds to escape floods, with medieval churches, such as Loppersum and Garmerwolde, and the Wadden Sea dike. Bike rental costs about €12–18 per day. Follow the numbered junctions, and bring a windproof jacket.
Travel Recommendations for Groningen
Explore Groningen by bike, the way locals do, using the OV-fiets or rentals at the station, and discover how the city's …
Visit during the academic year, from September to June, to experience the lively student atmosphere and nightlife, or in…
Book a guided mudflat walk on the Wadden Sea, from about May to September, for a memorable experience, and combine it wi…
Use Groningen as a base for exploring the north of the Netherlands, including the terp villages, the Wadden Islands, suc…
Learn a few words of Gronings, such as moi, the local greeting, and try the local specialities, such as mustard soup, Gr…