Groningen between art, harbor and city gardens

Groningen combines art and design with its harbor and urban history, as well as a variety of green spaces. Your travel interests can provide a useful guide when choosing a hotel: Would you like to visit a museum and see distinctive architecture, explore historic quays or spend time in gardens and parks? Each part of the city offers its own focus for planning your stay.

Art, architecture and views

The Groninger Museum is the largest museum for art and design in the northern Netherlands. Its permanent collection includes historical objects relating to Groningen’s history, Asian ceramics and paintings by the Groningen artists’ group De Ploeg. The museum has stood on the Diepenring since 1994 and is a postmodern building. A visit brings together the city’s history, applied arts and painting.

Forum Groningen is also defined by its architecture: the building is 45 meters high, has ten floors and a rooftop terrace. Two towers are connected by escalators. From the rooftop terrace, which is also 45 meters high, you may be able to see Schiermonnikoog in good weather and with a little luck. Admission is charged for programs at the Forum; the open spaces adjoining the atrium are freely accessible.

You can climb the Martinitoren on your own during opening hours each day; from the top, you can enjoy a view across the city. As opening hours may vary depending on the time of year, check the current hours before your visit.

Harbor district and city history

Hoge der A and Lage der A form Groningen’s oldest harbor district. For a long time, it was directly connected to the sea. Hoge der A was used for loading and unloading at high tide; at low tide, the quay wall at Lage der A served this purpose. A walk along the quays takes you past 28 nationally protected monuments and 11 municipal monuments. Here, you can explore the city’s harbor past along two sections of waterfront that served different purposes.

Groningen’s hofjes, or almshouses, also tell of an earlier way of living: they offered free accommodation to the poor, widows and the sick. Today, private individuals live there in peaceful oases in the city center. The history of the hofjes is therefore distinct from their present-day residential function.

Gardens and parks in Groningen

Prinsentuin is a green city garden full of flowers. Stadtholder Willem Frederik and his wife Albertine Agnes had it laid out in the 17th century. You can stroll among the plants, read on a bench and drink tea in the teahouse. During the summer months, the tea pavilion serves drinks.

In Noorderplantsoen, today’s parkland meets the city’s former fortifications. The park was created on the former city ramparts; the city moats laid out in the 17th century were converted into ponds. The Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival Groningen takes place there every year. As the program changes from one edition to the next, if you’re traveling for the festival, it’s worth checking the latest dates and program. Stadspark, in the southwest of Groningen, adds another park to the city’s selection of green spaces.

Train station and cycling trips

Groningen Hoofdstation is a nationally protected monument and continues to serve its original purpose as a train station. Its hall features a richly decorated papier-mâché ceiling, stained-glass windows, tile panels with symbolic depictions by Groningen artist F. H. Bach, and a tall wrought-iron lantern. The Groninger Museum is about 300 meters from the station—a specific distance between these two places, not to accommodation.

Guided cycling trips to sights such as Forum, the Martinitoren and Peerd van Ome Loeks are offered in Groningen. Another option is the historic Groene Parels cycling route: it is 42 kilometers long and runs through Groningen and the surrounding area of Haren. The guided trips name specific destinations; the Groene Parels route focuses on its length and course. As booking details and routes may change, check the latest information before making plans.

For the general travel overview: Groningen.