---
title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Groningen, Netherlands | Wimup"
description: "The 10 best things to do in Groningen, ranked. When to go, how many days you need, what to eat, and the Wadden Sea day trips an hour north."
url: https://wimup.com/city/groningen
type: City guide
updated: 2026-09-06
publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com)
---

# Top 10 Things To Do in Groningen

Groningen, Netherlands · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 14 min read

Groningen is the capital of the Dutch north and the youngest city in the country by average age, a university town of some 33,000 students inside a centre you can cross on foot in twenty minutes. About 60 percent of trips in that centre are made by bike. The Wadden Sea coast starts an hour north.

## Quick answer

Climb the Martinitoren for the view, then work outward: the Groninger Museum on its island by the station, the Forum roof terrace over the Nieuwe Markt, and the Noorderplantsoen laid over the old ramparts. Two days covers the city. Add a third for Schiermonnikoog or the Wadden Sea centre at Lauwersoog.

## Quick facts

- **Best months:** May · Jun · Aug
- **Ideal length:** 2–3 days
- **Budget per day:** $110–170
- **Language:** Dutch, with Gronings spoken locally
- **Getting around:** Bike & walking
- **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## The 10 best things to do in Groningen

### 1. Martinitoren

Landmark · Martinikerkhof 1, 9712 JG Groningen

Groningen's 96.8 metre tower, the third on the site and finished in 1554, with a 260-step brick spiral to the viewing platforms. Locals call it d'Olle Grieze, the old grey one. The 62-bell carillon is played on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** The staircase is single-file, so a queue at the door means a slow climb as well as a wait

### 2. Groninger Museum

Museum · Museumeiland 1, Groningen

Three pavilions on an island in the canal between the station and the centre, built to a plan by Alessandro Mendini with Philippe Starck and Coop Himmelb(l)au and opened in 1994. A silver drum, a yellow tower and a folded blue box, arguing with each other. The collection runs from local history to contemporary design.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** It is the first thing you see leaving the station, so do it on arrival rather than doubling back

Links: [Website](https://www.groningermuseum.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 3. Forum Groningen

Culture · Nieuwe Markt 1, Groningen

Ten storeys of library, cinemas, exhibition halls and the Storyworld comic and animation museum, opened on the Nieuwe Markt in November 2019. The draw is the roof: the highest public terrace in the city, with the Martinitoren head-on across the square.

- **Time:** 1–2 hr
- **Cost:** Free to enter
- **Best at:** Sunset
- **Tip:** The lift runs to the roof terrace; only Storyworld and the cinema screens are ticketed

Links: [Website](https://www.forum.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 4. Noorderplantsoen

Park · Noorderplantsoen, Groningen

The city's ramparts became a park in the 1880s and the shape still shows: a curving strip of water, bridges and lawn wrapped around the north-west edge of the centre. Fifteen minutes on foot from the station, and the first place the city goes the moment the sun is out.

- **Time:** 1 hr
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Late afternoon
- **Tip:** The southern end fills first; walk north past the pond if you want space to sit

### 5. Martinikerk

Church · Martinikerkhof 3, 9712 JG Groningen

The oldest church in the city and the tower's parent, with medieval frescoes in the choir and a celebrated organ rebuilt by Arp Schnitger. It is still a working parish church, so opening follows the service and concert calendar rather than a fixed timetable.

- **Time:** 30 min
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Midday
- **Tip:** Check the concert listings before you go; the organ is the reason to be inside

Links: [Website](https://martinikerk.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 6. Vismarkt and the Korenbeurs

Square · Vismarkt, Groningen

Groningen's market square since the 1600s, with the columned Korenbeurs corn exchange down one side, reused as a supermarket behind its original facade. Stalls fill the square on market days, and Der Aa-kerk closes the western end.

- **Time:** 45 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Market mornings
- **Tip:** Walk into the Korenbeurs: the hall behind the shelves is the original exchange, ceiling and all

### 7. Der Aa-kerk

Church · Akerkhof 2, 9711 JB Groningen

The city's other medieval church, on the west side of the Vismarkt, and after the Martinikerk the most important medieval building in Groningen. It is deconsecrated and now works as a concert and events hall, so the programme decides whether you can get in.

- **Time:** 30 min
- **Cost:** Varies by event
- **Best at:** Evening
- **Tip:** Look at what is on before walking over; outside events the nave is usually closed

### 8. Prinsentuin

Garden · Prinsentuin, 9712 JE Groningen

A walled renaissance garden laid out in 1626 for stadholder Willem Frederik and Albertine Agnes, two minutes from the Grote Markt and hidden behind a high brick wall. Box hedges, a rose garden and a herb parterre, and almost nobody in it.

- **Time:** 30 min
- **Cost:** Free
- **Best at:** Morning
- **Tip:** The gate in the wall reads as a private entrance. It is not, and it is the only way in

### 9. Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum

Museum · Brugstraat 24-26, Groningen

Fifteen centuries of northern Dutch seafaring, from Hanseatic trade to the collapse of Groningen shipbuilding in the 1950s, laid out through two linked medieval houses beside the old harbour. The building is half the exhibit.

- **Time:** 1.5 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Afternoon
- **Tip:** The route runs through low doorways and steep stairs across both houses, so allow more time than the floor plan suggests

Links: [Website](https://www.noordelijkscheepvaartmuseum.nl/en/visit-the-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

### 10. Hortus Botanicus Haren

Garden · Kerklaan 34, Haren

The largest botanical garden in the Netherlands, ten kilometres south of the centre, with a walled Chinese garden at its heart. Its collection traces back to the apothecary's garden Henricus Munting founded in the city in 1626.

- **Time:** 2 hr
- **Cost:** Ticketed
- **Best at:** Late morning
- **Tip:** Ride out along the Hondsrug rather than taking the bus; it is flat, signposted and about half an hour

Links: [Website](https://www.hortusharen.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best museums in Groningen

Four collections, and one of them is the building.

1. **Groninger Museum** (Art & design · 1994 · Museumeiland): Mendini, Starck and Coop Himmelb(l)au, on an island in the canal. [Website](https://www.groningermuseum.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
2. **Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum** (Maritime history · Brugstraat): Northern seafaring, told across two linked medieval houses. [Website](https://www.noordelijkscheepvaartmuseum.nl/en/visit-the-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Storyworld** (Comics & animation · Nieuwe Markt): Comics, animation and games, on the lower floors of the Forum. [Website](https://www.forum.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
4. **Universiteitsmuseum** (University collection · Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat): Anatomy models, instruments and four centuries of the university. [Website](https://www.rug.nl/museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best restaurants in Groningen

From a Michelin star out in Hoogkerk to a living-room kitchen in the centre.

1. **Noor** (Michelin star · Modern · Hoogkerk): A star in a converted Hoogkerk church, French technique with Japanese edges.
2. **Nassau** (Michelin Guide · Fine dining · Martinikerkhof): Fine dining in the Prince of Nassau's old chambers, looking onto the Prinsentuin.
3. **Blumé** (Modern French · Oude Boteringestraat): Modern French on Oude Boteringestraat, rated 14.5 by Gault&Millau.
4. **Voilà** (Set menu · W.A. Scholtenstraat): No menu. You eat what the kitchen sends out, at a price fixed before you sit down. [Website](https://www.restaurantvoila.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
5. **Land van Kokanje** (Dutch · Wine · Oude Boteringestraat): A townhouse on Oude Boteringestraat, bar downstairs and dining above.
6. **De Betere Tijden** (Neighbourhood · Open kitchen · Centre): Living-room restaurant with the kitchen open to the tables, and the chef explaining the plate. [Website](https://www.debeteretijden.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best bars & cafes in Groningen

Groningen keeps no fixed closing time, which is why the Poelestraat runs until it is light.

1. **Black & Bloom** (Specialty coffee · Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat): Specialty roastery on Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, and the city's coffee benchmark.
2. **Café de Sigaar** (Cafe · Terrace · Hoge der A): Canal-side terrace on the Hoge der A, open from breakfast onward.
3. **Der Witz** (Brown cafe · Beer · Grote Markt): A small brown cafe on the Grote Markt with a long beer list.
4. **Café Oblomov** (Beer bar · Poelestraat): Specialty beer on the Poelestraat, without the party-bar volume.
5. **Warhol** (Rock bar · Papengang): Alternative and rock in the Papengang, the antidote to the Peperstraat.
6. **Wolter Wolthers** (Club · Poelestraat · Poelestraat): Poelestraat disco bar, singalong classics and a floor that stays full.

## Best live music in Groningen

A city of 33,000 students supports more stages than its size suggests.

1. **Vera** (Club · Alternative · Oosterstraat): The underground room on Oosterstraat that booked Joy Division and Nirvana early.
2. **Simplon** (Venue · Boterdiep · Boterdiep): Punk roots, a mixed programme now, and a Thursday night given to local talent.
3. **De Oosterpoort** (Concert hall · Trompsingel): The north's largest hall, with over 600 performances a year on Trompsingel.

## Best neighborhoods in Groningen

The centre is twenty minutes across, so pick a quarter and stay in it.

1. **Binnenstad** (Centre · Binnenstad): The old walled centre: Grote Markt, Vismarkt and the streets between them.
2. **Hortusbuurt & Ebbingekwartier** (Historic · Student · North of the centre): University streets north of the centre, with sharp new architecture pushed up against them.
3. **A-Kwartier** (Canals · Old harbour · West of the Vismarkt): The old harbour quarter along the Hoge and Lage der A, under the A-kerk tower.
4. **Schildersbuurt** (Residential · West): Quiet, leafy streets of well-kept older houses, a few minutes by bike from the centre.

## Best parks & gardens in Groningen

One on the ramparts, one behind a wall, one out of town.

1. **Noorderplantsoen** (Park · Free · North-west of the centre): A park laid over the old ramparts, and the city's living room from May onward.
2. **Prinsentuin** (Garden · Free · Martinikerkhof): Walled renaissance garden of 1626, two minutes from the Grote Markt.
3. **Hortus Botanicus Haren** (Botanical garden · Haren): The largest botanical garden in the country, with a walled Chinese garden at its centre. [Website](https://www.hortusharen.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Best day trips in Groningen

The Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site, starts an hour north.

1. **Schiermonnikoog** (Island · Ferry · Via Lauwersoog): Car-free Wadden island of dunes and wide beaches, reached by ferry from Lauwersoog.
2. **Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee** (Seals · Wadden Sea · Lauwersoog): The Wadden heritage centre and seal hospital, moved from Pieterburen to Lauwersoog harbour in 2025. [Website](https://www.zeehondencentrum.nl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
3. **Bourtange** (Star fort · South-east): A restored 16th-century star fort on the German border, ramparts and moats intact.
4. **Menkemaborg** (Borg · Museum · Uithuizen): A moated manor at Uithuizen, one of the best-kept borgen in the north, and reachable by train.
5. **Appingedam** (Historic town · East): A medieval town centre, and the hanging kitchens cantilevered over the Damsterdiep.
6. **Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer** (National park · North-west): A national park on the old sea inlet, and some of the darkest night skies in the country.

## Festivals & annual events in Groningen (2026)

- **Eurosonic Noorderslag** (Mid-January): Four days of European showcase gigs across the city, closing with the Dutch-only Noorderslag night.
- **Koningsdag** (27 April): The canals become the largest free market in the north, with music on the Vismarkt all day.
- **Bevrijdingsfestival** (5 May): One of the national Liberation Day festivals, free all afternoon and evening in the Stadspark.
- **Nacht van Kunst & Wetenschap** (Early June): More than 150 acts across the centre, pairing scientists with artists for one night.
- **KEI-week** (Mid-August): Europe's largest student introduction week fills the centre before term starts.
- **Noorderzon** (Late August): Eleven days of international performing arts staged in and around the Noorderplantsoen.
- **Gronings Ontzet (Bommen Berend)** (28 August): The city marks the lifting of the bishop of Münster's 1672 siege, its oldest civic date.
- **WinterWelVaart** (Mid-December): Historic ships tie up along the Hoge and Lage der A for a free winter fair in the A-Kwartier.

## Must-try dishes in Groningen, Netherlands

- **Eierbal**: A soft-boiled egg wrapped in ragout, breaded and fried. Snackbar food, and listed intangible heritage.
- **Groninger mosterdsoep**: A creamy soup built on the coarse local mustard, sharper than the Dutch standard.
- **Groninger koek**: A dense spice cake of cinnamon, cloves and anise, sliced thin and buttered.
- **Poffert**: Yeasted buckwheat and wheat batter with currants, steamed in its own tin.
- **Blote billetjes in het gras**: A stamppot of white beans and green beans, with potato and bacon.
- **Kibbeling**: Battered cod chunks from a market stall, eaten with garlic sauce.
- **Snert**: Split pea soup thick enough to stand a spoon in, a fixture of the northern winter.
- **Bitterballen**: The Dutch bar standard: breaded beef ragout, served with mustard.

## Groningen transport & airports

- **Amsterdam Schiphol** (AMS): The practical way in from abroad. Direct trains run to Groningen around 18 times a day, and the fastest scheduled journey is about 2 hours 8 minutes. [Website](https://www.ns.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Groningen Airport Eelde** (GRQ): The local airport, 15 km south of the city, with a short regional network. A Qbuzz bus links it to the centre in about 15 minutes.
- **Rail** (NS): Groningen station is the northern terminus of the intercity network: NS trains run south to Zwolle, Utrecht and Amsterdam, and Arriva stop trains out to Delfzijl, Veendam and Leeuwarden. [Website](https://www.ns.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- **Bikes and buses** (OV): About 60 percent of trips inside the centre are made by bike, and the station holds one of the largest OV-fiets depots in the country. Qbuzz runs the city and regional buses. [Website](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/nl/plan-je-bezoek/vervoer/vervoer-in-de-provincie?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)

## Groningen at a glance

- **Country:** Netherlands
- **Region:** Groningen province
- **Population:** 244,000 (municipality, 2026)
- **Founded:** First recorded 1040
- **Nickname:** Stad
- **Language:** Dutch, with Gronings spoken locally
- **Currency:** Euro (€)
- **Time zone:** CET · UTC+1
- **Calling code:** +31
- **Airports:** GRQ · AMS
- **Power:** 230V · Type C/F
- **Emergency:** 112

## Interesting facts

- The university opened in 1614, which makes it the second oldest in the Netherlands after Leiden.
- About 60 percent of trips inside the centre are made by bike, and roughly half across the city as a whole.
- Groningers call the Martinitoren d'Olle Grieze, the old grey one, in the local Gronings dialect.
- The city has the lowest average age in the Netherlands: the university alone counts about 33,000 students.
- Bommen Berend, on 28 August, marks the failed 1672 siege by the bishop of Münster and has run for 350 years.

## Groningen travel FAQ

### How many days do you need in Groningen?

Two days covers the centre comfortably: the Martinitoren, the Groninger Museum, the Forum roof and an afternoon along the canals. Add a third if you want a Wadden day trip, because Schiermonnikoog and Lauwersoog each take most of one.

### Is Groningen worth visiting?

Yes, if you want a Dutch city that is not run for tourism. It has the medieval churches, the canals and the gabled streets, plus a student population that keeps the bars and music venues busy on a Tuesday. What it does not have is queues.

### How do you get to Groningen from Amsterdam?

Direct trains run from Amsterdam Schiphol to Groningen around 18 times a day, and the fastest scheduled journey is about 2 hours 8 minutes. No change is needed, and the station leaves you a five-minute walk from the Groninger Museum and the centre.

### What is Groningen known for?

Its university, founded in 1614, and the student city built around it. Beyond that: the Martinitoren, the three clashing pavilions of the Groninger Museum, and cycling. About 60 percent of trips inside the centre are made by bike.

### What should you eat in Groningen?

The eierbal, a soft-boiled egg wrapped in ragout and deep-fried, sold from snackbars across the city and recognised as Dutch intangible heritage. After that, Groninger mosterdsoep, made with the coarse local mustard, and a slice of spiced Groninger koek.

## Nearby guides

- [Amsterdam](https://wimup.com/city/amsterdam.md): Netherlands · 10 picks
- [Nijmegen](https://wimup.com/city/nijmegen.md): Netherlands · 10 picks
- [Dortmund](https://wimup.com/city/dortmund.md): Germany · 10 picks
- [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 158 cities

Part of the [Netherlands guide](https://wimup.com/country/netherlands.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md)

## Sources

- [Groningen tourism board](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Groninger Museum (official site)](https://www.groningermuseum.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Forum Groningen (official site)](https://www.forum.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Martinikerk (official site)](https://martinikerk.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum (official site)](https://www.noordelijkscheepvaartmuseum.nl/en/visit-the-museum?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Hortus Botanicus Haren (official site)](https://www.hortusharen.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Universiteitsmuseum (official site)](https://www.rug.nl/museum/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Voilà (official site)](https://www.restaurantvoila.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [De Betere Tijden (official site)](https://www.debeteretijden.nl/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Werelderfgoedcentrum Waddenzee (official site)](https://www.zeehondencentrum.nl/en/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Amsterdam Schiphol (official site)](https://www.ns.nl/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- [Bikes and buses (official site)](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/nl/plan-je-bezoek/vervoer/vervoer-in-de-provincie?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral)
- Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.