Grote Markt
First-timersThe main square and the Martinitoren.
Groningen city guide
Groningen Travel Guide
The capital of the north: a student city with more bicycles than people, bars with no set closing time, a bold modern museum and the mudflats of the Wadden Sea nearby.
5
Hostels in the city
8.2
Average, from 856 reviews
~25%
Of the population are students
1994
The Groninger Museum building
0
Fixed closing time for bars
The city of the north
Groningen is the biggest city in the northern Netherlands, two hours by train from Amsterdam, and it feels like a different country from the Randstad. It is a Hanseatic trading city with a medieval centre around the Grote Markt and the Martinitoren, the tower locals call the Old Grey.
About a quarter of its population are students, and it is young, lively and famously cycle-mad: the centre was largely closed to cars in the 1970s, and bikes rule the streets.
Bars have no fixed closing time, and the nightlife is some of the best in the country. Two days is right, with a day for the Wadden Sea or the islands.
Where to stay
The centre is small and ringed by canals. Stay inside the ring.
Vismarkt
FoodThe market square and the streets around it.
Noorderplantsoen
A calmer stayThe park and the neighbourhoods north of the centre.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 5 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Groningen
Climb the Martinitoren, the tower of the Martinikerk, for the view over the city and the flat northern countryside.
The Groninger Museum, on an island opposite the station, is a colourful, deliberately provocative building from 1994, with changing exhibitions. The Forum, a new cultural centre on the Grote Markt, has a library, cinemas and a rooftop terrace with a view over the city.
Walk the Prinsenhoftuin, a small, hidden seventeenth-century garden, and the Noorderplantsoen park, where the Noorderzon festival takes place in August.
For the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, join a guided mudflat walk, wadlopen, from Pieterburen at low tide, or take the ferry to the island of Schiermonnikoog.
Free things
Free things to do in Groningen
The centre, the canals and the parks are free.
The Forum's rooftop terrace and library are free to visit.
The Prinsenhoftuin is free.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Groningen
Groningen has cheap, student-friendly food, with cafés and restaurants around the Grote Markt and the Vismarkt. The Saturday market on the Vismarkt is one of the best in the north.
The local specialities are Groninger koek, a spiced gingerbread, and mustard. Eierbal, an egg wrapped in ragout and fried, is the local snack.
A meal is €12 to €20.
Nightlife
Going out in Groningen
Groningen has some of the best nightlife in the Netherlands, thanks to its students and the fact that bars have no fixed closing time. The Poelestraat, Peperstraat and Grote Markt area is busy every night.
Eurosonic Noorderslag in January brings hundreds of new European bands to the city.
A beer is €3.50 to €5.
Getting around
Getting around Groningen
The centre is small and best on a bike, like everyone else. Buses cover the rest.
Trains reach Amsterdam and Utrecht in about two hours. Buses run to Pieterburen for mudflat walks, and to Lauwersoog for the Schiermonnikoog ferry.
Groningen Airport Eelde is south of the city.
Costs
What Groningen costs
Groningen is one of the cheaper Dutch cities. Dorms start around €22 to €25. A careful day is €45 to €60.
Many places are card only, and some do not take credit cards.
Safety
Staying safe in Groningen
Groningen is very safe.
On the Wadden Sea, never walk the mudflats without a licensed guide; the tides come in fast.
Cycle lanes are for bikes, and bikes have priority. Do not walk in them, and look both ways before stepping off the pavement.
Emergency number is 112.
Day trips from Groningen
The Wadden Sea and its islands.
Wadlopen
A guided walk across the Wadden Sea mudflats at low tide.
Schiermonnikoog
A car-free island in a national park, with huge beaches.
Bourtange
A star-shaped fortress village, restored to its eighteenth-century form.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Eurosonic in January and Noorderzon in August are the big two.
Staff pick
11–13 December
WinterWelVaart
WinterWelVaart transform…
Staff pick
12–13 December
Zweedse Kerstmarkt (Swedish Christmas Market)
Experience the magic of …
Staff pick
13–16 January
Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS)
Eurosonic Noorderslag (E…
Staff pick
14 November
Rockit Festival
Rockit Festival in Groni…
Staff pick
18–20 November
Groningen Student Cabaret Festival
Experience an unforgetta…
Staff pick
21 November
Free Your Mind Festival
Experience an unforgetta…
Staff pick
3–7 February
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in Groningen
The International Film F…
Staff pick
13 February
Nacht van Groningen (Night of Groningen)
Experience the excitemen…
Hostels
Where to stay in Groningen
The top-rated places to stay in Groningen right now, live from Hostelworld.
Budgett Hostels
Rooms from €41 a night
See dates and book
Kumo Hostels
Dorms from €44 a night
See dates and book
The Happy Traveller - Guesthouse Groningen
Rooms from €45 a night
See dates and book
Stayokay Hostel Groningen
Dorms from €32 a night
See dates and book
The Explorer's Hostel
Rooms from €38 a night
See dates and book
When to go
May to September. January for Eurosonic, August for Noorderzon.
Jan
Eurosonic
Feb
Cold
Mar
Windy
Apr
Kingsday
May
Excellent
Jun
Long evenings
Jul
Summer
Aug
Noorderzon
Sep
Students return
Oct
Autumn
Nov
Grey
Dec
Christmas
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The north is cooler and windier than the rest of the country.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Transport assumes cycling and walking.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Groningen travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Is Groningen worth visiting?
Yes, for the nightlife, the student atmosphere and the Wadden Sea.
How far is it from Amsterdam?
About two hours by train.
Do bars really have no closing time?
Yes. Groningen has no fixed closing time for bars.
What is wadlopen?
A guided walk across the Wadden Sea mudflats at low tide. Never go without a guide.
How many days do you need?
Two, plus a day for the Wadden Sea.
Is Groningen cheap?
It is one of the cheaper Dutch cities.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September, or January for Eurosonic.
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