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Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of the country; as of December 2021, it had 235,287 inhabitants, making it the sixth largest city/municipality of the Netherlands and the second largest outside the
Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim" or "Edge" City) is a roughly crescent-shaped conurbation in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht); their suburbs, and many tow ...
. Groningen was established more than 950 years ago and gained city rights in 1245. Due to its relatively isolated location from the then successive Dutch centres of power ( Utrecht,
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
, Brussels), Groningen was historically reliant on itself and nearby regions. As a Hanseatic city, it was part of the North German trade network, but later it mainly became a regional market centre. At the height of its power in the 15th century, Groningen could be considered an independent
city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
and it remained autonomous until the French era. Today Groningen is a university city, home to some of the country's leading higher education institutes; University of Groningen (''Rijksuniversiteit Groningen''), which is the Netherlands's second oldest university, and
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen (Hanze UAS, nl, Hanzehogeschool Groningen) is the largest technical & vocational university in the northern Netherlands and is located in Groningen. Hanze UAS offers various Bachelor and Master pr ...
(''Hanzehogeschool Groningen''). Students comprise an estimated 25% of its total population and makes it the country's demographically youngest city.


Etymology

The origin and meaning of 'Groningen' and its older variant, 'Groeningen', are uncertain. A folk origin story relates the idea that, in 453 BC, exiles from
Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
who were guided by a mythical figure called Gruno (or Grunius, Gryns or Grunus), along with a group of Phrygians from Germany, founded a settlement in what is now Groningen, and built a castle on the bank of the , which they called 'Grunoburg', and which was later destroyed by the Vikings. One modern theory is that 'Groningen' meant 'among the people of Groni' ('Groningi' and 'Groninga' in the 11th century), derived from ''Gronesbeke'', which was the old name for a small lake near the Hunze (on the northern border of Zuidlaarderveen). Another theory is that the name was derived from the word ''groenighe'', meaning 'green fields'. During the French occupation of the area, Groningen was called ''Groningue''. In Frisian, it is called ''Grins''. In Groningen province, it is called '. Regionally, it is often simply referred to as ''Stad'' (the "city"), and its inhabitants are referred to as ''Stadjers'' or ''Stadjeder''. The Dutch sometimes refer to it as "the Metropolis of the North", or ''Martinistad'' (after the ''
Martinitoren The ''Martinitoren'' (; Martini or St. Martin's Tower) is the tallest church steeple in the city of Groningen, Netherlands, and the bell tower of the Martinikerk. The tower is located at the north-eastern corner of the ''Grote Markt'' (Main Ma ...
'' tower.)


History

The city was founded at the northernmost point of the ''
Hondsrug 300px, The Hoogstraatje in Groningen, the northernmost hill of the Hondsrug The Hondsrug () is a Dutch ridge of sand that is mainly located in the province Drenthe and partly in the province Groningen. The spur of the Hondsrug in Groningen ha ...
'' area. While the oldest document referring to Groningen's existence dates from 1040, the area was occupied by Anglo-Saxons centuries prior. The oldest archaeological evidence of a settlement in the region stems from around 3950–3650 BC, and the first major settlement in Groningen trace back to the year 3 AD. In the 13th century Groningen was an important trade centre and its inhabitants built a
city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
to underline its authority. The city had a strong influence on its surrounding lands and the
Gronings dialect Gronings (; gos, Grunnegs or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East Fri ...
became a common tongue. The most influential period of the city was at the end of the 15th century, when the nearby province of
Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
was administered from Groningen. During these years the ''
Martinitoren The ''Martinitoren'' (; Martini or St. Martin's Tower) is the tallest church steeple in the city of Groningen, Netherlands, and the bell tower of the Martinikerk. The tower is located at the north-eastern corner of the ''Grote Markt'' (Main Ma ...
'' was built which is considered to be the city's most significant landmark. In 1536, Groningen accepted Emperor Charles V, the King of Spain and the Habsburg ruler of the other Netherlands as its ruler, thus ending the region's autonomy. The city was captured in the Siege of Groningen (1594) by the Dutch and English forces led by
Maurice of Nassau Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince o ...
. After the siege, the city and the province joined the Dutch Republic. The University of Groningen was founded in 1614 with initial course offerings in law, medicine, theology and philosophy. During the same period the city expanded rapidly and a new city wall was built. The Siege of Groningen (1672) led by the bishop of Münster, Bernhard von Galen during the
Third Anglo-Dutch War The Third Anglo-Dutch War ( nl, Derde Engels-Nederlandse Oorlog), 27 March 1672 to 19 February 1674, was a naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and England, in alliance with France. It is considered a subsidiary of the wider 1672 to 1678 ...
failed and the city walls resisted; an event that is celebrated annually with music and fireworks on 28 August as "'' Gronings Ontzet''" or "''Bommen Berend''". During
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the main square and the Grote Markt were largely destroyed in the Battle of Groningen in April 1945. However, the church ''Martinitoren'', the '' Goudkantoor'', and the city hall were undamaged.


Geography


Canals

Numerous canals ( ''grachten'') surround the city, locally called ''diep''. The major canals that travel from the city are the Van Starkenborghkanaal, Eemskanaal, and Winschoterdiep.


Climate

Groningen has an oceanic temperate climate, like all of the Netherlands, although slightly colder in winter than other major cities in the Netherlands due to its northeasterly position. Weather is influenced by the North Sea to the north-west and its prevailing north-western winds and galesjavascript:tidy("horizontal"). Summers are somewhat warm and humid. Temperatures of or higher occur sporadically; the average daytime high is around . Very rainy periods are common, especially in spring and summer. Average annual precipitation is about . Annual sunshine hours vary, but are usually below 1600 hours, giving much cloud cover similar to most of the Netherlands. Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
subtype for this climate is " Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate). Winters are cool; on average above freezing, although frosts are common during spells of easterly winds. Night-time temperatures of or lower are not uncommon during cold winter periods. The lowest temperature ever recorded is on 16 February 1956. Snow often falls, but rarely stays long due to warmer daytime temperatures, although white snowy days happen every winter.


Economy

Hotel and catering industries constitute a significant part of the economy in Groningen. Focus on business services has increased over time and areas such as IT, life sciences, tourism, energy, and environment have developed. Until 2008 there were two major sugar refineries within the city. The Suiker Unie plant was constructed in the outskirts of Groningen, but became a part of the city due to expansion. The factory had 98 employees before it was shutdown in 2008 due to a reduction in demand. As of 2017, ''CSM Vierverlaten'' in Hoogkerk remains the only beet sugar production plant in the city. Other notable companies from Groningen include publishing company
Noordhoff Uitgevers Infinitas Learning is a Dutch educational publishing company. It was formed from Bridgepoint Capital's purchase of the educational division of Wolters Kluwer. Imprints The company issues books under the following imprints (brands): Current *No ...
, tobacco company
Niemeyer Niemeyer, Niemeier, or Niemeijer is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Anna Maria Niemeyer (1929–2012), Brazilian architect, furniture designer, daughter of Oscar *August Hermann Niemeyer (1754–1828), German Protestant theolog ...
, health insurance company Menzis, distillery Hooghoudt, and natural gas companies
GasUnie N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (short form: Gasunie) is a Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company operating in the Netherlands and Germany. Gasunie owns the Netherlands gas transmission network with a total length of over and long ...
and GasTerra.


Demographics


Immigration


Religion

The majority of people in Groningen, slightly more than 70%, are non-religious. With 25.1%, the largest religion in Groningen is
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
.


Population growth

The municipality of Groningen has grown rapidly. In 1968 it expanded by mergers with Hoogkerk and Noorddijk, and in 2019 it merged with Haren and Ten Boer. All historical data are for the original city limits, excluding Hoogkerk, Noorddijk, Haren and Ten Boer. It has a land area of , and a total area, including water, of . Its population density is 1,367 residents per km2 (3,540 per square mile). On 1 January 2019, it was merged with the municipalities of Ten Boer and Haren. The
Groningen-Assen metropolitan area The Groningen-Assen metropolitan area includes the key cities of Groningen (230,000 inhabitants) and Assen (67,000 inhabitants) as well as the surrounding municipalities. Altogether it had over half a million inhabitants in 2018. The airport of the ...
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Culture

Groningen is nationally known as the "Metropolis of the North". The city is regarded as the main urban centre of the Northern part of the country, particularly in the fields of education, business, music and other arts. It is also known as "''Martinistad''", referring to the tower of the ''
Martinitoren The ''Martinitoren'' (; Martini or St. Martin's Tower) is the tallest church steeple in the city of Groningen, Netherlands, and the bell tower of the Martinikerk. The tower is located at the north-eastern corner of the ''Grote Markt'' (Main Ma ...
'', which is named after Groningen's
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...
Martin of Tours. The large number its student population also contribute to a diverse cultural scene for a city of its size. Since 2016 Groningen has been host of the International Cycling Film Festival—an annual film festival for bicycle related films. It takes place in the art house cinema of the old Roman Catholic Hospital. The first major international chess tournament after World War II was held in Groningen from 1946-08-13 to 1946-09-07. The tournament, won by Mikhail Botvinnik of the USSR, was the first time the Soviet Union had sent a team of players to a foreign event. A major international chess festival and tournament ‘'Schaakfestival Groningen tournament'’ has been held in the city in most years, since 1946.


Museums

Groningen is home to the
Groninger Museum The Groninger Museum () is an art museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists. The museum opened in 1874. The current post-modernist building co ...
. Its new building designed by Alessandro Mendini in 1994 echoes the Italian post-modern concepts and is notable for its futuristic and colourful style. The city has a
maritime museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navies and the milita ...
, a university museum, a comics museum and a graphics museum. Groningen is also the home of Noorderlicht, an international photographic platform that runs a photo gallery and organizes an international photo festival. The
Forum Groningen Forum Groningen is a cultural center in the city of Groningen in the northern Netherlands that houses a library, cinema, and parts of the Groninger Museum. Forum Groningen opened in November 2019, and is expected to receive 1.6 million ...
that opened in 2019 is a cultural center consisting of a museum, art cinema, library, bars, rooftop terrace and tourist information office.


Theatre and music

Groningen has a city theatre called the Stadsschouwburg, located on the Turfsingel, a theatre and concert venue called Martini Plaza, and a cultural venue on the Trompsingel, called the Oosterpoort. Vera is located on the Oosterstraat, the Grand Theatre on the Grote Markt, and Simplon on the Boterdiep. Several cafés feature live music, a few of which specialize in jazz music, including the ''Jazzcafe De Spieghel'' on the Peperstraat. Groningen is the host city for Eurosonic Noorderslag, an annual music showcase event for bands from Europe.


Nightlife

Groningen's nightlife depends largely on its student population. Its cultural scene is regarded as vibrant and remarkable for a city of its size. In particular, the Grote Markt, the Vismarkt, the Poelestraat and Peperstraat are crowded every night, and most bars do not close until five in the morning. From 2005 to 2007, Groningen was named "best city centre" of the Netherlands. Groningen has a red-light district, called ''Nieuwstad''.


Sports

FC Groningen, founded in 1971, is the local football club, and as of 2000 they play in the
Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
, the highest football league of the Netherlands. Winners of the KNVB Cup in the 2014–15 season, their best Eredivisie result was in the 1990–91 season when they finished third. Their current stadium which opened in January 2006 has 22,525 seats. It is called the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion; it was known as the "Euroborg stadium" before 2016, and "Noordlease Stadion" from 2016 to 2018. American sports are fairly popular in Groningen; it has
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
,
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
, and
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
clubs. Groningen's professional basketball club Donar play in the highest professional league, the Dutch Basketball League, and have won the national championship seven times. The Groningen Giants are the American football team of the city who play in the premier league of the AFBN and are nicknamed as the "Kings of the North". The running event called 4 Miles of Groningen takes place in the city on the second Sunday of October every year with over 23,000 participants. The 2002 Giro d'Italia began in Groningen, including the prologue and the start of the first stage. The city hosted the start and finish of the fifth stage of the 2013 Energiewacht Tour.


Education

As of 2020, around 25% of the 230,000 inhabitants in Groningen are students. The city has the highest density of students and the lowest mean age in the Netherlands. The University of Groningen (in Dutch: '' Rijksuniversiteit Groningen''), established in 1614 is the second oldest university in the Netherlands (after the
University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city of Le ...
). The university educated the country's first female student, Aletta Jacobs, the first Dutch national astronaut, Wubbo Ockels, the first president of the European Central Bank,
Wim Duisenberg Willem Frederik "Wim" Duisenberg (; 9 July 1935 – 31 July 2005) was a Dutch politician and economist who served as President of the European Central Bank from 1 June 1998 until 31 October 2003. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA). Du ...
, and two Nobel laureates; Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (in Physics) and Ben Feringa (in Chemistry). The university has about 31,000 students—22% of which are international. The
Hanze University of Applied Sciences Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen (Hanze UAS, nl, Hanzehogeschool Groningen) is the largest technical & vocational university in the northern Netherlands and is located in Groningen. Hanze UAS offers various Bachelor and Master pr ...
(in Dutch: '' Hanzehogeschool Groningen'') was founded in 1986 and is more focused on the practical application of knowledge, offering bachelor and master courses in fields like Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Communication and Multimedia Design, and Renewable Energy. With around 8.1% international students, Hanze hosts more than 28,000 students and is one of the largest universities of applied sciences by enrollment in the Netherlands.


Politics

As of January 2019, the Groningen municipality council has 45 members.
GroenLinks GroenLinks (, ) is a green political party in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four left-wing parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and t ...
is the largest party on the council with 11 seats. The PvdA holds 6 seats. Both D66 and the Socialist Party have 5 seats. The
VVD The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a Conservative liberalism, conservative-liberalRudy Andeweg, Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingsto ...
has 4 seats, while ChristenUnie and the Party for the Animals each have 3 seats.
Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...
, 100% Groningen and Stadspartij have 2 seats each; the 2 remaining seats are divided between Student en Stad and the right party Party for Freedom.


International relations

Groningen is twinned with the following cities: Groningen also has a trilateral partnership with the nearby northern German cities of Bremen and Oldenburg.


Transport


Cycling and walking

Groningen is known as the "World Cycling City"; around 57% of its residents use a bicycle for regular commute within the city. In 2000, Groningen was chosen as the ''Fietsstad 2002'', the top cycle-city in the Netherlands for 2002. Similar to most Dutch cities, Groningen is developed to accommodate a large number of cyclists. An extensive network of bike paths were planned to make it more convenient to cycle to various destinations instead of taking a car. The city has segregated cycle-paths, public transport, and a large pedestrianised zone in the city centre. Groningen's city centre was remodeled into a "pedestrian priority zone" to promote walking and biking. This was achieved by applying the principle of filtered permeability—the network configuration favours active transportation and selectively "filters out" traveling in a car by reducing the number of streets that run through the centre. The streets that are discontinuous for cars connect to a network of pedestrian and bike paths which permeate the entire centre. In addition, these paths go through public squares and open spaces, increasing the aesthetic appeal of the trip and encouraging more participation. The logic of filtering a mode of transport is fully expressed in a comprehensive model for laying out neighbourhoods and districts—the
fused grid The fused grid is a street network pattern first proposed in 2002 and subsequently applied in Calgary, Alberta (2006) and Stratford, Ontario (2004). It represents a synthesis of two well known and extensively used network concepts: the "grid" an ...
.


Public transport


Trains

Groningen railway station Groningen railway station (; abbreviation: Gn), locally called ''Hoofdstation'' (main station), is the main railway station in Groningen in the Province of Groningen, Netherlands. It is located on the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway between Zu ...
(in Dutch: ''Hoofdstation'') is the main railway station and has regular services to most of the major cities in the country. The city's remaining two railway stations are Europapark and Noord. Groningen has six railway routes: *Groningen –
Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...
*Groningen – Roodeschool /
Eemshaven Eemshaven (; en, Ems Harbor) is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary ( Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the regi ...
*Groningen – Leeuwarden *Groningen –
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
*Groningen –
Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region Rheiderland. It has a railw ...
/ Leer *Groningen – Meppel / Zwolle On those six routes, ten lines stop at: * GroningenGroningen North
Sauwerd Sauwerd is a village in the municipality of Het Hogeland, Groningen, Netherlands. Until the local government reorganization of 1990 the village was the head of the former municipality of Adorp. The village of Sauwerd is 7 to 10 kilometers away ...
Bedum
Stedum Stedum () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Eemsdelta, about northeast of the city of Groningen. Stedum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it merged with Loppersum. The German munici ...
Loppersum Loppersum () is a village and former municipality in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Geography Loppersum is located in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. The former municipality was bord ...
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
Delfzijl West
Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...
* GroningenGroningen North
Sauwerd Sauwerd is a village in the municipality of Het Hogeland, Groningen, Netherlands. Until the local government reorganization of 1990 the village was the head of the former municipality of Adorp. The village of Sauwerd is 7 to 10 kilometers away ...
Winsum Winsum () is a town and a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. On 1 January 2019 the municipality merged with the municipalities of Bedum, De Marne and Eemsmond to form the new municipality Het H ...
BafloWarffum
Usquert Usquert is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of around 1,415 in January 2017. History Usquert was a separate municipality until 1 ...
Uithuizen
Uithuizermeeden Uithuizermeeden is a village in the Netherlands, with a population of about 3,200 people. It is part of the municipality of Het Hogeland, close to the Wadden Sea The Wadden Sea ( nl, Waddenzee ; german: Wattenmeer; nds, Wattensee or ; da, Vad ...
Roodeschool – (Low Service)
Eemshaven Eemshaven (; en, Ems Harbor) is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary ( Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the regi ...
* GroningenZuidhornGrijpskerk
Buitenpost Buitenpost (''Bûtenpost'' in West Frisian) is a village in north-east Friesland in the Netherlands. It lies approximately halfway between the cities of Leeuwarden (the capital of Friesland) and Groningen, in the northern part of the municipali ...
De Westereen De Westereen ( fry, De Westerein or ''De Westereen''), nl, Zwaagwesteinde) is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 5,000 in 2017. History De Westereen lays on the edge of the cla ...
Feanwâlden Feanwâlden ( nl, Veenwouden) is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 3,430 in 2014. Together with the village of Feanwâldsterwâl Feanwâldsterwâl ( nl, Veenwoudsterwal) is a vi ...
HurdegarypLeeuwarden CamminghaburenLeewarden * Groningen
Buitenpost Buitenpost (''Bûtenpost'' in West Frisian) is a village in north-east Friesland in the Netherlands. It lies approximately halfway between the cities of Leeuwarden (the capital of Friesland) and Groningen, in the northern part of the municipali ...
Leewarden * GroningenGroningen EuropaparkKropswoldeMartenshoekHoogezand-SappemeerSappemeer oostZuidbroek
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
* GroningenGroningen EuropaparkKropswoldeMartenshoekHoogezand-SappemeerSappemeer oostZuidbroekScheemdaWinschoten – (Lower service) Bad Nieuweschans
Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region Rheiderland. It has a railw ...
– (Due to a broken bridge, trains do not go on to Leer. Take a bus from Groningen or
Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region Rheiderland. It has a railw ...
) * GroningenGroningen EuropaparkHaren
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
Beilen Beilen is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 16 km south of Assen. The old Reformed church is the only remaining truly old building; a large fire destroyed a major pa ...
HoogeveenMeppelZwolle * Groningen
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
ZwolleAmersfoort CentraalUtrecht CentraalGoudaRotterdam AlexanderRotterdam Centraal * Groningen
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
ZwolleLelystad CentrumAlmere CentrumAmsterdam South
Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...
Leiden CentraalDen Haag Centraal / The Hague Centraal


Buses

Groningen has bus lines and Q-Link—a network of buses similar to a tram/metro network. City & Q-Link Lines: *1: Main Station – City Center – UMCG North – Station Groningen NorthZernike – P+R Reitdiep *2: Groningen EuropaparkUMCG Main Entrance – UMCG North – Station Groningen NorthZernikeStation Zuidhorn *3: Lewenborg – P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R HoogkerkLeek *4: Beijum – P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R HoogkerkPeizeRoden *5: Harkstede – P+R MeerstadUMCG Main Entrance – City Centre – Main Station – P+R HarenZuidlarenAnnen *6: P+R HarenMain StationUMCG Main Entrance – Ten Boer
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...
*7: De Wijert – Main Station – Westerhaven – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North *8: P+R HoogkerkHoogkerk – Westerhaven – Main Station - Groningen Europapark – Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – P+R Hoogkerk *9: EeldePaterswolde – Martini hospital – Corpus den Hoorn – De Wijert – Main Station – Westerhaven – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North or Zernike *10: Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – Main Station – Korrewegwijk – Station Groningen North *12: Main StationGroningen Europapark – Euvelgunne – Eemspoort – P+R Meerstad – P+R Kardingen *15: Main Station – Paddepoel – Zernike *18: P+R Hoogkerk – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Zernike Q-Liner Lines: *300: Groningen – P+R Westlaren ( Zuidlaren) – P+R Gieten – P+R
Borger Borger may refer to: *Borger (name), a surname and given name *Borger, Netherlands *Borger, Texas, U.S. See also * * Boorger * Börger * Borge (disambiguation) * Børge * Burger (disambiguation) Burger or Burgers may refer to: Food and drin ...
– Emmen *304: Groningen – P+R HoogkerkDrachten *309: Groningen
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
Busstation Marsdijk – Kloosterveen *312: Groningen – P+R Haren – P+R Annen – P+R GietenGasselte
Stadskanaal Stadskanaal () is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal. From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so ...
*314: GroningenDrachten *315: GroningenHeereveenEmmeloord Night Lines: *402: Groningen → Corpus den Hoorn → PaterswoldeEeldeVries
Tynaarlo Tynaarlo (; Gronings: ''Tynaorl'') is a village and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. Although it is located in the province of Drenthe, many of its communities serve as suburbs of the neighbouring city of Groningen, capital of the ep ...
Groningen *406: GroningenTen Boer
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
Delfzijl Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Ems, which became fortified settlement in ...
*417: Groningen → P+R HoogkerkPeizeRodenLeek → P+R HoogkerkGroningen *418: GroningenHarenZuidlarenAnnen → P+R Gieten → P+R Annen → P+R Westlaren → P+R HarenGroningen *419: Groningen
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
Busstation Marsdijk – Station Assen Regional lines: *35: GroningenAduardOldehove *39: Groningen – Vinkhuizen – Zuidhorn
Grootegast Grootegast (; fy, Gruttegast) is a village and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019. Geography ...
Surhuisterveen Surhuisterveen ( fry, Surhústerfean) is the largest of the 12 villages of the municipality of Achtkarspelen, in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. As of 1 January 2017, Surhuisterveen had a population of 5,929. General information Th ...
*50: GroningenHarenGlimmenVriesStation Assen *51: GroningenHarenZuidlarenAnnenLoonStation Assen *61: GroningenBedumMiddelstumUithuizen *65: Groningen
Winsum Winsum () is a town and a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. On 1 January 2019 the municipality merged with the municipalities of Bedum, De Marne and Eemsmond to form the new municipality Het H ...
Zoutkamp *76: Groningen
Hoogezand Hoogezand is a town in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the province of Groningen in northeast Netherlands. History The name refers to a higher sanded ''(Hooge Sandt)'' place in the peatlands cut through when the Winschoterdiep chann ...
*85: LewenborgGroningenLeekOosterwolde *86: GroningenPeize
Norg Norg is a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Noordenveld, Drenthe. It used to be an independent municipality until 1998. Norg is home to two windmills. History Norg is an ''esdorp'' which developed i ...
*88: P+R HoogkerkOostwoldLeek *107: Zernike – P+R GietenGasselte
Stadskanaal Stadskanaal () is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal. From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so ...
*109: Zernike
Tynaarlo Tynaarlo (; Gronings: ''Tynaorl'') is a village and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. Although it is located in the province of Drenthe, many of its communities serve as suburbs of the neighbouring city of Groningen, capital of the ep ...
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
Busstation Marsdijk *133: Groningen – P+R Hoogkerk – Via A7
Grootegast Grootegast (; fy, Gruttegast) is a village and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019. Geography ...
Surhuisterveen Surhuisterveen ( fry, Surhústerfean) is the largest of the 12 villages of the municipality of Achtkarspelen, in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. As of 1 January 2017, Surhuisterveen had a population of 5,929. General information Th ...
*139: GroningenHoogkerk
Grootegast Grootegast (; fy, Gruttegast) is a village and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019. Geography ...
Surhuisterveen Surhuisterveen ( fry, Surhústerfean) is the largest of the 12 villages of the municipality of Achtkarspelen, in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. As of 1 January 2017, Surhuisterveen had a population of 5,929. General information Th ...
*160: Groningen
Eemshaven Eemshaven (; en, Ems Harbor) is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary ( Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the regi ...
*163: Groningen
Winsum Winsum () is a town and a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. On 1 January 2019 the municipality merged with the municipalities of Bedum, De Marne and Eemsmond to form the new municipality Het H ...
Lauwersoog (connecting the ferry to Schiermonnikoog) *171: Zernike – Via A7
Hoogezand Hoogezand is a town in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the province of Groningen in northeast Netherlands. History The name refers to a higher sanded ''(Hooge Sandt)'' place in the peatlands cut through when the Winschoterdiep chann ...
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
*174: Groningen
Hoogezand Hoogezand is a town in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the province of Groningen in northeast Netherlands. History The name refers to a higher sanded ''(Hooge Sandt)'' place in the peatlands cut through when the Winschoterdiep chann ...
- Zuidbroek
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
*178: Groningen
Slochteren Slochteren () is a village and former municipality with a population of 15,546 in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2018, Slochteren merged with Hoogezand-Sappemeer and Menterwolde, f ...
Siddeburen
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
(limited Service to
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
) *182: ZernikeDrachten *183: ZernikeLeek *184: ZernikeRoden *189: GroningenMarumDrachten Other Lines: *563: LewenborgThesinge
Sint Annen ''Sint'' (released on DVD as ''Saint'' in Europe and ''Saint Nick'' in the United States) is a 2010 Dutch dark comedy horror film about Sinterklaas, the character on which the Anglo-Saxon Santa Claus is based. The film was directed by Dick Maas a ...
Ten Boer *564: Ten BoerWoltersum
Appingedam Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
*637: GroningenZuidhornGrijpskerkZoutkamp *679: ZernikeWinschoten Direct bus routes from Groningen to Bremen,
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, and
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
are also available.


Motorways

The A28 motorway connects Groningen to Utrecht (via
Assen Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
, Zwolle and
Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a city and municipality in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands, about 20 km from the city of Utrecht and 40 km south east of Amsterdam. As of 1 December 2021, the municipality had a population of 158,531, making it the second- ...
). The A7 motorway connects it to
Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
and
Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan, just north of Amsterdam. The statistical district Zaand ...
(West), and Winschoten and Leer (East).


Airport

Groningen Airport Eelde is an international airport located near Eelde, in Drenthe, with scheduled services to Guernsey,
Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...
,
Antalya la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 07xxx , area_code = (+90) 242 , registration_plate = 07 , blank_name = Licence plate ...
,
Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...
, Mallorca & Bodrum.


Notable people

* Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603–1659), explorer, seafarer, merchant for the
Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
* Albert Dominicus Trip van Zoudtlandt (1776–1835), lieutenant-general at the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (at that time in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium). A French army under the command of Napoleon was defeated by two of the armie ...
* Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853–1926), physicist, Nobel laureate *
Dirk Jan de Geer Dirk Jan de Geer (14 December 1870 – 28 November 1960) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Christian Historical Union (CHU) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 8 March 1 ...
(1870–1960), statesman and
Dutch Prime Minister The prime minister of the Netherlands ( nl, Minister-president van Nederland) is the head of the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands. Although the monarch is the ''de jure'' head of government, the prime minister ''de facto'' ...
(1926–29, 1939–40), advocated peace settlement between the Netherlands and
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in 1940 * A. W. L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978), last colonial Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies * Michel Velleman (1895–1943), Jewish magician * Jan Wolthuis (1903–1983), lawyer and collaborator, active in
far-right politics Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
after WWII * Esmée van Eeghen (1918–1944), Dutch resistance member executed by the Nazis in Paddepoel, Noorddijk * Pete Hoekstra (born 1953), United States ambassador to the Netherlands, former
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
member of Congress representing Michigan's 2nd congressional district * Gerard Kemkers (born 1967),
speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skatin ...
bronze medalist at 1988 Winter Olympics * Bauke Mollema (born 1986), cyclist * Kim Feenstra (born 1985), model *
Ben Woldring Ben Woldring (born February 6, 1985 in Groningen ) is a Dutch internet entrepreneur and millionaire from Usquert who first rose to fame in the autumn of 1998 when, for a school assignment, he made a website where consumers could compare prices f ...
(born 1985), internet entrepreneur * Noisia (2000–present), music producers


See also

*
Sint Geertruidsgasthuis The Pepergasthuis (also known as the Sint Geertruidsgasthuis) is a on the Peperstraat in Groningen, Netherlands. History The Pepergasthuis was founded in 1405, by Berneer Solleder and his son Albert. Originally it served as a guest house for ...
, a ''
hofje {{inline refs needed, date=May 2012 A hofje (diminutive of 'hof', 'court') is a Dutch word for a courtyard with almshouses around it. Hofjes have existed since the Middle Ages. A hofje provided housing for elderly people (mostly women). ...
'' in Groningen


References


Bibliography

*


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Groningen (City) Cities in the Netherlands Members of the Hanseatic League Municipalities of Groningen (province) Populated places in Groningen (province) Provincial capitals of the Netherlands