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Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of
Groningen province Groningen (; gos, Grunn; fry, Grinslân) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of Febru ...
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. Groningen was established more than 950 years ago and gained
city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...
in 1245. Due to its relatively isolated location from the then successive Dutch centres of power (
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
,
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 Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
), 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 The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...
(''Rijksuniversiteit Groningen''), which is the Netherlands's second oldest university, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences (''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 The Phrygians ( Greek: Φρύγες, ''Phruges'' or ''Phryges'') were an ancient Indo-European speaking people, who inhabited central-western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) in antiquity. They were related to the Greeks. Ancient Greek authors use ...
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 Zuidlaarderveen is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 17 km northeast of Assen. The village was first mentioned around 1642 as "op Suitlarerveen", and means "peat ...
). 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 Groningen (; gos, Grunn; fry, Grinslân) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of Febru ...
, 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'' 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 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'' was built which is considered to be the city's most significant landmark. In 1536, Groningen accepted
Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fr ...
, 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. After the siege, the city and the province joined the
Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiograph ...
. The
University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...
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 Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
,
Bernhard von Galen Christoph Bernhard Freiherr von Galen (12 October 1606, Drensteinfurt – 19 September 1678) was Prince-bishop of Münster. He was born into a noble Westphalian family. Background, education and conversion to Roman Catholicism Christoph Bern ...
during the Third Anglo-Dutch War 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the main square and the Grote Markt were largely destroyed in the
Battle of Groningen The Battle of Groningen took place during the penultimate month of Second World War in Europe, from April 13 to 16, 1945, in the city of Groningen between a mixture of German soldiers, Dutch and Belgian SS troops numbering 7,000 against the en ...
in April 1945. However, the church ''Martinitoren'', the ''
Goudkantoor The Goudkantoor ( en, Gold Office) is a building built in 1635 and located on Waagstraat near the Grote Markt (Main Square) in Groningen, Netherlands. Originally it was built as an office for the receiver of the province of Groningen when it w ...
'', 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, nota ...
subtype for this climate is " Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/
Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
). 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 A sugar refinery is a refinery which processes raw sugar from cane or beets into white refined sugar. Many cane sugar mills produce raw sugar, which is sugar that still contains molasses, giving it more colour (and impurities) than the white ...
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 Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
remains the only beet sugar production plant in the city. Other notable companies from Groningen include publishing company Noordhoff Uitgevers, tobacco company Niemeyer, health insurance company Menzis, distillery Hooghoudt, and natural gas companies GasUnie 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 popula ...
.


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 Ten Boer () is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approximately 4,600 inhabitants. In 2019, it was merged into mu ...
and Haren. The Groningen-Assen metropolitan area has about half a million inhabitants. Colors= id:a value:gray(0.9) id:b value:gray(0.7) id:c value:rgb(1,1,1) id:d value:rgb(0.7,0.8,0.9) id:e value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize=width:800 height:373 PlotArea=left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat=x.y Period=from:0 till:240000 TimeAxis=orientation:vertical AlignBars=justify ScaleMajor=gridcolor:b increment:20000 start:0 ScaleMinor=gridcolor:a increment:10000 start:0 BackgroundColors=canvas:c BarData= bar:1795 text:1795 bar:1830 text:1830 bar:1840 text:1840 bar:1849 text:1849 bar:1859 text:1859 bar:1869 text:1869 bar:1879 text:1879 bar:1889 text:1889 bar:1899 text:1899 bar:1909 text:1909 bar:1919 text:1919 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1947 text:1947 bar:1956 text:1956 bar:1971 text:1971 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2019 text:2019 PlotData= color:d width:20 align:left bar:1795 from:0 till: 23770 bar:1830 from:0 till: 30260 bar:1840 from:0 till: 33484 bar:1849 from:0 till: 33694 bar:1859 from:0 till: 35502 bar:1869 from:0 till: 37984 bar:1879 from:0 till: 46058 bar:1889 from:0 till: 56018 bar:1899 from:0 till: 66537 bar:1909 from:0 till: 74613 bar:1919 from:0 till: 87594 bar:1920 from:0 till: 90778 bar:1930 from:0 till: 105146 bar:1947 from:0 till: 132021 bar:1956 from:0 till: 142561 bar:1971 from:0 till: 169385 bar:1980 from:0 till: 162952 bar:1990 from:0 till: 168702 bar:2000 from:0 till: 174250 bar:2010 from:0 till: 187298 bar:2019 from:0 till: 231618 PlotData= bar:1795 at: 23770 fontsize:s text: 23,770 shift:(-10,5) bar:1830 at: 30260 fontsize:S text: 30,260 shift:(-10,5) bar:1840 at: 33484 fontsize:S text: 33,484 shift:(-10,5) bar:1849 at: 33694 fontsize:S text: 33,694 shift:(-10,5) bar:1859 at: 35502 fontsize:S text: 35,502 shift:(-10,5) bar:1869 at: 37984 fontsize:S text: 37,984 shift:(-10,5) bar:1879 at: 46058 fontsize:S text: 46,058 shift:(-10,5) bar:1889 at: 56018 fontsize:S text: 56,018 shift:(-10,5) bar:1899 at: 66537 fontsize:S text: 66,537 shift:(-10,5) bar:1909 at: 74613 fontsize:S text: 74,613 shift:(-10,5) bar:1919 at: 87594 fontsize:S text: 87,594 shift:(-10,5) bar:1920 at: 90778 fontsize:S text: 90,778 shift:(-10,5) bar:1930 at: 105146 fontsize:S text: 105,146 shift:(-15,5) bar:1947 at: 132021 fontsize:S text: 132,021 shift:(-20,5) bar:1956 at: 142561 fontsize:S text: 142,561 shift:(-15,5) bar:1971 at: 169385 fontsize:S text: 169,385 shift:(-15,5) bar:1980 at: 162952 fontsize:S text: 162,952 shift:(-10,0) bar:1990 at: 168702 fontsize:S text: 168,702 shift:(-10,2) bar:2000 at: 174250 fontsize:S text: 174,250 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 187298 fontsize:S text: 187,298 shift:(-15,5) bar:2019 at: 231618 fontsize:S text: 231,618 shift:(-15,5)


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'', 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 Martin of Tours ( la, Sanctus Martinus Turonensis; 316/336 – 8 November 397), also known as Martin the Merciful, was the third bishop of Tours. He has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints in France, heralded as the ...
. 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 Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, ( – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess. 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. 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
university museum A university museum is a repository of collections run by a university, typically founded to aid teaching and research within the institution of higher learning. The Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford in England is an early example, o ...
, a comics museum and a graphics museum. Groningen is also the home of
Noorderlicht Noorderlicht (Dutch for "Northern Light") is a multifaceted and international platform for documentary photography. Based in Groningen, Netherlands, Noorderlicht organizes an annual photo festival, runs a photo gallery, a publishing house, provi ...
, an international photographic platform that runs a photo gallery and organizes an international photo festival. The Forum Groningen 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 Boterdiep (Gronings: ''Botterdaip''; translation: Butter Deep) is a canal in the Province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It was intended for the inland navigation. The name relates to the dairy products transported through the canal. It used ha ...
. 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 A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...
, called ''Nieuwstad''.


Sports

FC Groningen Football Club Groningen () is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, province of Groningen. Founded on 16 June 1971 as the successor of GVAV, the team compete in the Eredivisie, the highest tier of Dutch football. G ...
, founded in 1971, is the local
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
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 ...
, the highest football league of the Netherlands. Winners of the
KNVB Cup The KNVB Beker (; en, KNVB Cup), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Ou ...
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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
clubs. Groningen's professional basketball club
Donar Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and ...
play in the highest professional league, the
Dutch Basketball League The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 2021, the league has been replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT L ...
, and have won the national championship seven times. The
Groningen Giants Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
are the American football team of the city who play in the premier league of the
AFBN The American Football Bond Nederland (AFBN) is the governing body for American Football in the Netherlands. The AFBN was founded 1984 and refounded in 2001 after the merger of the rival leagues Nederlandse American Football Federatie (NAFF) and A ...
and are nicknamed as the "Kings of the North". The running event called
4 Miles of Groningen 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smalle ...
takes place in the city on the second Sunday of October every year with over 23,000 participants. The
2002 Giro d'Italia The 2002 Giro d'Italia was the 85th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro began with a prologue that navigated through the streets of the Dutch city Groningen. The race came to a close with a mass-start stage t ...
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 The 2013 Energiewacht Tour is the third edition of the Energiewacht Tour women's cycling stage race. It is rated by the UCI as category 2.2, and is held between 3 and 7 April 2013 in the Netherlands. Twenty-four teams of 6 riders take part. There ...
.


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 The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is th ...
(in Dutch: ''
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; nl, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is ...
''), 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 Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs (; 9 February 1854 – 10 August 1929) was a Dutch physician and women's suffrage activist. As the first woman officially to attend a Dutch university, she became one of the first female physicians in the Netherlands. ...
, the first Dutch national astronaut, Wubbo Ockels, the first president of the
European Central Bank The European Central Bank (ECB) is the prime component of the monetary Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) as well as one of seven institutions of the European Union. It is one of the world's most important centra ...
, Wim Duisenberg, and two
Nobel laureates The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make ou ...
;
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. He exploited the Hampson–Linde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy heliu ...
(in Physics) and
Ben Feringa Bernard Lucas Feringa (, born 18 May 1951) is a Dutch synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogeneous catalysis. He is the Jacobus van 't Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, at the Strating ...
(in Chemistry). The university has about 31,000 students—22% of which are international. The Hanze University of Applied Sciences (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 is the largest party on the council with 11 seats. The PvdA holds 6 seats. Both D66 and the
Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different political parties around the world. All of these parties claim to uphold some form of socialism, though they may have very different interpretations of what "socialism" means. Statistically, most of ...
have 5 seats. The VVD has 4 seats, while
ChristenUnie The Christian Union ( nl, ChristenUnie, CU) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. The CU is a centrist party, maintaining more progressive stances on economic, immigration and environmental issues while holding more socially ...
and the
Party for the Animals The Party for the Animals ( nl, Partij voor de Dieren; PvdD) is a political party in the Netherlands. Among its main goals are animal rights and animal welfare. Since 2019, the PvdD's political leader is Esther Ouwehand. With 3.8% of the votes ...
each have 3 seats. Christian Democratic Appeal, 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 The Party for Freedom ( nl, Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) is a nationalist, right-wing populist political party in the Netherlands. Founded in 2006 as the successor to Geert Wilders' one-man faction in the House of Representatives, it won nin ...
.


International relations

Groningen is twinned with the following cities: Groningen also has a trilateral partnership with the nearby northern German cities of
Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
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 Active mobility, soft mobility, active travel, active transport or active transportation is the transport of people or goods, through non-motorized means, based around human physical activity. The best-known forms of active mobility are walkin ...
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.


Public transport


Trains

Groningen railway station (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 *Groningen –
Roodeschool Roodeschool (Gronings: ''Roschoul'') is a community situated in the northeast of Groningen province in the Netherlands and forming part of the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of around 860 in January 2017. Roodeschool's railway ...
/
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 Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of th ...
*Groningen – Veendam *Groningen – Weener / Leer *Groningen –
Meppel Meppel (; Drents: ''Möppelt'') is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It constitutes the southwestern part of the province of Drenthe. Meppel is the smallest municipality in Drenthe, with a total area of about 57 km² (22 sq ...
/
Zwolle Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
On those six routes, ten lines stop at: *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Groningen NorthSauwerd
Bedum Bedum (; gos, Beem) is a former municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Populated by inhabitants in , Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen's several satellite towns. On 1 January 2019 it merged with the municipalities of De M ...
StedumLoppersumAppingedamDelfzijl WestDelfzijl *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Groningen NorthSauwerdWinsum
Baflo Baflo (; Gronings: ''Bavvelt'') is a village in the municipality of Het Hogeland, Netherlands. Famous people born in Baflo include humanist Rodolphus Agricola Rodolphus Agricola ( la, Rudolphus Agricola Phrisius; August 28, 1443, or Februar ...
Warffum Warffum (Gronings: Waarvum)is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of around 2,175 in January 2017. History The history of Warffum can be traced back to at least 600 ...
UsquertUithuizenUithuizermeeden
Roodeschool Roodeschool (Gronings: ''Roschoul'') is a community situated in the northeast of Groningen province in the Netherlands and forming part of the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of around 860 in January 2017. Roodeschool's railway ...
– (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 ...
*
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Zuidhorn Zuidhorn () is a town and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The town largely depends on the city of Groningen. A railway line, operated by Arriva, connects the town with Leeuwarden in Friesland and Groningen. Due to a municipal ...
Grijpskerk Grijpskerk is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Westerkwartier, about 18 km west of the city of Groningen. Grijpskerk was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Zuidh ...
BuitenpostDe WestereenFeanwâldenHurdegarypLeeuwarden CamminghaburenLeewarden *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
BuitenpostLeewarden *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Groningen Europapark
Kropswolde Kropswolde () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, about 3 km southwest of the town of Hoogezand and 5 km northeast of the town of Zuidlaren.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederl ...
Martenshoek Martenshoek is a neighbourhood of Hoogezand and former village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, about 2 km west of the town of Hoogezand.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', Topogr ...
Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoogezand-Sappemeer () is a former municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It was the third most-populous municipality in the province of Groningen, after Groningen and Oldambt. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of the former municipaliti ...
Sappemeer oostZuidbroekVeendam *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Groningen Europapark
Kropswolde Kropswolde () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, about 3 km southwest of the town of Hoogezand and 5 km northeast of the town of Zuidlaren.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederl ...
Martenshoek Martenshoek is a neighbourhood of Hoogezand and former village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, about 2 km west of the town of Hoogezand.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', Topogr ...
Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoogezand-Sappemeer () is a former municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It was the third most-populous municipality in the province of Groningen, after Groningen and Oldambt. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of the former municipaliti ...
Sappemeer oostZuidbroekScheemdaWinschoten – (Lower service)
Bad Nieuweschans Bad Nieuweschans (also ''Lange Akkeren''; ; Gronings: ''Nij-Schans''; German: ''Bad Neuschanz'') is a village in the north-eastern Netherlands on the border with Germany. It forms part of the municipality of Oldambt. Nieuweschans means "new for ...
Weener – (Due to a broken bridge, trains do not go on to Leer. Take a bus from Groningen or Weener) *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Groningen EuropaparkHarenAssenBeilen
Hoogeveen Hoogeveen (; nds-nl, 't Ogeveine or '' 't Oveine'') is a municipality and a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Population centres Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout ...
Meppel Meppel (; Drents: ''Möppelt'') is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It constitutes the southwestern part of the province of Drenthe. Meppel is the smallest municipality in Drenthe, with a total area of about 57 km² (22 sq ...
Zwolle Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
*
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Assen
Zwolle Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
Amersfoort Centraal
Utrecht Centraal Utrecht Centraal, officially Station Utrecht Centraal (), is the transit hub that integrates three bicycle parkings, two bus stations, two tram stops and the central railway station for the city of Utrecht in the province of Utrecht, Nether ...
GoudaRotterdam AlexanderRotterdam Centraal *
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Assen
Zwolle Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
Lelystad CentrumAlmere CentrumAmsterdam SouthSchipholLeiden 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 Lewenborg is a green suburb in the east of the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in the Netherlands. It had 9,115 residents as of 2016. Its construction began in 1971. The heart of Lewenborg consists of the shopping mall and the community cente ...
– P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
*4: Beijum – P+R Kardingen – Main Station – P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Peize Peize is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the northern part of Drenthe approximately 10 kilometers south of the city of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Noordenveld, located between Roden and Eelde. Peize was a ...
Roden *5:
Harkstede Harkstede (), also known as Haarkstee () in Gronings, is a small village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in Midden-Groningen, Groningen. Harkstede is located near the " Meerstad Project" of the municipality of Groningen, however it ...
– P+R
Meerstad Meerstad is a planned town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It started in 2007 as part of the municipality of Slochteren, but was transferred to the city of Groningen in 2017. The original plan was to built 10,000 houses for 30,000 people by 2 ...
UMCG Main Entrance – City Centre – Main Station – P+R Haren
Zuidlaren Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug. The village is par ...
Annen *6: P+R HarenMain StationUMCG Main Entrance –
Ten Boer Ten Boer () is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approximately 4,600 inhabitants. In 2019, it was merged into mu ...
AppingedamDelfzijl *7: De Wijert – Main Station – Westerhaven – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North *8: P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
– Westerhaven – Main Station - Groningen Europapark – Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
*9:
Eelde Eelde () is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 9 km south of Groningen. Groningen Airport Eelde is located near the village. Eelde was a separate municipality until 1998, wh ...
Paterswolde Paterswolde is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 8 km south of city of Groningen. Paterswolde and Eelde has merged into a single urban area, and are often referred to as ...
– 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 Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
– Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Zernike Q-Liner Lines: *300:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
– P+R Westlaren (
Zuidlaren Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug. The village is par ...
) – P+R
Gieten Gieten is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Aa en Hunze, and lies about 14 km east of Assen. History The village was first mentioned in 1223 as Geten. The etymology is unclear. Gieten is an ''es ...
– P+R Borger – Emmen *304:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
– P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Drachten Drachten () is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 45,186 in January 2017 and is the second largest town in the province of Friesland. History Begi ...
*309:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Assen Busstation Marsdijk – Kloosterveen *312:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
– P+R Haren – P+R Annen – P+R
Gieten Gieten is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Aa en Hunze, and lies about 14 km east of Assen. History The village was first mentioned in 1223 as Geten. The etymology is unclear. Gieten is an ''es ...
Gasselte Gasselte is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the municipality of Aa en Hunze, it is situated about 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Assen. In 2021, it had a population of 1,770. History The village was first mentioned in 1302 as ...
Stadskanaal *314:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Drachten Drachten () is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 45,186 in January 2017 and is the second largest town in the province of Friesland. History Begi ...
*315:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Heereveen
Emmeloord Emmeloord is the administrative centre of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, Flevoland, Netherlands. In 2019, it had a population of 26,055. Overview At the heart of the Noordoostpolder, where the three main drainage canals Lemstervaart ...
Night Lines: *402:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
→ Corpus den Hoorn →
Paterswolde Paterswolde is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 8 km south of city of Groningen. Paterswolde and Eelde has merged into a single urban area, and are often referred to as ...
Eelde Eelde () is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 9 km south of Groningen. Groningen Airport Eelde is located near the village. Eelde was a separate municipality until 1998, wh ...
VriesTynaarlo
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
*406:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Ten Boer Ten Boer () is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approximately 4,600 inhabitants. In 2019, it was merged into mu ...
AppingedamDelfzijl *417:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
→ P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Peize Peize is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the northern part of Drenthe approximately 10 kilometers south of the city of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Noordenveld, located between Roden and Eelde. Peize was a ...
Roden
Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
→ P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
*418:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Haren
Zuidlaren Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug. The village is par ...
Annen → P+R
Gieten Gieten is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Aa en Hunze, and lies about 14 km east of Assen. History The village was first mentioned in 1223 as Geten. The etymology is unclear. Gieten is an ''es ...
→ P+R Annen → P+R Westlaren → P+R Haren
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
*419:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Assen Busstation Marsdijk – Station Assen Regional lines: *35:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
AduardOldehove *39:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
– Vinkhuizen –
Zuidhorn Zuidhorn () is a town and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The town largely depends on the city of Groningen. A railway line, operated by Arriva, connects the town with Leeuwarden in Friesland and Groningen. Due to a municipal ...
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 *50:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Haren
Glimmen Glimmen is a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Groningen, about 10 kilometres from the city. It had a population of around 1,342 in 2021. The river Drentsche Aa flows past the village, nearby the ''Huis ...
VriesStation Assen *51:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Haren
Zuidlaren Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug. The village is par ...
Annen
Loon Loons ( North American English) or divers ( British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order ...
Station Assen *61:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Bedum Bedum (; gos, Beem) is a former municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Populated by inhabitants in , Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen's several satellite towns. On 1 January 2019 it merged with the municipalities of De M ...
MiddelstumUithuizen *65:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Winsum
Zoutkamp Zoutkamp is a village in the municipality Het Hogeland which is part of the province Groningen in the Netherlands. The village started as a sconce. During the Dutch Revolt, it was the site of the Battle of Zoutkamp. Later it became a fishing vil ...
*76:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Hoogezand *85:
Lewenborg Lewenborg is a green suburb in the east of the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in the Netherlands. It had 9,115 residents as of 2016. Its construction began in 1971. The heart of Lewenborg consists of the shopping mall and the community cente ...
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
Oosterwolde *86:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Peize Peize is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the northern part of Drenthe approximately 10 kilometers south of the city of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Noordenveld, located between Roden and Eelde. Peize was a ...
Norg *88: P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
Oostwold
Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
*107: Zernike – P+R
Gieten Gieten is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Aa en Hunze, and lies about 14 km east of Assen. History The village was first mentioned in 1223 as Geten. The etymology is unclear. Gieten is an ''es ...
Gasselte Gasselte is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the municipality of Aa en Hunze, it is situated about 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Assen. In 2021, it had a population of 1,770. History The village was first mentioned in 1302 as ...
Stadskanaal *109: ZernikeTynaarloAssen Busstation Marsdijk *133:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
– P+R
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
– 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 *139:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Hoogkerk Hoogkerk is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the nort ...
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 *160:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
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 Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Winsum
Lauwersoog Lauwersoog is a seaside village and harbour in the province of Groningen, located in the northern part of the Netherlands. It is part of the municipality of Het Hogeland. It was established on 23 May 1969. The ferry to Schiermonnikoog departs fr ...
(connecting the ferry to
Schiermonnikoog Schiermonnikoog (; fry, ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland ...
) *171: Zernike – Via A7HoogezandVeendam *174:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Hoogezand- ZuidbroekVeendam *178:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Slochteren
Siddeburen Siddeburen (; Gronings: ''Sibboeren'' or ''Siddeboeren'') is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, about 10 km southwest of Delfzijl. Siddeburen was a separate municipality until ...
Appingedam (limited Service to Appingedam) *182: Zernike
Drachten Drachten () is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 45,186 in January 2017 and is the second largest town in the province of Friesland. History Begi ...
*183: Zernike
Leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
*184: ZernikeRoden *189:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Marum Marum () is a town and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019. History Marum is located in the peat area, and was an agricultural village. It ...
Drachten Drachten () is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 45,186 in January 2017 and is the second largest town in the province of Friesland. History Begi ...
Other Lines: *563:
Lewenborg Lewenborg is a green suburb in the east of the city of Groningen (city), Groningen in the Netherlands. It had 9,115 residents as of 2016. Its construction began in 1971. The heart of Lewenborg consists of the shopping mall and the community cente ...
Thesinge Thesinge (Gronings: ''Taisen'') is a village in the municipality of Groningen, in the Dutch province of Groningen. The Benedictine monastery of ''Germania'' was founded in Thesinge in 1205. History The village was first mentioned in 786 or 78 ...
Sint Annen
Ten Boer Ten Boer () is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approximately 4,600 inhabitants. In 2019, it was merged into mu ...
*564:
Ten Boer Ten Boer () is a village and a former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approximately 4,600 inhabitants. In 2019, it was merged into mu ...
WoltersumAppingedam *637:
Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of t ...
Zuidhorn Zuidhorn () is a town and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The town largely depends on the city of Groningen. A railway line, operated by Arriva, connects the town with Leeuwarden in Friesland and Groningen. Due to a municipal ...
Grijpskerk Grijpskerk is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Westerkwartier, about 18 km west of the city of Groningen. Grijpskerk was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Zuidh ...
Zoutkamp Zoutkamp is a village in the municipality Het Hogeland which is part of the province Groningen in the Netherlands. The village started as a sconce. During the Dutch Revolt, it was the site of the Battle of Zoutkamp. Later it became a fishing vil ...
*679: ZernikeWinschoten Direct bus routes from Groningen to
Bremen Bremen ( Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state cons ...
,
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
, 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 ...
are also available.


Motorways

The A28 motorway connects Groningen to
Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...
(via Assen,
Zwolle Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
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 (West), and Winschoten and Leer (East).


Airport

Groningen Airport Eelde Groningen Airport Eelde is a minor international airport in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located near Eelde in the Province of Drenthe, south of the city of Groningen in the province of Groningen. In 2015, the airport handled 220,710 p ...
is an international airport located near
Eelde Eelde () is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 9 km south of Groningen. Groningen Airport Eelde is located near the village. Eelde was a separate municipality until 1998, wh ...
, in
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nove ...
, with scheduled services to
Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
,
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 Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...
&
Bodrum Bodrum () is a port city in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Its population was 35,795 at the 2012 census, with a total of 136,317 inhabitants residing within the district's borders. Known in ancient ...
.


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 Jonkheer Albert Dominicus Trip van Zoudtlandt (Groningen, 13 October 1776—The Hague, 23 March 1835) was a Dutch lieutenant-general of cavalry who headed the Dutch heavy cavalry brigade at the Battle of Waterloo. Biography Family life Trip w ...
(1776–1835), lieutenant-general at the
Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near 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 armies of the Sevent ...
*
Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch physicist and Nobel laureate. He exploited the Hampson–Linde cycle to investigate how materials behave when cooled to nearly absolute zero and later to liquefy heliu ...
(1853–1926), physicist, Nobel laureate * Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960), statesman and Dutch Prime Minister (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 Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
of the
Netherlands East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised Factory (trading post), trading posts o ...
*
Michel Velleman Michel Velleman (5 January 1895 – 2 July 1943),Michel Velleman
in
...
(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 Esmée Adrienne van Eeghen (7 July 1918 - 7 September 1944) was a Dutch resistance fighter in World War II. Van Eeghen is controversial because she fell in love with a German officer, but in spite of this played a significant role in the resist ...
(1918–1944), Dutch resistance member executed by the Nazis in Paddepoel, Noorddijk *
Pete Hoekstra Cornelis Piet "Pete" Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from January 10, 2018, to January 17, 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously ser ...
(born 1953),
United States ambassador to the Netherlands The United States diplomatic mission to the Netherlands consists of the embassy located in The Hague and a consular office located in Amsterdam. In 1782, John Adams was appointed America's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland. According ...
, former Republican
member of Congress A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
representing Michigan's 2nd congressional district *
Gerard Kemkers Gerard Kemkers (born 8 March 1967) is a former speed skating, speed skater from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the 5000 metres. Kemkers retired ...
(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 skati ...
bronze medalist at
1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts ...
*
Bauke Mollema , birth_date = , birth_place = Groningen, Netherlands , height = , weight = , currentteam = , discipline = Road , role = Rider , ridertype = All-rounder , amateuryears1 = 2004–2006 , amateurtea ...
(born 1986), cyclist *
Kim Feenstra Kim Feenstra (; born 23 August 1985) is a Dutch model. She was the winning contestant of Holland's Next Top Model, Cycle 2, Cycle 2 of ''Holland's Next Top Model'' in 2007. Modelling Feenstra came to prominence as a contestant on cycle two ...
(born 1985), model * Ben Woldring (born 1985), internet entrepreneur *
Noisia Noisia (stylised as NOISIΛ; "VISION" turned upside down) was a Dutch electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, Netherlands. They produce a wide variety of music including d ...
(2000–present), music producers


See also

* Sint Geertruidsgasthuis, a '' hofje'' 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