Why Groningen Is More Impressive Than You Think
Why Groningen Is More Impressive Than You Think
Though not at first glance, or maybe even second.
Groningen is a quaint, little city in the far north of the Netherlands, pretty isolated from the other large cities. And while a few Redditors claim Groningen’s nightlife with its 24-hour bars and clubs with no entrance fees to be the best in the Netherlands, what else is there that students and residents can brag about?
Well, nightlife.
Staying on the topic of bars, Groningen is home to the largest recorded bar not only in the Netherlands, but the whole of Europe. The Drie Gezusters (the three sisters) located at Grote Markt has twenty bars under its roof of five buildings with a seating capacity of over 3,700 guests.
If you’ve heard of Kei-week, the introduction week for all new students in Groningen, you might have heard this fact during one of their tours. Kei week is also the largest introduction week in Europe, with thousands of students and hundreds of events. Surprising, for how small the city is with only around 250,000 residents.
Bestest in… (not a real word, roll with it)
It’s an unspoken rule of most Gro-residents to lovingly hate on other cities in the Netherlands, especially Amsterdam. Amsterdam as the capital has a lot of famous landmarks, impressive scale events and just, things to do. Nevertheless, Groningen does not miss out on activities and cultural values either.
Groningen Railway Station
This bestest category starts with the central Groningen railway station, which was named the most beautiful station in the whole of Netherlands in 2019 by Dutch Railways (NS). The neo-gothic style architecture and red brick certainly give a lasting impression.
Albert Heijn?
Yes, the very Dutch supermarket on Vismarkt is considered the most beautiful in the Netherlands, largely because it occupies the historic neo-classical style building called Korenbeurs.
University of Groningen
While not necessarily bestest, it is the oldest university of the Netherlands, founded in 1614. The Academy building in the city centre reflects the age with the beautiful red brick and embellished architecture. As a bonus - Groningen was the first city in the Netherlands to allow women to study at the university (of Groningen). You might have seen the name Aletta Jacobs on the RUG library building, as she was the first woman admitted in 1871, and paved the way for many others.
Excalibur Climbing Wall
This is the tallest freestanding climbing wall in the world. Yes, the world. Google maps show only a 13 minute bike ride from Grote Markt to this impressive tower named after the mythical sword of King Arthur. Standing at 37 meters tall, this phallic structure is supposed to mimic the inclines and extreme overhang that resembles what climbers might feel on a real peak. It takes some cojones to climb such an intimidating wall, so Klimcentrum Bjoeks offers several indoor climbing walls, some of which are still outrageous but much less outrageous than the manmade cliffside.
World’s largest… Christmas ball?
The multipurpose entertainment spot adequately named the DOT after its spherical structure, is turned into a large Christmas bauble every winter. Random, but cool.
To the Top!
The Martini Tower, is the third tallest church tower in the Netherlands, standing at 97 meters tall. It was originally built in the 13th century, but has since been rebuilt an additional two times. Both of these times the tower burned down after getting hit by a lightning strike. Let’s hope it won’t get struck again.
Nothing says best like an Olympic gold medal. Dutch Swimmer Ranomi Kromowidjojo has won 3 gold medals in her career at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games. And that is not to mention her other 65 medals in championships around the world.
In the vein of Groningen-born athletes, Bram Buigel is the Dutch 800-meter running champion in 2023, aiming at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this year.
More fun facts
Now this wouldn’t be a Dutch list without the mention of the bike lanes. There are over 400 km of bike paths in the city — and also a lot of bikes both in the streets and at the bottom of canals.
Most people use bikes for the daily commute, and it helps that Groningen is a smaller city in that regard. In addition, Grunn is the only city in the Netherlands with intersections where all bicycles get the green light at the same time. Talk about chaos, but we make it work. Groningen is conveniently the safest city in the Netherlands for cycling!
Love it or hate it, Groningen is home to the famous Eierbal, aka Aaierbal, aka egg ball. A traditional delicacy of a boiled egg deepfried in curry batter.
Perhaps the Grunners are compensating for their small town with over the top, massive achievements. But the roster is deserving of respect.