Things to do in Groningen

Groningen is the capital of the homonymous province in the northernmost part of the Netherlands. One of the first towns to join the Hanseatic League, it grew to be an independent and flourishing center of trade. During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, a still-standing university was founded. Nowadays it is an important industrial town. There are many traces of its rich past that can be admired in the Grote Markt, the biggest square and the heart of Groningen. Visit Martinikerk also know as the Church of Saint Martin that was built in 1230. The building has continuously expanded and been modified throughout the 16th century, including its tower bell, the Martinitoren, the symbol of the town. Admire the Stadhuis (town hall) located in the same square. While nearby you can find the Goudkantoor (Golden office) that was built as a tax collection office and the Martinikerkhof. Groningen is also home to the Groningen Museum, a modern and contemporary art museum housed in a post-modernist building completed in 1994. Thanks to its university it is the city with the youngest mean population in the Netherlands, which makes for an interesting nightlife.