We drove 30 minutes to Haren and then took the bus to Groningen. It was only a 10 minute bus ride.
Public transportation is easy and quick. And this was very cheap for us. Only 6 euros for up to 5 people, and return. So easier and cheaper than trying to park our big mini-bus in the city.
My cousin Henny has lived in Groningen for most of her life so she is a great tour guide. We were grateful for the walking tour she put together for us. It is so much better to see a city when you are with some one who knows it.
Carolein took the train in from Zwolle to spend the day in Groningen with us. It is 1 hour by train. Last time we saw Yaggil he was only 6 months old, and now he can talk and run and jump. It was nice watching him have fun running around – chasing the pigeons.
The train station is beautiful. It is by the same designer as the one in Amsterdam.
Crazy bike garages!! How do you ever find your bike back. The spots are all numbered so you would have to remember your number.
When they notice bikes left, they tag it with a sticker they wrap around the tire. If the wrap is not broken after a certain time, they remove those bikes, they fix them up and then the city has a program for those in need that they can get a bike. Nice to see that they recycle.
The Korenbeurs in Groningen was built between 1862 and 1865 as the city’s grand grain exchange, where farmers and merchants traded crops from across the northern Netherlands. The rooftop statues symbolize trade, shipping, and agriculture — the industries that helped make Groningen prosperous in the 19th century.
Henny explained about the large windows which helped provide light for the sorting of the wheat. Like other old buildings and houses in Europe, they are large to provide more light when there was no electricity.
We couldn’t go into the University as it was closed today. Today is a holiday in the Netherlands – 2nd Pentecost.
It was very hot today so it was nice to stop and sit in the shade.
Brent had to try the hot food machine in the street. He got an egg inside a bitterballen. He said it was lekker. This machine was right next to the 2 nightlife streets – lots of pubs. Carolein said this machine gets lots of action from the young folks after partying in the pubs at night. I can see that.
It is a cool system. They just continually make hot food and stick it in the holes and it is self-serve.
What a great building the Forum is in Groningen. It opened in 2019 and quickly became one of the city’s most recognizable modern landmarks. The striking building combines a library, cinema, museum, cafés, and exhibition spaces under one futuristic roof beside the Grote Markt. Inside, long escalators rise through a dramatic open atrium connecting ten floors of public spaces and viewpoints. From the rooftop terrace, visitors can enjoy sweeping views across Groningen’s canals, church towers, and historic city centre.
As we went up and up and up the escalators it was great to see so many using this building.
Henny showed us an historic “hofjes” and gasthuizen in Groningen. They were small courtyard communities built to house poor people, widows, and the elderly centuries ago. Wealthy citizens and churches funded these enclosed compounds as a form of charity long before modern social housing existed. They featured tiny homes gathered around quiet shared gardens hidden behind gates in the city centre. Today these former charitable housing complexes are protected historic sites and some of the most peaceful places in Groningen
What a great day in Groningen!
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