groningen: bikes, students, and a surprisingly chill vibe (maybe?)
okay, so i just got back from groningen. and honestly? it was… a lot. i’m still processing, to be honest. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. the weather’s pretty bleak, which, you know, adds to the whole ‘northern netherlands’ aesthetic, i guess.
seriously, this place is wild. it’s basically the capital of the north, which is a thing, apparently. and it’s young. like, ridiculously young. the average age is 36, which is insane. it’s got like, 60,000 students crammed into the place. someone told me that the nightlife is non-stop, which, okay, i didn’t really investigate. i mostly just wandered around on a bike, which, by the way, is everything. you don’t even walk. it’s a bike city. a serious bike city. expect to be flattened regularly. it’s… invigorating.
so, groningen. it started as an agricultural settlement, like, 980 years ago. then it became a shipping hub for the crusades - can you even imagine? - and joined the hanseatic league. it was basically its own little aristocratic republic for a while, controlling everything around it. it’s weirdly independent, you know? it’s like, ‘we don’t need you, south.’
and the architecture! the martinitoren (martini tower) is seriously impressive. you can climb it for panoramic views - which are, predictably, grey. but still. and the grote markt is just… bustling. all those old buildings and cafes. it’s the heart of the city, i guess. they’ve got like, 28 national monuments along the canals. canals! it’s actually kind of beautiful, in a gloomy way.
there’s the groninger museum, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. and the university of groningen - it’s everywhere. it’s like, the university is the city. and noorderplantsoen park is a nice escape, even if it’s a bit damp.
food? well, let’s be honest, i didn’t really dig deep. someone told me that they’re known for their cafes and markets, but i mostly just grabbed a sandwich from a supermarket. i’m not a foodie, okay? i’m a traveler who gets lost and takes pictures.
and the people! they’re super diverse, apparently. like, over 144 nationalities. it’s a real melting pot. and they’re all… students. it’s a student city through and through. it’s also apparently a hub for startups and innovation. which is cool, i guess.
things to be aware of: bikes. seriously, bikes. and crowds. especially if you’re going during the noorderzon festival (which i didn’t, sadly). it’s a car-light environment, which is nice, but you’ll need a bike. and maybe a helmet. and a prayer.
if you get bored, amsterdam and emmen are just a short drive away.
seriously, groningen is… different. it’s not glamorous. it’s not flashy. it’s just… there. and it’s got this weird, understated coolness. it’s like, they don’t try to be cool. and that’s what makes it interesting. it’s also apparently ranked as one of the best places to live in europe, which is wild.
and they have four nobel laureates! i didn’t even know they had that many. it’s a vibrant student city with the Netherlands’ youngest population, booming startup ecosystem, four nobel laureates, and europe’s top quality-of-life rankings in education and care. it's a hanseatic trade legacy blended with modern innovation hubs (e.g., Energy Academy Europe), endless bikes, and a "winning alternative to amsterdam" per cnn, offering canals, culture, and creativity without mass tourism. it’s exhausting, but in a good way? maybe.
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