Head north and discover Groningen

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Located in the north-eastern corner of the Netherlands is the province of Groningen. The province is not known for its tourism, but it is just that, that could possibly suprise you. In particular the province capital (which is also named Groningen) has seen a rise in tourists visitting the city and we are about to tell you why.

Groningen has largely been untouched by the modern expansion of society. This has attracted the love of artists. Groningen offers a largely untouched land that varies from the fields of a farm to the sea and the wadden isles. Experiencing art yourself can be done in the Groninger museum. The museum is hard to miss when you are in the area, since the building is very able to distinguise itself from its surroundings. For more information about the Groninger museum visit their website.

If you are looking for an unique experience you should experience the 'bare feat path' (blote voeten pad) in Opende. This is a route that allows you to experience your sences in a way you haven't ever done before. The entire route will be travelled on foot. And when we say on foot we mean it, since you will not be wearing your shoes the entire route. The route is suited for all ages (although young children should be kept near you), but animals are not allowed. More information can be found on http://www.blotevoetenpad.nl/index.php (site is in Dutch).

You can also spend your day in the town of Pieterburen. Pieterburen is home to the Dutch care center for seals. Which can be visited every day from 9.00-18.00. There are additional activities for young children, if you decide to bring them allong.
You can also decide to finish your day at Pieterburen with a walk over the Dutch wadden. This can be done in other provinces aswell, but why would you when you are in Pieterburen already.
The staring time for the tour is dependant on the tide. Therefore it is wise to inform in advance when the tour will be departing.
This can be done by contacting info@wadlopen-pieterburen.nl or info@waddenweelde.nl.
More information can be found on their site.

Groningen is also home to quite a few museums. Besides the Groninger museum, Groningen is also home to the University museum in Groningen, the ice skating museum in Sappermeer and the tea museum in Houwerzijl (ice skating and tea museum websites are in Dutch).

If you are looking for more exiting things to do, you should consider going wall climbing in Groningen. This is not your ordinary wall climbing centre. Since it features a massive outdoor climbing tower. The outdoor tower should only be climbed during the warmer seasons, but can be climbed the whole year. The facility offers equipment and training if required. For more information you can visit their website (site is in Dutch, but also available in German).

Local delicacies

- Snert (Pea soup with pieces of sausage)
- Groninger koek (Similar to Dutch spiced cakes, this variant is made from rye bread and syrup)
- Groninger metworst (A local sausage)
- Spekdikken (A pancake made from rye, covered with sausage and bacon).
- Hooghoudt jenever and Fladderak (Gin from the area of Groningen)
- Grunn bier (A beer from the area of Groningen, with multiple variants)

                                Snert                                    Spekdikken