Groningen

As a lively university city, Groningen has the youngest average population in the Netherlands. It has a long and turbulent history, hidden in the historic warehouses, courts and buildings. Groningen is also a city with nerve, with the most numerous examples of innovative architecture within its boundaries.

Despite its size it is a charming place to visit, as most of the old town has very restricted access for cars and, as a consequence, is a fairly peaceful place. Although some of the old town and most of the Market Square were bombed flat in 1945, much of the old town was left unscathed by the battles. There are many marvellous buildings to see there, from the medieval, right up to the 19th century.

With a population slightly less than 200,000 people, it is by no means the largest city in the region, but it remains one of the most important in all of the Netherlands.