We really liked Groningen. Its buildings are attractive and well kept and it is very comfortable to walk (or cycle) through because there are very few cars. Its history is well presented on plaques and signs so we could get a feel for its past.
We entered from the South after a slow day with the bridges culminating in a lifting rail bridge, which is always a bit tense as one does not know how long it will be before there is a break in the railway timetable long enough to allow the bridge to open. Finally we had to go through two very cute manually operated swing bridges. The bridge keeper would stand on the opening span and go for a ride as it swung open each time.
The Prinsenhof Garden
We had chosen our ideal spot, in the old harbour area just about in the centre of town, and lo and behold, when we entered the harbour there was a space just exactly our size. We could not believe our eyes. Later when looking at images of the city we found that we were in the exact spot typically chosen to represent it pictorially. Surrounding us were 14th century warehouses, attractive brick buildings now residential. In the Harbour were several boats as old as we were, so we felt at home.
Our mooring place- but as it was 400 years ago! and us in the same place in 2014
We explored the town on foot, but did not have far to walk to go to the Museum which drew us most strongly: the Ship Museum was 60 metres away, housed in two mediaeval warehouses. This museum presented a most informative history of inland shipping, particularly in the local area, so filled in many gaps in our understanding of Anja's history. We had been disappointed that the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam had virtually nothing about inland shopping, surprising given its continuing importance in the Netherlands.
Other old boats but the foreground one is almost identical to how Anja would have been in 1903
Groningen has been an major trading city since the 14th century and at that stage had a tidal port. Its university is the second oldest in the Netherlands, established in 1614 so celebrating its 400th birthday this year. A quarter of its 900,000 residents are university students so they are important to the city. The Groningen Museum had an excellent display showing the university's history through that time, as well as a small but well- presented gallery of beautiful paintings and a good timeline of pre- historic settlement in the area, as far back as 10,000BC. The descriptions were available in English, not always the case in provincial museums in the Netherlands. We continue to be grateful for our Museum Cards which allow us free entry to every museum we have so far chosen to visit.
Groningen was the centre of fierce fighting at the conclusion of World War II, when Allied (mainly Canadian) soldiers with some Dutch resistance fighters overcame a fierce German defence, to free the town. The bullet marks can still be seen in the Town Hall.
WW2 Bullet holes
Town Hall and Church
The city is less than 50 kilometres from the German border, so would have been vital to the German effort.
As we left Groningen to travel east we became more aware of the huge new port facilities now on the outskirts of the town. Commercial traffic is still very heavy but is not seen in the centre of the city. The other notable feature of Groningen's city waterfront is the large number of yachts with their masts still in place. Groningen is on the "mast up" route which allows yachts to enter from the sea and continue unimpeded (with the aid of lifting bridges) across the country. We therefore saw flags from Scandinavian countries for the first time and several boats from Switzerland, plus much larger numbers of German boats than we had previously encountered. We are still the only Aussies since we entered the Netherlands and the English do not seem to penetrate this far either.
1330 warehouse- now apartments The gold counting house- motto "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's"
Groningen is the most Northeasterly city which we are visiting, 'though we will be going further North and West after leaving the Groningen/Hoogezand area.
Best Regards,
Penny and Dave