A brisk walk in the center of Groningen

Groningen is a self-confident city where there is something for everyone to experience. You will find a rich and turbulent history, a beautiful old center, but also modern museums and architecture. This walk introduces you to the highlights of Groningen.

On the Vismarkt you can see, among other things, the Korenbeurs, a building with a neo-classical facade from 1865. The abundance of glass used to be functional: it gave the inspectors enough light to assess the grain. At the entrance are Neptune, the Roman sea god, and Ceres, the goddess of agriculture. From the roof, Mercury, the god of trade and profit, overlooks the Vismarkt. The Korenbeurs is one of the top 100 Dutch UNESCO monuments.

At the Grote Markt you will of course see the symbol of the city: the almost 97 meter high Martinitoren, also called d\\\'Olle Grieze by the townspeople (inhabitants of Groningen). The construction of the current tower started in 1469, the year of completion is not clear. The current tower had two predecessors, the first of which dates from the thirteenth century.

On the Grote Markt you can also see the striking Goudkantoor, the construction of which started in 1635. Originally, the building served as an office for the collector of taxes in the province of Groningen, as witnessed by the Latin saying on the building (Give the emperor what is Caesar's). In 1814, an inspection house was established here where you could have it checked whether an object was really made of gold. Hence the name Goudkantoor.

Special about Groningen are the many courtyards, called guesthouses in the city itself. At the Rademarkt, for example, you pass the Sint Anthonygasthuis (opposite the police headquarters). The guest house was founded in 1517 and was originally located on the edge of the then city. A choice that was partly prompted by the fact that the guest house initially served as a plague house. It later became a foundation. Part of the income came from the townspeople who came to watch the'crazy\\\' on Sundays for a fee.