From Martinitoren to brink

With this route you will discover Green Groningen. From the old and historic heart of Groningen you can drive into the green countryside around the city in no time. Where you enjoy the peace and views.

Groningen Es
The first kilometers you can easily warm up in the lee of green Groningen and Haren districts. As you drive to the esdorp of Onnen, you look out over the vast and bird-rich grasslands of the Onnerpolder. What peace reigns here! In Noordlaren you can see some characteristic old farms and buildings. You cycle past De Korenschoof, a flour mill from 1849. Nearby is the Bartholomew's Church, which originally dates from the thirteenth century.

through Drenthe
After Noordlaren in Groningen you drive through the monumental old center of Zuidlaren, a village that - remarkably enough - is located in Drenthe. You cycle a long way along the Zuidlaardermeer, a natural widening of the river Hunze. A little further on you pass the Kropswolder Buitenpolder and the Westerbroekstermadepolder, areas where you will find a mosaic of open water, reed marshes and wet grasslands.

Drenthe windmills
On the Zuidlaardervaart you drive past the Wachter, a windmill that dates from 1851. It is a multifunctional museum mill. For example, oil is extracted from linseed, but grains and spices are also ground. The site includes a blacksmith shop, a traditional bakery and a grocery shop from 1890. Feel free to take some time to get acquainted with this unique cultural-historical heritage. A little further you cycle in the Drenthe village of De Groeve past De Boezemvriend, the only large polder windmill in Drenthe. The mill was built in 1871 and drained the Zuidlaren polder.