Groningen & Drenthe

GRONINGEN & DRENTHE with onefootfirmlyplanted inthe19thcentury,willalsointerest manytravellers. avillage prehistoric ofOrvelte, usedasburialchambers,butthelikes rockmassespurportedly disturbance istheoccasionalwhiffof‘farm’smells. Drenthe’s biggestdrawisits ofwoodlands,creating pockets apeacefulenvironmentmeantforslowexploration;theonly just asforbiddingnowtheywere inthe16thcentury. TownintheLand’;itsheftydefences are for‘BestFortified theshortlist to Germany,makes base forthebizarre pastimeof oftheZeehondencreche,wallets insupport arefuge forsickseals. The townisalsothe –isinsleepycontrast.InPieterburen,attractions willemptytheir even thehardestofhearts andaptlyrepresentedtainment inthenorth bythetouristoffice’sbrightorangeG-spotlogo. bars, theatre, canals,festivals –younameit,thecityhasit.It’scentre ofculture andenter- of youthfulenergy (mainlyduetoitssubstantialstudentpopulation).Museums,res taurants, from whichtheregion gaineditsname,isadelightfulcitywithcosmopolitanbuzzandplenty dot thelandscape. aplacewhere traditionsarerural heart, alive, kept andremnants ofprehistoric residents This isallwellandgood, butit’salsoashame,forthey’re missingoutontheNetherlands’ instead. andiftheyhappento,choosetheislandsofFrieslandforentertainment this farnorth, The provinces ofGroningenandDrenthe are farfromthetouristtrails. Few visitorsventure Drenthe & Groningen 244 © LonelyPlanetPublications Drenthe isanagriculturalprovince, noquestion.Paddocks offarmlandare separated by The rest ofGroningenprovince –arurallandscapeblessedwithhandfulofintriguing Groningen maybethesmalleroftwoprovinces, butithasthemostgoingforit.Itscapital,

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

Wonderatthe of 16th-century ramparts Walkthefortified of theseal-rescuing efforts Support Join a culture atitsbestinthe Experiencenorthern dead ancestors left behindbyourlong- stone constructions Bourtange Pieterburen’s mud flats stomp outamuddytrailontheWadden Groningen museums, cafés,barsandclubsofvibrant wadlopen (p251) (opposite ) Zeehondencreche hunebedden ( p251 ) excursionand 23) mighty (p253), wadlopen (p250) (mud-walking). Bourtange, ontheeastern border Bourtange, (mud-walking). Mud Flats Wadden Pieterburen Groningen Hunebedden Bourtange hunebedden , A6 www.lonelyplanet.com ingen seems alongway fromanywhereingen (we’re seems Looking at amapof theNetherlands, Gron- % GRONINGEN CITY the fortifiedtownof Bourtange. border around scenery isbestneartheGerman then thenortherncoast out. Ifmud,mudandmore mudisyourthing, are and sheep afew attributes worthseeking direction,in every butamongthepolders, cows farmlanddominates thelandscape town itself, thebuzzing named after itsprimarycity.Beyond Like Utrecht, Groningen isasmallprovince GRONINGEN (84km) To Amersfoort (6km) Sneek To GRONINGEN &DRENTHE Ὀ

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Margrietkanaal E232 N371 Smilde A28 Pieterburen To Zwolle (30km) Eelde Garmerwolde Bedum A28 E232 Westerbork Assen Westerbork Kamp Groningen DRENTHE Roodeschool Boer Ten foot in15 minutes, isnicelycompact and The old centre, on which canbe crossed Orientation reflectedfind gabledhouses instill canals. everywhere inthiswaterlogged country,you’ll mature, residents established demand.Andlike theatremuseums, andclassicalconcertsitsmore and hedonisticnightlife existsalongsidetheart university opened)of 20,000ensures ahealthy aroundsince1614when the (which hasbeen a progressive metropolis.Itsstudentpopulation you’dexpectof the country,andhaseverything very much partof thecomingsandgoingsof looks canbedeceiving. here, Dutch distances talking notTexan), but Uithuizen Orvelte

Midlaren Eemskanaal N46

This vibrant, youthful city of the north is This vibrant,youthfulcityof thenorthis Winschoterdiep A37 Coevorden Annen N360 N381 Borger N34 GRONINGEN Bierum Odoorn Klijndijk Delfzijl Emmen G ERMANY Stadskanaal 0 12 miles 12 0 020 km N366 E233 Winschoten Bourtange Vlagtwedde G ERMANY E22 A7 To Oldenburg To Oldenburg

(67km) (66km)

245 GRONINGEN & DRENTHE DRENTHE & GRONINGEN E22 GRONINGEN & DRENTHE .nl; Grote Markt 25; .nl; GroteMarkt Tue-Sun year-round, noon-5pmMon Jul &Aug) 1;adult/child€8/4; -museum.nl; Museumeiland GroningerMuseum Arriving bytrain it’simpossibletomiss the GRONINGER MUSEUM Sights &Activities office Tourist TOURIST INFORMATION Post office POST GWK ATMs town. canbefoundthroughout MONEY UMCG MEDICAL SERVICES train station. Lockers canbefoundonplatform2b atthe LEFT LUGGAGE Handy Wash LAUNDRY Library ACCESSINTERNET Wristers Scholtens BOOKSHOPS Information centre free ispleasantly of traffic. policies datingfromthe1970smeanthat Markt, themaintownsquare. Virulentanticar and arounda10-minute walkfromGrote is justacrossfromtheGroninger Museum, entirely ringed bycanals.Thetrainstation 246 station. with theaddedbonusofananatomymuseum. (€2) andmore. tours,ahandymap wide rangeoftopicsandsellstickets, adviceona year-round, 11am-3pmSunJul&Aug) Offers travel titlesonthegroundfloor. ofEnglishnovelsand 9.30am-9pm Thu)Largeselection h bing a coffee next door.bing acoffee next fordropping offthewashingandgrab- and bars;perfect dry €7; lines of computers offering internetaccess.lines ofcomputersoffering citylibrarywith Thu, 11am-4pmSat,1-4pmSun)Main €2; h 11am-6pm Mon,9.30am-6pmTue, &Sat, Wed,Fri ( ( h h GRONINGEN ••GroningenCity 1-8pm Mon, 10am-6pm Wed & Fri, 10am-8pm 1-8pm Mon,10am-6pmWed&Fri, % ( % 8am-7pm) Currency exchange;inthetrain 7.30am-8pm) Smalllaundryinarowofcafés ( 361 6161;Hanzeplein1)Teaching hospital % 368 36 83; Oude Boteringestraat 18;perhr 368 3683;OudeBoteringestraat ( % ( % 313 63 75; Munnekeholm 1) 313 6375;Munnekeholm h 318 7587;Schuitendiep58;wash& 09002023050; www.vvvgroningen ( % 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pmSat 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, ( % 317 2500;Guldenstraat20; 366 6555;www.groninger . h

Occupy- 10am-5pm NOORDELIJK SCHEEPVAARTMUSEUM photographicportraits. 10m-high Dutch and paintings tofuturisticinstallations anythingfromclassicGoldenAgeyou’ll see rial direction, are awonderfullyeclecticmix; temporary exhibitions,which, like thecurato- tower. Therest of to isdevoted themuseum pear wellabove thewater inthebronze level of theprecious workswere saved andnowap- entire lowerfloorflooded.Fortunately, some patch in1998whenits hitarough museum applied artsandotherregional artworks,the forhistoricalpieces,modern bition house infromallangles. seeps and naturallight add life tothelarge, square exhibitionrooms, quite pastel different bright, colours though; thrown together atawhim.Inside,thingsare haslittleconsistency andappears the museum Thisexplainswhy,tomost, asection. tackle who invited three ‘guestarchitects’ toeach the brainchild of architect Mendini,Alessandro along thelinesof ‘Why?’ venture informanddesign,tostatements opinions varywildly,fromabreathtaking dummies aren’t just tokingontobacco. some ofUnsurprisingly, itlooksasthough the ing habitsof theages. the Dutch through which isdedicatedMuseum), to the smok- NiemeyerTabaksmuseum Room 8,there are three tothe roomsdevoted thecenturies (Room8).Afterthroughout just howthemanylocalshipyards operated voyages, modelsdemonstrating anddetailed how much timesailors hadtokill onlong Surinam –inabottle(Room3),showing just ofmaribo –thecapital formerDutch colony replica oftricately carved thechurch atPara- excellent workout. is anadventure andguarantees an initself getting thelabyrinthof through 18rooms a16th-centurydistillery.Just once comprised is laidoutover floors of several buildingsthat well fundedandorganised. Themuseum 26; adult/child€3/1.60; Brugstraat24- 22 02;www.noordelijkscheepvaartmuseum.nl; Scheepvaartmuseum Well worthanhourortwo,the draw anopinionfromanyviewer. However, very least,aschizophrenic structure thatwill is,atthe in frontof themuseum thestation, ing three islandsinthemiddleof thecanal Originally intended asapermanentexhi- This colourful,oddlyshaped was museum Highlights of includeanin- themuseum Highlights h (Northern Shipping Museum; ShippingMuseum; (Northern

10am-5pm Tue-Sat, 1-5pmSun) (NiemeyerTobacco www.lonelyplanet.com Noordelijk % is 312 www.lonelyplanet.com ὈὈ 0 300 m GRONINGEN CITY 0 0.2 miles To De 7e A B Hemel C D E F

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Lopendediep ZZ St Walburgstr Scholtens Wristers...... 4 D2 Werfstr Jacobijner-Kreupel Hanzeplein Muurstr str Tourist Office...... 5 D2 Oude Kijk in 't Butjesstr Martinikerkhof St Jansbrug Nieuwe Sint Jansstr UMCG...... 6 F1 Noorderhaven NZZZ gestr str Schuitendiep Oo

Sch Noorderhaven stersingel SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Hoekstr Sint Jansstr Tuinstr Noorderhaven Kleine 9 oolstr Canal Tours...... 7 D4 VisserstrRechten en Jatstr Weeshuisstr Plantsoenbrug Letteren KrommeBroerstr 5 Groninger Museum...... 8 D4 Elleboog 2 Stalstr Popkenstr Martinikerk...... 9 D2 Grote Town Engelen Poortje ὈὈ De Laan Kromme ὈὈGrote MarktHall Naber Poelebrug Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum... 10 C3 Visserbrug Uurwerkersgang ElleboogPoststr Guldenstr Passage 29 Lage D 25 Schuitendiep Prinsenhof...... 11 D1 22 13 Poelestr Nieuweweg 2 Westerbinnensingel Zwanestr4 Peperstr 1 Westersingel Hoge Der A Synagogue...... 12 D3 Stoeldraaierstr Gelkingestr31 er A TussenMarkten Beide Town Hall...... 13 D2 Lutkenieuwstr Oosterstr 32 Turftorenstr 20 Herestr 33 Damsterdiep SLEEPING Vismarkt Auberge Corps De Garde...... 14 C1 A-Kerkstr 34 Steentilbrug City Hotel...... 15 E2 23 18 15 Hotel Garni Friesland...... 16 D3 Waterborg Korenbeurs Pelsteretr Kattendiep A-Kerkhof NZ KL Peperstr pte 26 EATING Martini Hotel ...... 17 E3 Brugstr A Kerk A-Brug Haddingestr Ariola...... 19 D3 Schimmelpenninck Huys...... 18 D2 A-Str 10 21 Folkingestr Gedem Brussels Lof...... 20 C2 Schoolholm Steentilstr A-Kerkhof ZZ Carolieweg 27 Four Rose's...... 21 E3 Schuitemakersstr3 24 Kleine Rademarkt A-Weg Pelsterstr Goudkantoor...... Oosterhaven Eemskanaal22 D2 ReitemakesrijgeMunnekeholm 16 19 Zuiderdiep17 Granny's...... 23 C2 3 Hoendiepskade Puur! Natural Food...... 24 C3 Bakkers Rijge Radebinnensingel Nieuwstad Gedempte Verlengde Oosterstr Torenstr 12 Prinsenstr Herestr DRINKING Ganzev Gedempte Museumbrug Zuiderdiep Radesingel innensingel De Pintelier...... 25 C2 Ruiter Eendrachtskanaal oortsin Hereb O'Ceallaigh...... 26 E3 Praed Str Ubbo Emmiusstr 28 Roezemoes...... E3 Eendrachtsbrug gle Heresingel 27

inuss Stationsstr ingel Oosterbrug ENTERTAINMENT Sluiskade Trompsingel Eeldersingel Coehoorn Singel Herepl De Oosterpoort...... 28 E3 Emmapl Filmtheatre Images...... 29 E2 Zuiderhaven Ubbo Emmiussingel Ubbo Emmiussingel Dingskanaal Golden Arm...... 30 D1 Herebrug Grand Theatre...... 31 D2

Paterwoldsewg Jazz Café De Spieghel...... 32 E2 4 Emmabrug Zuiderpark Emmasingel 8 Palace...... 33 D2 Vera...... 34 E2 7 Hereweg Stationweg TRANSPORT 35 247 Bus Station...... 35 D4

To Stadspark train station

PeizerwegCamping (2km) GRONINGEN & DRENTHE DRENTHE & GRONINGEN GRONINGEN & DRENTHE 31 51; Folkingestraat 60;adult/child€1/free) 31 51;Folkingestraat h daily, dependingontheseason. of thetrainstationanywhere betweenoneandsixtimes approximately60minutes andleavefrominfront take .nl; adult/child€7.50/5)Toursofthecity’slargestcanals Halloween. two weeksearlierfor do topumpkins US counterparts what their notunlike intolanternsbykids, are carved Draws performers fromaroundEurope. Draws performers children’s entertainers and electronic installations. andelectronic children’s entertainers festival fromtheatre andmusicto everything featuring art Sint Maarten Festival Cabaret Studenten Bommen Berend Noorderzon byup-and-coming(theyhope)bands. concerts Noorderslag Festivals &Events City walks tours Canal Tours a 16th-centurymansion. admissionfree; (Turfsingel; of thecity,take abreather attheserene for openingtimes. CheckTouristOfficeinterior’s highlights. fully restored woodenceilingisoneof the and temporary exhibitionspace;itsbeauti- dead giveaways) aschool butnowhouses arches andminaretsmosque (thelight are country. Itbeganlife acenturyagoas one of thefew working square, andnotfarsouthof Vismarktis markt to thetopyieldsstellar views. ticketsclimb (€3,purchase attouristoffice) finely balancedprofiles inthecountry.A andisconsideredtall tohave oneof themost the show.Itstower,Martinitoren, is96m northern cornerof theGrote Markt, steals century dates from1810,isoneof them,butthe16th- eye-catching buildings.The with littlecharm, feature butitdoes afew The OTHER SIGHTS conducted inDutchonly. conducted officeoperatesguided90-minutewalks Sat) Thetourist 248 Munster. the cityrepelled theinvadingtroopsofBishop If you’re exploringthenortheastern corner Just southwestof theGrote Markt, 11am-5pm Apr-Nov,noon-4pmDec-Mar) Grote Markt Grote isamore intimate andattractive GRONINGEN ••GroningenCity Martinikerk ( % (www.noorderzon.nl; mid-Aug) Eleven-day mid-Aug) Eleven-day (www.noorderzon.nl; ( (www.eurosonic.nl; mid-Jan) of Aseries % (11Nov)Locallygrown sugarbeets 0900-2023050; adult€4; 312 8379;www.rondvaartbedrijfkool (28Aug)Celebrationoftheday isabig,café-ringed square

h ( % 10am-dusk) (www.gscf.nl; endOct) 311 12 77; Grote Markt; 311 1277;GroteMarkt; synagogues town hall of of h left inthe Prinsenhof 1pm Mon- , atthe

, which ( % gardens 312 Vis- ,

with several cafésandthepricesarewith several unbeat- bones, butit’sinagoodlocationonstreet .nl; KleinePelsterstraat; s/d€35/50) floor, free internet andafinelocation. a rooftop deck,free coffee andtea onevery creature include comforts. Addedbonuses requiringa goodbetforthose afew more Rooms are businesstypes,butthey’re standard be agoodhotel thecleaners –even are happy. 25;rfrom€75; Kattendiep Gedempte City Hotel MIDRANGE stop. about 3kmwesttotheStadspark take bus4(direction:train station, Hoogkerk) andplaygroundforthekids;from taurant shot of thecity.Facilities includeashop, res- surrounded byahuge park,yetiswithineasy Oct) campings.nl; Campinglaan4;campsite€18; rooms are adequate. yethighly spartan isfriendlyandamenable, able. Service Friesland Garni Hotel BUDGET ing at€20perperson. and carriesalistof B&Bsandpensionsstart- willbookaccommodation The touristoffice Sleeping beautician, whiletherest of thebuildingis restaurant,silver-service pristinecafé, and in finery.Theground floorisoccupiedbya dame Schimmelpenninck isGroningen’s Oosterstraat53;dfrom€130; melpenninckhuys.nl; Schimmelpenninck Huys TOP END riety comewithabath. big andwell-lit,themore expensive va- rooms weren’t sobland.Theyare, however, would beoneof thecity’sfinest hotels ifits De Gardeisanattractive listed building,and nally thetownguard’squarters, theCorps 72-74;rfrom€121) degarde.nl; OudeBoteringestraat are plenty of them. but asthisisGroningen’s largest hotel, there lackcharacterand airy,though andwarmth, easy accesstothecentre. Roomsare bright toprovide enough yetclose from allthenoise, City Hotel, theMartini away isjustfarenough Zuiderdiep8;rfrom€75; Gedempte Martini Hotel Martini Stadspark Camping Auberge CorpsDeGarde Auberge Stadspark isaspacious,green Stadspark campsite , andsomeonewho likes tobedraped

( % Book accommodation online atBook lonelyplanet.com 588 6565;www.edenhotelgroup.com;

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( 312 99 19; www.martinihotel.nl; 312 9919;www.martinihotel.nl; % (

% ( 312 1307;ww.hotelfriesland % www.lonelyplanet.com

( % 525 1624;www.stads TheGarniisbare 318 9502;www.schim ni 314 5437;www.corps ni h Thismust ) ) Like the mid-Mar–mid- n grande Origi- The ) 1635, the ‘Gold Office’ isaclassicexampleof1635, the‘GoldOffice’ cal hauntissustenance Datingfrom enough. architecture of thisrecently restored histori- matter; the the foodatGoudkantoordoesn’t 20; Eating and chandeliers. doublestosuitesstandard withantiquepieces filled withroomsrangingfromsimple,stylish www.lonelyplanet.com the home-made pastas andlasagne. the home-made pastas rolls) are madeto orderandonlytopped by deli.Its ing littleItalian speak of onlyonething:Ariolaisanoutstand- from itsdoorway, andcrowdsmillinginside, €3.50; aremeal. Itscocktails rated highly too. isanexcellentbetfor evening Four Rose’s ingly suitsbothfamiliesandromantic couples, in theprovince, andanatmosphere thatamaz- h eat-in ortakeaway. juices onoffer iseither too,andeverything pass over thecoffee, tea andfreshly squeezed ingredients, theyalsotaste divine. It’shardto areand sweets notonlymadefromorganic food heaven; itsbagels, salads sandwiches, meals €3-7; to create acosy,romanticair. chandeliers andcalmingyellowshades allhelp an ever-changing andthecherubs, delight, of vegan, vegetarian, fish andmeatdishes, is ofbecause itspurity.Themenu, aconcoction Scottish mineralwater direct fromtheGlens asfartoimport its customers; goes iteven onthequalityofprides itself what itserves 7e Hemel, ashort walknorthof thecentre, 7;mains€15-18; Zuiderkerkstraat food (Dutch isquite standards) good. the striking paintings.Truthbetoldthough, exterior andgracefulinterior, complete with 17th centuryshowmanship, withagold-tinted lined withcheap fast-food placesandcafés. Zuiderdiep for aquickfixwillfindGedempte looking on TuesdayatVismarkt,andthose catering canheadtotheorganic foodmarket there are plentymore toexplore. self- Those some of ourfavourites are listed below,but has asizablesmorgasbord of finerestaurants; Groningen maybeastudentcity,butitstill Book accommodation online atBook lonelyplanet.com h Ariola o Four Rose’s Puur! NaturalFood Goudkantoor dinner) h lunch &dinner)

WiththemostauthenticMexican food lunch) ( h % De 7eHemel

lunch &dinnerMon-Sat) ( Thehead-turningsmellswafting 318 19 48; Folkingestraat 54;mealsfrom 318 1948;Folkingestraat %

( % 314 38 87; Oosterstraat 71; mains €10-16; 314 3887;Oosterstraat71;mains€10-16; Tobehonest,thequalityof 589 1888;Waagplein1;mains€12- ( % GRONINGEN••GroningenCity (7th Heaven; 311 61 75; Folkingestraat 13; 311 6175;Folkingestraat broodjes h Puur!ishealth- dinner Tue-Sat) % (filled bread 314 5141; De of coffee ortea. toaccompanyagreatthe bestappletart cup clopaedia –atlastcountthere were around liqueur) atthiscosybarreads like anency- going supernova. Concerts Thursdayto Saturday. going supernova. Concerts toacrowd ofabout60peoplebefore gave aperformance later 30-odd peopleintheearly 1980shere, andNirvana at; U2 playedto bigrockact 44) Theclubtoseethenext Vera Vera but theoneslisted here are allmainstayers: regularlyClubs openandclose inGroningen, CLUBS or meatier simple andinformative everywhere, orpickup a copyof eitherthe check outsomeof theposters thatappear To findoutwhat’sgoingonaroundtown, Entertainment the 1920s. wooden barandthicket of date tables from 30 9) and theoccasionalbluesband. expecttofindlate-nightdrinking evening, invasion attempt are adeadgiveaway. Come around awhile;thebulletholesfrom1672 You cantell thisgem of abrowncaféhasbeen with smokyandboisterous chatter. andtheatmosphereMurphy’s ontap, isthick live more music,even regulars, Guinness and erlands’, andtheywere there’s right; regular ‘thebestIrish pubintheNeth- O’Ceallaigh 13) the city. to amultitudeof bars scattered throughout and itsadjoiningstreets, peopleflock although Groningen’s nightlife iscentred onPoelestraat Drinking from€1.60) NZ43;appletart 117; A-Kerkhof is professional ‘P’. withacapital andtheservice will beof standard, thehighest mention, butbasicallyanythingyoutryhere receive Itsmussels establishments. special tions, andleaves thefancydécortoother andvegetarianconcentrates crea- onseafood €17-22; free andinDutch. The selection of and Theselection beer Respected newspaper De Pintelier De Pintelier O’Ceallaigh Also worthmentioningis Brussels Lof Roezemoes Roezemoes jenevers ( % h 313 46 81; www.vera-groningen.nl; Oosterstraat 313 4681;www.vera-groningen.nl; dinner Thu-Mon) alongside 10 beers on tap. Itslong alongside10beers ontap. Uit Magazine

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% (ginlike called 318 91 249

GRONINGEN & DRENTHE DRENTHE & GRONINGEN GRONINGEN & DRENTHE smooth sultryatmosphere, andagreat bar. brown caféfeatures regular live jazzmusic,a A perennial favourite withlocals–thislively and theatricalperformances. offers athought-provoking array of musical magic. is anexcellentplacetocatch somecinema titles andclassics,achilled café,Images with anarrayofmusicstyles,andhugedancefloor. apredominantly youngcrowd 1) Standardclubattracting pumping dancemusic. Hardewiker straat 7)Hugegayclubwithfourfloorsof bicycle shop andbicycles canberentedstation, from the 9am. Bus6connects Grote Markt tothe train (€1)arepasses available fromdrivers after one-day thebuses, cle, butifyouplan touse Groningen onfootorbybicy- iseasilytackled Around Getting found opposite thetraininformationoffice. the train station; asyouexitthe istotheright The busstation 2 2 24.50 Utrecht 2 2 120 Rotterdam 29.60 160 50 Leeuwarden 8.30 140 Amsterdam 26.70 (€) Duration Frequency Destination Price (min) not catching atrain. ifyou’re even its originalglory,isworthseeing thankfullyrestoredThe 1896trainstation, to (per &Away There Getting €8) tickets hr) 35) Grote Markt Grand Theatre THEATRE &CINEMA programme. cal concertsare of themainstay itsmonthly town.Jazzacts passingthrough andclassi- Groningen tocatch manyof thelarge musical .nl; Trompsingel) De Oosterpoort LIVE MUSIC Palace Golden Arm 250 Filmtheatre Images Some trainfares andschedules: DeSpieghel Jazz Café GRONINGEN •• Museum deBuitenplaats GRONINGEN ••Museum ( % Withamixof offbeat films,festival 313 91 00; www.thepalace.nl; Gelkingestraat 313 9100;www.thepalace.nl; Gelkingestraat

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% 313 1676;www.goldenarm.nl; 312 4174) ( % Arriva busoffice Arriva 314 4644;www.grand-theatre.nl; 368 0368;www.de-oosterpoort ( % ( % at thetrain station. 312 0433;Poelestraat30; 312 6300;Peperstraat 11) ( h

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(along withthehelpof thescientificcommu- something aboutit.Her over efforts theyears colonies,anditwasherwayof doing local seal tion andtourismwere theirtollonthe taking began caringfor inherbackyard.Pollu- seals small Groningen townof coastal Pieterburen, in1972 Back ’tHart,Lenie aresident of the ZEEHONDENCRECHE PIETERBUREN fromGroningen. half-hour) open-airstage. on themuseum’s certs are featured over thesummermonths etry readings, storytelling andmusicalcon- andthere’sused, alsoasun-bathed café.Po- with sculptures, andbenches aching tobe Röling. Itsmanicured gardensare peppered Helmantel, Herman GordijnandMatthijs century artists,such asWoutMuller,Henk of theNetherlands’more progressive 20th- surroundings, features paintingsfromsome ganic structure, which blendsintoitsnatural originally plannedforthesite. Themainor- it beganasaprotest toanapartmentblock herself, Europe. Opened in1996bythequeen Tue-Sun) €5/2.50; €7/3.30,Nov-Mar adult/child Apr-Oct 309 5818;www.museumdebuitenplaats.nl; Hoofdweg76; Groningen, isthischarming In thelittletownof 5kmsouthof Eelde, MUSEUM DEBUITENPLAATS child €4.50/2; Menkemaborg Netherlands’ most authenticmanorhouses, small farmingtown of Uithuizenisoneof the Some 25kmnortheast of Groningen inthe MENKEMABORG to Pieterburen. minutes, five timesadayMondayto Friday) 24 minutes, hourly),andthenbus68(15 (€4.30, train fromGroningen toWarffum on becomingadonor. ‘adopt’ himorher;thewebsite alsohasdetails and ifoneormore takes yourfancy,youcan visit are are 11amand4pmwhentheseals fed, in variouspools.Themostpopulartimesto loungingandswimming which can beseen the rescue andrehabilitation of sickseals. Hoofdstraat 94a;admission€2; Creche; (Seal dustries) have resulted inthe nity andproactive members of maritimein- To get there, take bus52(28minutes, every To get take the totheZeehondencreche, The centre 20to30seals, normallyhouses devoted tofigurative devoted artfromaround % h ( 0595-52 65 26; www.zeehondencreche.nl; 0595-52 6526;www.zeehondencreche.nl; % 10am-5pm May-Sep, 10am-noon&1-4pm 10am-5pm May-Sep, 0595-43 19 70; Menkemaweg 2;adult/ 0595-43 1970; Menkemaweg h www.lonelyplanet.com 9am-6pm) Zeehondencreche museum , acentre for h (

11am-5pm % 050-

www.lonelyplanet.com the pinnacle of the armsandfortification of Built inthe late 1500s, Bourtange represents History bybike.canals, idealfortackling consists of pretty countrysideandtree-shaded is alsoworthexploring;off the beaten path,it from allsides.Theregion aroundBourtange stolid defences, protected andquainthouses tobehold,less withitsfloodedmoats, asight fromthe air,itisnonethe- small andbestseen fortifications inthecountry.While rather border, ishometooneof thebest-preserved Bourtange, atinytownneartheGerman % BOURTANGE tion isa1kmwalkwestof Menkemaborg. Groningen (€5.30,34minutes); thetrainsta- stately bedsandfinechina. oakmantelpieces, life, complete withcarved and ceremony of 18th-centuryaristocratic since. Inside, theroomsretain allthepomp the 18thcentury,andithasbarely altered been surrounded byimmaculate gardens–earlyin appearance –amoated estate of three houses Menkemaborg received itspresent gentrified fortified castledatingbacktothe14thcentury, closedJan&Feb) &Mar-Apr, Tue-Sun Oct-Dec Hourly trains run between Uithuizenand Hourly trainsrunbetween several groupsoftrainedguidesare based; with arisingtidehotonyourheelsbringsuponnaturalhigh. an almostmeditative quality,andthesenseofachievement ontraipsingacrosstheseabottom of year, but always take asemblanceofbalanceandplentyperseverance.of year,butalwaystake to bookaroundamonthinadvance. You’llbetoldwhatclothestobringdependingonthetime most popular. The ferry ridebackfromtheislandsisnotincludedinpriceandit’sessential 20km poundtoSchiermonnikoog(€22.50,five hours);thelatter, forsomeunknownreason, isthe 5kmjauntacrossthemudflats(€8.50,2½hours)toagruelling,yetexhilarating, range fromashort 118) enjoy muddled andlosetheirway, are quite popular. Becauseofthetreacherous canbecome thatsomewalkers tides,andthefact ifyoudidn’tgiveyou’d beastick-in-the-mud itatrywhileinthearea. intothesloppymess. Thissinking, mudtasticpastimeisknownas attackitwithabandon,marching,andinevitablycoast ofGroningen,localsandvisitorsalike have thatcombinesboth. Whenthetideretreats anactivity acrossthemudflatsoffnorth Some folkpayapretty pennyformudtreatments andorganised walks;Groningenand Friesland POUNDING MUD Hoofdstraat 105) 0599 /pop1200 The centre for See opposite detailstoPieterburen. forpublictransport The mudstretches allthewaytoFrisianislandsoffshore, andtreks acrosstotheislands are twoofthebetter placebetweenMayandSeptember, known.Guidedwalks,whichtake wadlopen and saythatitisstrenuous butenlivening; theunchanging vistaof mudandskyhas wadlopen Dijkstra’s Wadlooptochten GRONINGEN••Bourtange isthetinyvillageofPieterburen, ofGroningen,where 22kmnorth wadlopen . Originallya can only be undertaken onaguidedtour. canonlybeundertaken Those who Wadloopcentrum

( % square, theMarktplein, cobblestonestreets the oldtown proper. Fromthe town’scentral drawbridges over themoatsbefore youreach twogatesyou passthrough andacrossthree From theparking area andtouristoffice, &Information Orientation designed tokeep thematbay. the landsandvillagers hidbehind defences the past,atimewhenroguearmies wandered but avisittoBourtange istrulyastep into version of It’sacliché, its18th-centuryself. returnedand thevillage hasbeen toaglossier walls andcanalshave completely been rebuilt is stunninglypretty. Thestar-shaped ringsof chaeologists generally hadaparty. buildings demolishedorreconstructed. Ar- during which timeroadswere moved and their maximumsize. Ittookthree decades, hadreachedfortifications aroundthecitadel toits1742appearance,whenthe town itself decided torestore thebattlementsand thepresentthrough towncentre. moats were largely ran filledin.Aroadeven mostlybreachedhad been andthe orlevelled bytheearly1960sitswalls army. However, withstand months of siege byaninvading the time. Behind itswallsandmoatsitcould the time. Behind 0595-52 8345;www.wadloop-dijkstra.nl; Hoofdstraat In 1964, however, theregionalIn 1964,however, government The results are impressive andBourtange

( % 0595-52 8300;www.wadlopen.org; wadlopen (mud-walking), and (mud-walking),

251 GRONINGEN & DRENTHE DRENTHE & GRONINGEN GRONINGEN & DRENTHE 252 fields for camping.Snacks are alsoavailable. family-run placesthathashomely roomsand the walls,Albertha isoneof small several Vlagtwedderstraat 57;camp sites/d€12.50/47) is included. they’re and breakfast warmandcomfortable, thedigsaren’toffice; particularlyplush, but quarters. Bookingsare taken atthetourist original soldiers’ (€75) (€65)orcaptains’ within thewalls,in It’s possibletostay Sleeping &Eating is justcryingouttobephotographed. village huddledbehinditsunbreachable walls stretches and the viewof toyourself, thesmall walls. More often thannotyou’llhave whole upanddownitsdefensivetange istraipse number given thetown’ssmallsize. taken awaytotheirdeaths bytheNazis,ahuge includes aplaquelistingthe42localpeople the life andtimesof itsJewish population,and town’s the Poort uncovered duringthefort’sreconstruction. seum deBaracquen in the17thand18thcenturies,while and timesof atBourtange themilitiastationed Lodge –the tourist office. Twomuseums covering atthe entrytoall,canbepurchased and Sunday;tickets (adult/child €5.50/3.50), Monday toFridayandfrom11amSaturday which openfrom10amto5pm into museums, benches. restaurants, smallcraftshopsandtree-shaded exploring,withitstwo is agoodspottostart little spacethefive bastionsafford. make oftion, brickhouses gooduse what Inside thewallsatcore of thefortifica- Sights &Activities booklet (€1.50). ahandyEnglish-language1990s. Italsosells remarkable changes 1965andthelate between and restoration. Aerial photographs showthe displaysshowing thereconstructiondetailed informationonthetown,including enough 12.30-5pmSat&Sun) 5pm Mon-Fri, office matter of minutes byfoot.Thetown’s ina shaped innerfortificationcanbecrossed lead off inalldirections; thepentagram- However, thebestthingtodoinBour-However, Albertha Hoeve Hoeve Albertha Of theoldbuildings,sixhave turned been hasanexcellentmodelof Bourtange, and

and ( DRENTHE ••Assen % 35 4600;WilliamLodewijkstraat33; De DagenvanRoam synagogue ( % displaysartefacts andcurios 35 47 37; www.alberthahoeve.nl; 35 4737;www.alberthahoeve.nl; , builtin1842,explains hasmore than –cover thelife Justoutside Marktplein h Captain’s Captain’s tourist tourist 10am- Mu- De

the onlyplacestoeatwithinoldtown: DRENTHE posite ) in Drenthe, some30kmtothewest. visits over afew daystothe before 9amandafter 1pm. and 45minutes after thehour,onceagain Bourtange leaves fromtheMarktplein at15 from Thereturn service intervals. half-hour 72 onlyrunsbefore 9amandafter 1pm,at about twohourscount onthetriptaking –bus 10 daily).Withwaitingtimeandtransfers, to (mini)bus72forBourtange (12minutes, utes, hour)andtransfer atleast oneevery then bus14southtoVlagtwedde(25min- train easttoWinschoten (€5.70,33minutes), FromGroningen,own wheels. take thehourly Bourtange isnoteasytoget towithoutyour &Away There Getting ’s LandsHuys ’t OalKroegie B&Bs in the town. 9am-5pm Sat) Mon, 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, ( andawell-informed museums, ingly goodrestaurants, ahandful of so-so a modern,workingcitywithsome surpris- on mostpeople’stourof theprovince. It’s ofthe capital Drenthe, willbethefirst stop proximityWith aclose toGroningen, Assen, % ASSEN lines thehorizon. after seascape follows anotherandseascape different inalandwhere onepretty town your time,simplytoexperiencesomething alittleof why thissmallbackwater deserves Netherlands’ blacksheep. Butthat’sexactly the countryissofamousfor, Drenthe isthe andlittleofnational parkinsight, thecharm just over 100,000people,isitslargest), nota or major citytocallitsown(Emmen,with access Netherlands, thisisit.Withnosea thereIf ever were aforgotten corner of the service. friendly shadedoutdoortables,and afew beervarieties, pancakes, h officers’ inn,withfullmealsandoutdoorseating. h % If touringbybike, combineBourtange with The twosmalleateries onMarktplein are 0592 /pop60,700 10am-10pm) Provideslightmeals,sandwiches, 10am-10pm) Amore cosyoptionhousedinaformer 24 37 88; www.vvvdrenthe.nl; Marktstraat 8; Marktstraat 24 3788;www.vvvdrenthe.nl; Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com ( ( % % 35 45 14; Marktplein; mains€14-17; 35 4514;Marktplein; 35 45 80; Marktplein; snacks€2-6; 35 4580;Marktplein; www.lonelyplanet.com hunebedden that can book tourist office tourist h ( op- 1-6pm

is quite disarming. pew andchat charm withtheowner,whose 2346 clocks(thankfullynotwound).Take a fortwo,andanastounding tions bigenough eccentric restaurant withheartyDutch por- 24) Tijd toboosterneed theenergy headto levels, Drenthe’s history.Ifyou’ve timetokill,or and variousartworksfurnishings from Sun) 1;adult/child€5/3; museum.nl; Brink www.lonelyplanet.com westerbork.nl; Oosthalen 8, Hooghalen; adult/child €4.50/2.25; Oosthalen8,Hooghalen;adult/child€4.50/2.25; westerbork.nl; Europe. andEastern to Central atrocities of theholocaustwere notconfined lage of isthis,areminder Hooghalen, thatthe About 10kmsouthof Assen, nearthetinyvil- WESTERBORK KAMP The exit thetrainstation. (€11.60, 40minutes). Groningen (€4.80,15minutes) andZwolle Frequent trainsconnectAssen withboth bywayoffrom thestation Stationsstraat. The tourist office and museum are andmuseum The touristoffice 500m The Kamp Westerbork Westerbork Kamp departfromtheareaBuses totheleftasyou of theseimpressive groupingsofsombre grey stonescanbeseeninDrenthe andGroningen. by thescientificcommunity,butonceagain,adefinitive answerisyettobefound.Atotalof54 monolithic stones. Theories astohowthechamberswere constructed have beenbantered about their deadvery seriously,buryingpeople,alongwiththeirpersonalitems andtools,underthe Littleisalsoknownaboutthebuildersof fact. ofthe Netherlands viaglaciersfromSwedensome200,000yearsago,butnoonecan becertain huge grey stones,someofwhichweighupto25,000kg. Itisthoughtthestonesarrived inthe of Drenthe today,the still enjoyedbymanyintheprovince, andcreated whatisarguably themost interesting aspect lived here amidthebogsandpeat.These earlyresidents begancultivatingtheland,apastime People have beenenjoyingthequietinDrenthe sinceasearly3000BC,whenprehistoric tribes HUNEBEDDEN negerstraat 12;adult/child€4.75/3; 17km northwest ofEmmen,isthecentre forthe 17km northwest stopping at Borger. pile ofrockswhile driving orbiking. Bus300 operates hourlybetweenEmmenand Groningen, tourist officeorBorgor Informatiecentrum andlookoutforthe large brownsignsshowinga EmmenandGroningen strung outalongN34,apicturesque roadlinking able; mostare clumpedaround thevillagesofKlijndijk,Odoorn,AnnenandMidlaren, whichare largest tour. Here there are manydisplaysrelating andthe tothestonesaswellexcavated artefacts, is right nextdoor.is right

, nearthecentre, has (Time; (Time; The Hunebedden It’s besttoexplore the Drents Museum Drents % Nationaal Hunebedden Informatiecentrum hunebed 30 0642;Beilerstraat28;mains€12-18) , whichpredate Stonehenge,are prehistoric burial chambersconstructed with islocated justoutsideitsdoors. Mapsofallthesites inDrenthe are alsoavail- ( % DRENTHE •• Kamp Westerbork DRENTHE••Kamp

( hunebedden 0593-59 2600;www.kamp % hunebedden bicycle shop hunebedden 37 7773;www.drents h h 11am-5pm Tue- . 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pmSat&Sun) 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, artefacts (

% with your own transport; pick upamapfromtheEmmen withyourowntransport; 31 04 , an De otherwise take ataxi. otherwise 2kmwestofstops inHooghalen, thecamp, 8.14pm SaturdayandSunday)fromAssen Monday toFriday,and12.14pm,4.14pm or take thebusprovided (€1.75). eitherwalk is about 3kmfromthemuseum; isthankfullyavoided. Thecampitself tainee attention onWesterbork’s mostfamousde- undue though own fate atBergen-Belsen, Frank wasinterned here before her meeting the displaysare intimate andevocative. Anne mainly of documentsandpersonal effects, ments are emotionallymoving. Consisting buildings are gone,buttheremaining monu- dered Mostof andaholocaustmuseum. the The vastmajority returned. never 250 Romawere Westerbork. shippedthrough the deathcamps.More than107,000Jews and to beingsent it becameatransitpointforthose mained relatively benign,butbeginningin1942 ideal fortheirownends.Atfirst thecampre- invaded inMay 1940,theyfoundWesterbork man Jews the Dutch government Ger- in1939tohouse 11am-5pm Sat&SunJulAug) hunebedden h hunebedden Bus 22(12minutes, 30minutes every Today thecampisamemorialtomur-

( 10am-5pm Mon-Fri year-round,1-5pmSat&SunSep-Jun, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri % 0599-23 6374;www.hunebedden.nl;Bron- fleeing , and the logical place to start a, andthelogical placeto start , exceptthattheytookburying the Nazis. When the Germans theNazis.WhenGermans in Borger, alittletown ,

ironically, was built by ironically, wasbuiltby

253 GRONINGEN & DRENTHE DRENTHE & GRONINGEN GRONINGEN & DRENTHE to Beilen (€3.20, eight minutes, half- (€3.20,eight every to Beilen per person). dation inoneof (€25 thetraditionalhouses on when;itcanalsoarrange B&Baccommo- the village, andcaninformyouabout what’s the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake 30minutesevery Monday toFriday,and hour) andchange tobus22(16minutes, Aug, closedNov-Easter) h house. lovely vegetable gardensgrowingnearevery you get theidea. Duringsummer,there are activities; there’s thebutcher, thebaker… ways. Residentsmainlyengage intraditional to alter the oldbuildingsinuncharacteristic of theresidents) andowners are forbidden totheendoffrom Easter October. are welcometojointheminthepastforaday community, isalive andwellhere, andvisitors thefeel of a19th-centuryDrenthepreserve 17kmsouthof Assen.Orvelte, Itsgoal,to A foundationgoverns thetinyvillage of % ORVELTE 254 © LonelyPlanetPublications To get to Orvelte fromAssen,To get take toOrvelte atrain The No cars are permitted (asidefromthose 10.30am-5pm Tue-Sun dailyJul& Easter-Jun &Sep-Oct, 0593 DRENTHE •• Orvelte DRENTHE ••Orvelte tourist office tourist hasbrochures andmapsof

( % 32 23 35; www.orvelte.net; 32 2335;www.orvelte.net; h Hoofdstraat18;adult/child€17/15; 50; www.zoo-emmen.nl; shop hasa front of Thestation thestation. leavefrom thetouristoffice. Buses fromin p253 haslockers. Thestation andis600m Groningen andBorger, theboxed see text, Emmen, between for informationonbuses Zwolle (€11.20,55minutes, half-hour); every like this. fewcourse, areas of thesavanna have weather Of animals displayedina‘natural’setting. It’snotedstation. foritsapesandAfrican help withfindingaccommodation. ing the Sat) 22; office tourist centretransportation forthe A moderncityof industry, Emmen isauseful % EMMEN Sunday). 12.14pm, 4.14pmand8.14pmSaturday 10am-5.30pm) Emmen isattheendof thetrainlinefrom The town’szoo, h hasagoodrange of bike mapsforexplor- 0591 /pop108,200

( % 1-5.30pm Mon, 9.30am-5.30pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm 1-5.30pm Mon,9.30am-5.30pmTue-Fri, hunebedden 61 3731) (

% isashortwalkfromthetrain 64 17 92; www.vvvemmen.nl; Hoofdstraat 64 1792;www.vvvemmen.nl; . Noorder Dierenpark Noorder Dierenpark , and the pleasant staff can staff , andthepleasant www.lonelyplanet.com hunebedden ( % bicycle 85 08 . The