Planning Groningen attractions: where to start and what to skip
Groningen's sights sit close together but pull in different directions. The Groninger Museum rises straight from the canal water facing the station, while the Forum's free rooftop and library sit on the Nieuwe Markt in the centre. Between them lie a nineteenth-century park, a hotel courtyard and a compact science museum.
Much here costs nothing: the Forum's rooftop and library, the Noorderplantsoen park and the Prinsenhof's brick wings all come without a ticket. Others need planning. The Universiteitsmuseum asks you to book online, the Martinitoren's nearly 300 steep steps take over an hour, and the Groninger Museum shuts on Mondays.
One sight is out of action: the old Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum building on Brugstraat is closed for rebuilding, with work starting no earlier than 2027. The A-kwartier streets and the museum café remain open, so walkers can still spend a short while there.
| Place | Time to allow | Cost | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groninger Museum | 2-3 hours | – | South of the city centre, facing the station |
| Forum Groningen | 45 minutes to half a day | Films and exhibitions ticketed; rooftop, library free | Nieuwe Markt 1, city centre |
| Martinitoren Groningen | over an hour | Paid entry | Grote Markt |
| Prinsenhof Groningen | half an hour | no ticket needed; pay for meals | Martinikerkhof 23, central Groningen |
| Noorderplantsoen, Groningen | about an hour | free entry; public open space, no gate or ticket desk | north of the historic centre |
| Universiteitsmuseum Groningen | 60-90 minutes | Free for university students; others check current price | City centre, beside the Academy Building |
| Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum | short walk | no ticket to buy; museum closed | Brugstraat 24, A-kwartier |
Groningen attraction guides
Groninger Museum: Visiting Groningen's Canal-Side Art Museum
A multicoloured art museum rising straight from the canal water within sight of Groningen station, mixing contemporary work with classical painting. Allow two to three hours, and note it shuts on Mondays.
2-3 hours · Best for art and architecture lovers
Forum Groningen: Rooftop, Exhibitions, Cinema and Opening Times
A civic building on the Nieuwe Markt where a rooftop view, library and tourist desk sit free beside ticketed exhibitions and a five-screen cinema. Give it an hour, or half a day if you add a film.
45 minutes to half a day · Films and exhibitions ticketed; rooftop, library free · Book ahead · Best for rainy-day stops and rooftop views
Martinitoren Groningen: Climbing the Martini Tower
A 97-metre bell tower on the Grote Markt, climbed on foot via nearly 300 steep stone steps with no lift. Allow over an hour and check current opening times and tickets before setting out.
over an hour · Paid entry · Best for visitors who can manage steep stairs
Prinsenhof Groningen: What to See at Martinikerkhof 23
A four-wing hotel at Martinikerkhof 23, not a ticketed museum: come to see the brick wings and courtyard gateway from the square, and stay for lunch or dinner at one of its two restaurants.
half an hour · no ticket needed; pay for meals · Book ahead · Best for walkers and meal stops
Noorderplantsoen, Groningen: A Visitor's Guide to the Park
A laid-out nineteenth-century park just north of Groningen's centre, with ponds, mature trees and lawns. Give it an hour as a break between museums; in late August Noorderzon fills the same grass with performing arts.
about an hour · free entry; public open space, no gate or ticket desk · Best for short city-break breather
Universiteitsmuseum Groningen: A Visitor's Guide
A compact university science museum beside the Academy Building, with botany, medicine, zoology and mathematics collections plus a Kapteyn mural. Book online in advance; allow 60 to 90 minutes rather than a full afternoon.
60-90 minutes · Free for university students; others check current price · Booking required · Best for curious visitors and families, short stop
Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum: Groningen's Maritime Museum Then and Now
Temporarily closed: Closed for rebuilding; no reopening date, work no earlier than 2027. Café Het Pomphuis is open.
The old maritime museum is now Museum aan de A, but its Brugstraat building is shut while medieval houses are reworked, with work starting no earlier than 2027. Come instead for the A-kwartier streets, the Akerk and the open museum café.
short walk · no ticket to buy; museum closed · Best for walkers of the old quarter
Which Groningen stops need a ticket in advance
Book the Universiteitsmuseum online before you go; it is required. For the Martinitoren, check current opening times and tickets before setting out, as times change with season and events. At the Forum Groningen, booking is recommended for films and exhibitions, though the rooftop and library stay free.
The Prinsenhof needs no ticket, but booking a meal at one of its two restaurants is sensible. Note that Restaurant Nassau closes from 19 July to 17 August 2026 and again from 28 December 2026 to 11 January 2027.
One day in Groningen: the three to prioritise
Start at the Groninger Museum, south of the centre facing the station, and give it two to three hours; it is closed on Mondays. Then cross to the Forum on Nieuwe Markt for the free rooftop view and library, allowing 45 minutes to half a day if you add a film.
If you have energy left, climb the Martinitoren on the Grote Markt: nearly 300 steep stone steps, no lift, over an hour. Check times and tickets first. The Noorderplantsoen park makes an easy hour-long breather between the two.