Despite cancelled vacations and social distancing, there is still a lot of fun to be had this summer.
City Central put together a list of local holiday activities for you in and around Groningen.

Outdoor Activities

1 ● Fun on and in the water 💦

👉 Paddle or sail your way around local waterways (check Visit Groningen).

👉 Board and sail away on the 1922 Emma (PW 17) vessel from the Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum (registration).

👉 Go for a dip in local lakes or canals - here is an overview of outdoor swimming places.

2 ● Go for a socially distanced hike 🥾

👉 Wadlopen! Cross the Wanddenzee mudflats.

👉 Join the Groningen Walkers!

👉 Follow towpaths and old trade routes (check Visit Groningen)

3 ● Bike around the Provincie Groningen 🚲

👉 Like a hike, only on wheels, find your cycle route on Routebureau Groningen or Visit Groningen.

👉 Book a bike tour Rondje Stad, tour to the famous and less famous places of Groningen, with Fietsstad Groningen.

4 ● Try Geocaching 🧭

It’s the world’s largest treasure hunt!
All you need is a GPS device or smartphone, don't forget batteries.
Find secret locations, solve challenging puzzles and connect with geocachers from Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe.

👉 There are about 2,400 geocachers around Groningen, what are you waiting for? Sign up for FREE!

5 ● Stargaze or meteor shower gaze 🌠✨

Runaway from light pollution by visiting the Dark Sky Park Lauwersmeer or venturing out on your own walking routes.

👉 Don’t miss out the peak fall of the meteor shower – Perseids on the night of the 12th and before dawn on 13th August.

6 ● Travel back in time in an open-air museum 👁‍

👉 Go to Het Hoogeland and walk around 20 old buildings to experience how people lived and worked 100 years ago.

7 ● Go on adventures with your kids 🎒

👉 Animal lovers, check out De Kinderboerderij the Stadspark’s petting zoo and De Mikkelhorst care farm.

👉 Hike and feed alpacas! Get to know alpacas and befriend with them at Zonneveld Alpaca.

👉 Ready to burn off energy, climb through the Grolloo’s forest at JoyTime.

👉 Take off your shoes and walk barefoot through mud, water and grass on the Blotevoetenpad.

8 ● Local events and festivals 🎇

👉 July 14 to August 23. Noorderzon Festival
Celebrating its 30^th anniversary, the summer program has international and local components. It includes performances like film, installation, audio tours, lectures and weekly talk shows, spread over various locations in Groningen.

Use the code Simon50 to purchase tickets with a 50% discount!

👉 August 14 & 15. Trappen, Happen & Stappen
A cycling event for young and old in and around Hoogeveen with entertainment and snacks along the way.
Warning: registration is required!

Indoor Activities

1 ● Plan a visit to local museums 🎨

👉 Groninger Museum
Modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists.
Support your local artist and check the famous printmaker, Willem Kolvoort.

👉 GRID Graphisch Museum
History of graphic design, printing & bookbinding, with various workshops.
Check out their last exhibition on Pop-Up books!

👉 Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum
Maritime museum walking you through the history of the ship transport in the north of the Netherlands and the history of Groningen.

👉 Storyworld
Museum of comics, animation and games showcasing the methods used in Dutch and international comics, animation and games.
Storyworld celebrates the 75^th anniversary of Luke and Lucy in a grand exhibition.

👉 Universiteitsmuseum
Scientific museum where nature, culture and science collide.
Check out their latest exhibition: DIG-IT-ALL: Archaeology of the future (keep an eye on their agenda for related workshops), Dead Zoo, and the consultation room of Aletta Jacobs (the first woman graduating from a university in the whole Netherlands).

👉 LEGiO Museum
A museum about LEGO® in the former building of LEGO Netherlands.
The museum is not part of the LEGO group, just a collection gathered from fans' donations.

👉 Fries Museum
What makes Friesland Friesland?
Find out everything about the history of Friesland and the Frisian identity.

👉 Museumspoorlijn STAR
The longest museum railway in the Netherlands. Step in for a journey back in time on the border of Groningen and Drenthe (booking in advance is required).

👉 Victory Museum
An impressive collection of World War II memorabilia.
Depicting various facets of World War II, come and have a look and let yourself be taken to the period 1940-1945.

2 ● Go on adventures with your kids 🎒

👉 Step inside the largest specialised seal hospital in Europe, Sealcentre Pieterburen.

👉 Ready to burn off energy, master your ascent skills at the Adventurepark Waddenfun climbing park.

👉 Learn everything about the insect world at the DoeZoo or the most venomous animals at the Natuurmuseum Fryslân.

👉 For all sea lovers, go to the MuzeeAquarium set up in a WWII German bunker.

👉 Feeling like an artist today?
Groninger Museum invites you to the Walk-in Studio to create prints like the Groninger artist, Willem Kolvoort.
GRID Graphisch Museum offers a wide range of workshops to make you a master of printmaking.

👉 Visit one of the few remaining artisanal mustard factories.
At the Abrahams Mosterdmakerij, you will learn everything to know about mustard and the preparation of the traditional Groningen mustard.

3 ● Local events and an international festival 🎇

👉 Ongoing. Google Arts & Culture.
Take a virtual tour in the iconic world museum like the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank house, or cultural heritage like the Royal Palace Amsterdam.

👉 July 22. #Lekkervreemd.
Enjoy a 3-course dinner and activities with the goal get to know new people better using popular "Tell your story" concept
Warning, registration required!

👉 July 25. Calm in the City.
Walking concert designed by Jan Mars and Gijs Deddens, musicians from De Stroom.
Navigate through the church following a musical path in Der Aa-Kerk (registration required).

👉 August 26. City Central Book Club.
A monthly a book club activity. Join Book Club City Central Groningen community to meet people, discover, and read new and exciting books.

👉 Until August 31. The Social Distancing Festival.
A live stream festival celebrating art & culture and shows talent from all over the world (music, dance, theatre, musical and opera).
There is even a digital beer tent for after-drinks.