Groningen is the main municipality as well at the capital of the province in the northern Netherlands. It is a small but beautiful, student city. It houses the University of Groningen (about 28,000 students) and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (about 25,000 students).
Although it may seem that Groningen is in the middle of nowhere and not really close to anything, this isn’t necessarily true. Groningen is a vibrant, youthful and international city with a lot to do and see!
Groningen is definitely a leader in the pro-cycling regard, Since the 1970s, cycling has been encouraged. The city has invested in amazing cycling paths, making it easy to get around with a bike and leaving the centre refreshingly free of traffic. You can easily get to a certain location cycling within 2 minutes, meanwhile by car it might take up to 12 minutes!
Although the cycling is a very convenient way to travel through the city (especially for students), there are also great cycling paths for the fun of it if you just enjoy biking (because everyone in the Netherlands does, right?!).
My favourite path is 35.3 km ride just under the main city centre area. The bike ride has a total ascent of 24.04 m and a maximum elevation of 14.86 m. Here you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes away for the bustle of the city.
Remember to check your bike is in good condition so it doesn’t break mid ride! Make sure you have high performance bearings so the wheels keep turning and remember to clean and grease your seatpost. There are lots of bike maintenance stores all around the city.
