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Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
This beautifully decorated building on the edge of the Grote Markt is hard to miss. It was built in 1635 as the office for the city receiver. The words Date Caesari quae sunt Caesaris, Latin for "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's", still remind of this early function of the building. Later, between 1814 and 1887, it served as a gold office in the sense that this was the place where gold and silver works were authenticated and marked as real. Today, it's a café.
The Goudkantoor is a building built in 1635 and located on Waagstraat near the Grote Markt in Groningen, Netherlands. Originally it was built as an office for the receiver of the province of Groningen when it was called Collectehuis.
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Martinitoren
One of the most important hotspots in Groningen refers to Saint Martin of Tours, the patron saint of the Bishopric of Utrecht. Locals call the tower d' Olle Grieze which means 'the old grey one' and is related to its colour. Tickets are available in the VVV (tourist information) shop just over the road. There is a wide view over the city from the top of the tower. It was built as a cruciform church in the 13th century, and was extended in the 15th and 16th centuries. Much of the wall and roof paintwork has been preserved. Of particular note is a 16th-century depiction of the life of Jesus Christ.
University Museum
A strange and wonderful little museum located just off Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat. Temporary exhibitions, often of a technological bent, are held on the first floor; upstairs (past an elaborate stained-glass window in the stairwell) is an eclectic collection in the Victorian style, with everything from anatomical specimens and taxidermied animals to early scientific instruments.
University of Groningen
The Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, the University of Groningen, is the second-oldest university in the Netherlands and one of three State Universities of the Netherlands. It was established in 1614. While the university has its share of modern buildings in town and out, the Academiegebouw is an old and attractive building with a tower and worth strolling past. Although it is not intended, the building is accessible for the public. The interior of the building is magnificent, especially the stained glass, the entrance hall and the murals in the Aula and Senaatskamer (Senate room).
Museum of visual storytelling (comics, video games, animated film), located in the Forum complex. Houses the collection of the former Nederlands Stripmuseum.
Large cultural complex, opened in 2019. Contains the main public library of the city, two restaurants, cinema (5 screens, mostly arthouse films), exhibition spaces, the Storyworld museum (see Museums below), rooftop bar and more. The rooftop is freely accessible, with great views of the surrounding landscape. Hosts various events throughout the year, some aimed at children. Can be very crowded in weekends.
Martini cemetery
The Martinikerkhof used to be a cemetery, but since 1828 it is no longer in use. The cemetery has been transformed into a beautiful square, an oasis of peace. Prominent on the Martinikerkhof is the Martini Church. On the east side of the square stands the 'Provinciehuis', the seat of the provincial government. The front of this beautiful building was built in the end of the 20th century, while the rear of the building dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time the building was used as a Latin School. The north side of the square is marked by nice old houses and the Prinsenhof. At the square stands the Saint George and the Dragon Memorial (Sint Joris en de Draak Monument), the official provincial Second World War memorial. The memorial has been made in remembrance of the whole loss and suffering in the city of Groningen.