Fun summer activities in Groningen!
Summer is here and the vacation spots are limited to places within the Netherlands this year because of the coronavirus. Luckily, Groningen is a great place to spend the hot summer days. There is still enough to do and the cafes and restaurants are also coming up with original new plans to make summer even better!
Music and drinks in the sun
Since the beginning of June, cafes have opened up again so you can enjoy a cold drink on the terraces. This summer, Groningen also created an alternative spot for people who are going to miss the festival season. Many different terraces open up this summer at the Suikerunieterrein. The whole terrain is built on by different companies to create different kinds of experiences. There will be a Festival Terrace with music, drinks, and street food. You can order food and drinks via your phone and you can pick it all up at the bar when it’s done. Next to this, there is another terrace where you can order drinks from the bar. Food will be delivered by Fooddrop, which is the Thuisbezorgd of Groningen. Furthermore, Paradigm will have a ‘Biergarten’ terrace every weekend at the Suikerunieterrein as well. They will serve special Paradigm beers, vegan dishes, and fair-trade drinks. Of course, accompanied by the typical Paradigm music!
So, there will be enough places to enjoy some nice food, drinks and the sun with a safe 1,5 meter distance!
Expositions and movies at Forum Groningen
The big Forum building in the middle of Groningen opened up just at the end of last year. However, due to Covid-19, the doors had to close again sooner than later. Now Forum Groningen is open again! Of course, the same rules apply everywhere else. You still have to keep a 1,5 meter distance and if you have any health complaints, you have to stay home.
However, now that the restrictions are becoming less strict, Forum Groningen opened up a rooftop cinema! The cinema will be open all summer. You can buy tickets to watch a movie with popcorn and drinks. At the same time you will have a beautiful view over Groningen!
Besides this new rooftop cinema, Forum also started regular programming again. For example, AI: More than Human. This exposition is extended to the 16th of August and lets you dive into the world of artificial intelligence. You can also discover Storyworld, an exposition about the origins of strips, animation figures, and games.
A laser show in MartiniPlaza
MartiniPlaza will organize a MartiniPlaza Mega Xperience exposition from the 4th of July until the 25th of July! There will be different rooms with different experiences. For example, there will be rooms with light and music shows, laser lights and 3D animations that show the Grand Canyon or the North pole. It will be a nice trip away from home with friends, family or your roommates!
The exposition costs 10 Euros and you can only get tickets online via this link: https://martiniplaza.nl/agenda/mmx.
Swimming spots in Groningen
In Groningen, there are many nice places where you can enjoy the Dutch summer weather and even go for a swim. For example, next to DOT, there is a ‘beach’ where many people come to go for a swim. The water is clean and being monitored. The same goes for Grunopark where you can not only swim but also give waterskiing and wakeboarding a try!
Every year, the nice spots in Groningen where you can chill and swim, fill up with people who want to enjoy the sun and cool off in the water. This year will probably not be any different. So, if you do decide to go to one of the swimming spots in Groningen, try to find places that are not too busy and make sure you keep a safe distance from the people around you!
FlixBus
If you want to get out of Groningen for a day or two, you can also take a FlixBus in the direction of Germany. These busses recently started driving from and to Groningen again. You can take the bus from the train station and go to Amsterdam, Bremen, Berlin or Hamburg. They may expand these trips to Belgium and France as well. You have to make a reservation, of course, and face masks are still mandatory!
Even with the restrictions put upon us, there is enough to do in Groningen in the upcoming months. Be safe and enjoy your summer!