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Awards |
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- Second best student city in the Netherlands (after Amsterdam, according to survey October 2007);
- Safest City in the Netherlands 2004;
- Best liked by its inhabitants in a comparable Survey from the EU, July 2007, among inhabitants of 75 cities in the EU, on aspects such as amenities, facilities, safety, pleasant people living there, clean air. (1. Groningen, 2. Leipzig 2. and 3. Krakow);
- Best downtown in the Netherlands 2006;
- Best bike city in the world 2002 (57% of all transportation within the city is by bike).
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History |
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- The first major settlement in Groningen has been traced back to the third century AD;
- During medieval times, the city steadily became an important trade centre in Northern Europe;
- The most famous eye-catcher, the Martinitower, was the highest building in Europe for a while in the fifteenth century;
- Many old buildings in the centre still show Groningen’s great history.
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Population
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- Groningen has a population of 185,000;
- Every fourth person in Groningen is a student, which gives Groningen the highest student population density in the Netherlands;
- Fifty percent of the population is younger than 35.
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Culture
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- Because Groningen is the urban centre of the north of the Netherlands and has such a large student population, its cultural scene is remarkably big and diverse;
- It has a vibrant and famous nightlife, dominated by students. Bars in the centre are allowed to stay open 24 hours a day;
- Underground pop club Vera has a great reputation among alternative music lovers all over the world. Bands like Nirvana, U2, White Stripes and Sonic Youth performed here in the early days of their career;
- The most important museum is the Groninger Museum. It has a great collection of modern art, but is mostly famous for its controversial construction designed by Alessandro Mendini;
- Other museums in Groningen include a comics museum, tobacco museum, and science museum.
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Economy |
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- Economic capital of the north of the Netherlands;
- Largest natural gas-field in Western Europe;
- World’s largest sugar factory;
- One of the Netherlands’ largest shipbuilding centres.
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Transport
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- The centre of Groningen is partly closed off for cars, so it is a very safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians and bikers;
- Only two hours away from Utrecht, two-and-a-half from Amsterdam and Schiphol Airport, and three hours from The Hague and Rotterdam;
- Groningen is located very close to the German border. It’s only two hours away from Bremen, and three hours from Hamburg;
- There are direct buses between Groningen and Bremen airport, run by Publicexpress (www.publicexpress.de). From Bremen Airport you can fly with Ryaniar to many destinations in Europe at a very low price (Milan, Malaga, Barcelona, London, Oslo, Stockholm).
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