144km (90 miles) NE of Amsterdam; 51km (32 miles) E of Leeuwarden

The capital of Groningen province is important commercially and industrially, and sits at the heart of one of the world's largest natural gas fields. Cars are banned from the old center, which is enclosed by a moat. Part of the center was destroyed during World War II, but much of its medieval and 16th- and 17th-century heritage survived and has been preserved. The University of Groningen was founded in 1614, and a student population of 20,000 gives the town a lively character.

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