This is a list of Groningen Must Do's. Groningen is one of the more interesting cities of the Netherlands, and indeed, of Europe. There are quite a few things which are unique to this area, and any visit would not be complete without doing at least these five activities.

Hopefully your trip to Groningen is between the 1st of April and the 1st of October. If you have an option of timing your trip, this would certainly be the time to go so that you can take advantage of this great activity. The canals are around the city center and are not just a relaxing boat ride: there is amazing art and architecture for you to see. Many buildings designed by the architect Rem Koolhaas are there to see as well.

Groningen has a very impressive railway station as well.  If you are taking a European vacation, you are probably taking it by train, so it is highly unlikely that you will miss this train station, which has some very impressive architecture. Instead of just stepping out of the station immediately, make sure you take a few minutes to appreciate the building, as it is an attraction in and of itself.

For the non-Dutch group, the name of this museum might cause your imagination to run wild. If you are expecting a collection of relics from x-rated entertainment, however, you will be slightly disappointed. It is not a museum about stripper fashion, but about cartoons. "Strip" actually means "cartoon" in the Dutch language. This museum is about cartoons made by Dutch artists. If you have children, this definitely is the place to go. There is a good restaurant next door with a play area, and a place in the museum where they teach you how to make cartoons. This is definitely a very fun museum to visit.

Do the Dutch do this on purpose? If you know anything about the Groningen night life, you are thinking Martini. Well, this might be another slight disappointment. The Martini here refers to a saint, actually--St. Martinus. Martinitoren, is a tower known as "d' Olle Grieze," or the "Old Grey One" among the locals. While the name seems to be a lot less fun than the Martinitoren, once you climb the tower, you get a great view of the city center and the surrounding areas.  

Another reason why you need to visit Groningen between April and October is that group skating occurs between Mid-April and Mid-September, and is open for free participation by anybody who can roller skate.  While it is certainly not recommended for beginners, if you know how to hold your own, this 20-km group skating along with a rolling music boom box is a lot of fun.