In Groningen, you’ll find art on the streets. These art trails let you see (and hear) a new side of the city. Discover graffiti and street art on a musical tour, stroll through four centuries of music history, or cycle in the dark past light art installations that you wouldn’t easily spot during the day. Go in search of the (un)remarkable art in the city.
Art Route: Off the Beaten Track
This walking route takes you off the beaten track to discover ‘off the beaten art’: art that you don’t always notice in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Rough edges combined with Groningen’s hidden gems on the streets. Because it’s only when you look differently that you see the (un)remarkable art.
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Urban bike tour past light art installations
Fancy a cultural and urban adventure after dark? Discover light art installations in Groningen from the comfort of your bike. Set off at dusk and take a tour of these special (and often undiscovered) artworks in and around the city centre, which don’t stand out quite so much in daylight.
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Art trail along Groningen’s canals
(Re)discover the green canal banks on the southern edge of Groningen’s city centre during a lunchtime or evening stroll. Or simply when you take the ‘elephant path’ down the middle to walk your dog. This route takes you past 12 works of art situated in the centre of the canal banks.
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Musical tour of street art & graffiti
This route takes you past works by various street artists. Walk the short route or hop on your bike and do the long tour. You’ll hear short stories about the artists, accompanied by a musical playlist curated by Thijs de Vlieger of Noisia and Frank Post (aka Posij).
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From Bach to Bowie
This musical city walk takes you through four centuries of music history. The route takes you to the most important places, both past and present, when it comes to music in Groningen. During the walk, two special guides will tell you everything from Bach to Bowie. Listen to colourful stories and, of course, music!
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Poetry by bike
With the Poetry Hubs, you can put together your own poetry routes for a time that suits you, with a length that matches your fitness level. You can listen to the poems on your phone using the VERS poetry app. The further you cycle, the more poetry you can hear.
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De Ploeg hotspots
This cycle route takes you past replicas of works by the De Ploeg art group at the very spots where they were (possibly) painted or where members of De Ploeg found inspiration. The Groninger Museum is the starting and finishing point of this 40-kilometre route.
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Geheugentrip Art Route
This art trail takes you past various locations south of the ring road. Places that all tell a story about the history of this special area, yet are also very much in the present. At each location, you can listen to soundscapes, poems and music clips. This brings the past to life.
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Hidden art in the city
In Groningen, works of art are not always prominently displayed on a plinth, taking centre stage. The city boasts a considerable number of hidden works of art for the observant visitor. Some works are even only visible at certain times. We’re sharing a few of these hidden works of art here, but don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled yourself.
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Colourful walls: street art in Groningen
When you look around a corner in Groningen, you might just find yourself in a world of colour. In various places across the city and province, walls have been transformed by artists. They have turned them into colourful landscapes, tributes to artists, a look back at the past or a veritable circus. In this way, they make Groningen a little more colourful time and time again.
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“ “This place is buzzing with free spirits who do their own thing, using the city as their canvas.” ”
