On an e-bike through Groningen's history

When the weather is nice, Noorderplantsoen is full of recreational city dwellers and students. Would they know that there used to be fierce warfare here? The angles in the banks give away the history. In the 17th century, the city's ramparts were built and moats dug here. Nowadays, the plantation is mainly a place to gather and enjoy the sun.

You leave the city behind you and cycle for a while in the middle of nowhere. Located in Europe's oldest cultural landscape, The Reitdiepgebied, stands a lonely small farm, Harssensbosch farm. Centuries ago, the hamlet of Harssens was here, with a church, cemetery and even a borg. This was demolished in the 18th century, but the borg grounds can still be easily recognised in the landscape.

A path with pollarded willows connects Klein-Wetsinge with Groot-Wetsinge. Your eyes do not deceive you: Klein-Wetsinge is indeed bigger than Groot-Wetsinge. This is because 'big' stands for 'high' and Groot-Wetsinge lies on a mound, a man-made residential hill. Klein-Wetsinge's church (1840) is an ideal place for a break with a bite to eat and a drink, and be sure to take the stairs up. From the cabin above the vaults, you have a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside.

You enter the wierden village of Garnwerd via the bridge over Reitdiep. Former ferry house Bij Hammingh is a national monument with a rich history, built by Egbert Hammingh's grandfather in 1876. The building, which still has the atmosphere of yesteryear, is located on the dike with beautiful views over the Reitdiepdal, Korenmolen de Meeuw and the bridge of Garnwerd. What's more, it cooks delicious food with beautiful products from the region. Prepared with knowledge and love.

Climb up at the historic lock for a magnificent view. The first locks in Aduarderzijl were built early on: around 1400. The lock, then still made of wood, allowed excess water from the area around the city of Groningen to enter the Reitdiep, which until the nineteenth century was in open connection with the sea, allowing the water to flow away. During the St Martin's Flood in 1686, this sluice was completely swept away. Today, two locks can be found in Aduard: the western Aduarderzijlen (1706) and an eastern sluice from 1867.

In the time of the jonkers, the province of Groningen was full of borgen. Allersmaborg also dates back to the Middle Ages. The thick walls of this old stone house consist of large bricks. These were widely used for building monasteries and churches and were often fired by monks. The Allersmaborg 's orchard contains old Groningen fruit varieties.

The first dykes are only about 1,000 years old. The Groningers had no desire to wait for this invention. They built wierden, or mounds: broad hills on which they could live high and dry. Ezinge is one of the most famous wierdend villages. This is due to the excavations that were carried out here in the early 20th century. Some of these finds can be found in Museum Wierdenland. Curious about the story of the Ezinge cemetery? Then also listen to The Province podcast about the cemetery.

The shops are full of spelt bread these days. But spelt was a 'forgotten' cereal for a long time. However, in corn and flour mill Joeswert (1855), the cereal has never been forgotten. The mill is still used to grind spelt. Typical Groningen products such as spelt cake and spelt beer are made with the spelt flour. Also take a look in the mill shop, where you can buy many other flours besides the home-milled organic wheat, spelt and rye.

In town, the old warehouses along the deep reveal the bustle of yesteryear. Ships sailed to and fro here, and you could hear rattling wheels and the trampling of horses' hooves all day long. The city's oldest harbour district was for a long time in direct connection with the sea. Quietly waiting for the water to reach the right level? The enterprising Groningers had no time for that. They built a high quay, the Hoge der A, for loading and unloading during high tide. On the other side of the deep came a low quay for during low tide, the Lage der A. Want to know more about Groningen shipping? Nearby, in the fourteenth-century buildings on Brugstraat, sits the Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum.