Along Groningen paths & picnic spots
Walk or cycle along beautiful spots and throw out your picnic blanket to enjoy the tastiest local produce. Around a borg, in a monastery garden or along a winding river: where will you have a nice picnic?
Walking
Fairytale picnics | 22 km
Have a fairytale picnic in the Slochterbos near the Fraeylemaborg. A perfect place for a picnic on a hot summer day. The many trees provide the necessary shade. With the borg in the background and some goodies in your hand, you can properly appropriate the slogan'They lived happily ever after'.
- Get your treats at: Restaurant de Boerderij or Rustpunt Slochteren
- To be reached by: Public transport (39 minutes by bus 178 from the city) & car (25-minute drive from the city)
Tree meadow route | 3.6 km
Along the meandering little river of the Ruiten Aa, there are plenty of beautiful places to picnic. Everywhere you are surrounded by woods, meadows and fields.
- Get your treats at: Gasterij Natuurlijk Smeerling, where they will be happy to let you enjoy all the goodies from the region. Take the 'Verrassend Doordachte' lunch and enjoy a picnic in the varied nature of the dal van de Ruiten Aa
- To be reached by: Public transport (1 hour and 28 minutes by local train and bus 14 from the city) & car (43-minute drive from the city)
From castle to borg | 6 km
Enjoy an afternoon picnic in the garden of Nienoord. On the estate right next to the borg, you can take a lovely walk in the beautiful borg garden, which has been laid out in the atmosphere of how it used to be. Behind the borg is a large family park with a playground and petting zoo where children can have a great time.
- Get your treats at: Farm shop Oosterheerdt or in the garden room of Grand Café Nienoord
- To be reached by: Public transport (25 minutes by bus 3 from the city) & car (17-minute drive from the city)
Around Veendam | 10.3 km
Feasting on local delicacies by a swimming pond in Borgerwold - sounds good right? Whether you love history, beer, adventure, animals or football; this city walk in Veendam will not bore you.
- Get your treats at: Zuivelboerderij Bij de Boerin or Brouwhotel Parkzicht
- To be reached by: Public transport (1 hour by bus 178 and 171) & car (30 minutes from the city)
Cycling
Cycling along the Dollard | 30 km
Throw out your picnic blanket on the dike at the Punt van Reide. This narrow outer dike headland in the middle of the Dollard is an oasis of calm. While you wolf down half your picnic basket, watch nature having free reign here and admire the many birds. You might even spot a seal from behind the zeehondenkijkwand.
- Get your treats at: you won't encounter many on the way, nice and quiet right? Bring your own refreshments for this tour.
- To be reached by: Car (51-minute drive from the city)
Fruit farming in the former fivelboezem | 60 km
If you drive or cycle through the former Fivelboezem today, and have a keen eye for land and crops, you will see everything growing in several places. The fertile sea clay has not lost its properties and offers good soil for growing apples, pears, plums and berries, among other things. So stap on the pedals and discover the local fruit growers.
- Get your treats at: farm shop Luingahof for fresh fruit for your picnic. Or get an ice cream there on a hot summer day. Cycling around the area on Saturday morning? Visit the yard shop at organic farm Eikemaheert and you might be able to take a tour with the farmer. Biking on a day other than Saturday? Then drop by Goudgewas, also a farm shop, with sales from the barn.
- To reach: By car (27-minute drive from the city)
View the cycle route
With dung and fork route | 40 km
The manure and fork cycle route (no, that's not a spelling error) takes you along all kinds of culinary hotspots in 40 kilometres. It takes some serious pedalling, but with all those beautiful views and friendly mound villages, this is certainly not a punishment. En route on the cycle route, you pass the Kloosterburen Closterertuin, the perfect place for a picnic stop.
- Get your treats at: Herberg-Restaurant Molenrij or a tea break at de Theefabriek
- To reach: By car (35 minutes from the city)
Woods of the Westerkwartier | 52 km
At various places you will come across shelters, viewing screens or even watchtowers. Here you can rest and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. At the Oude Riet watchtower, many birds can be seen, such as the great egret and, with a lot of luck, quail or even a corncrake.
- Get your treat at: You can get a sandwich at Bakkerij van Esch and see what goodies are available at Landgoedboerderij Oosterheerdt
- To reach: Car: (20 minutes by car from the city)
