Stationshal Hoofdstation
Stately hall of lost footsteps
You rush onto the platform from a packed train. Or you walk briskly from the city centre to catch your train. And then suddenly, it’s quiet. Apart from the echo of a laughing child, you hear absolutely nothing for a moment. The stately station concourse makes Hoofdstation Groningen one of the most beautiful station buildings in the Netherlands.
Salle des pas perdus
Whether early in the morning or late in the afternoon: at any given moment when you’re in the station concourse, you’ll see people looking up. They’re marvelling at the ceiling and the impressive tiled murals by the Groningen artist F.H. Bach. The hall is a so-called ‘salle des pas perdus’, literally a hall where footsteps are lost. This refers to the hall’s acoustics, but also to its function. Both in the past and today, it is a waiting area where people wander about to pass the time and thus move their feet more or less pointlessly.
Cathedral of the Winged Wheel
The station concourse, also known as the ‘cathedral of the winged wheel’, is undoubtedly the reason why the Main Station is regarded as one of the most beautiful station buildings in the Netherlands. But the rest of the station building is also well worth a look. Groningen has had a station since 1866; the current building was constructed in the late 19th century. From het Peerd van Ome Loeks on the Stadsbalkon, you have a magnificent view of the façade with its mix of late-Gothic ornamentation, rose windows and Renaissance gables.
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‘One of the most beautiful places in the whole country’
‘One of the most beautiful places in the whole country’
