There’s so much to do in Groningen that you almost need a guide to help you uncover the city’s hidden gems. For this special Christmas edition, the regular editors at UKrant will be that guide. What’s our favourite venue and which events in the upcoming week are absolutely not to be missed?
Hangout: De Pintelier
I don’t like pilsner, I prefer real beer (although I’ll make an exception for Warsteiner – Königin under den Bieren). xxx Preferably Belgian beer. Here at the UKrant offices, we’re blessed to have a Belgian beer pub just around the corner. Cross the Harmonie square, go under the arches, duck into the alleyway on your left and you’ll find De Pintelier, also known as De Pint.
They have approximately a hundred different beers, both in bottles and on tap. Because the beer they sell keeps changing, you could drink 250 different types of beer in a year.
Regular beer, weizen, white beer (which is not the same as weizen), cherry beer, light beer (I’d rather drink Fanta if I’m honest) and a host of speciality beers (my favourite). A fun game to play is to close your eyes and drop your finger anywhere on the giant beer menu. However, pay attention to the alcohol content, because the speciality beers can contain up to 8 percent. [Rob Siebelink]
De Pintelier
Kleine Kromme Elleboog 9
Opening hours: 4 p.m. during the week, 3 p.m. on the weekend
Where you’ll find us over the next few weeks
Fraeylemaborg | Licht op Fraeylema
When: December 11 to 15, 4-10 p.m.
Price: 9 euros (pre-sale)
While this event takes place outside the city, it’s more than worth it. It involves a 1 kilometre walk along an unpaved path at the Fraeylemaborg – a castle in Slochteren – to admire the fascinating lights. Don’t forget to visit the castle’s main room, which is decked out in Christmas decorations. If you think 18 kilometres is too far to bike, you can take Qbuzz line 178. [René Lapoutre]
City centre | WinterWelVaart
When: December 13 to 15
Price: free
This weekend, WinterWelVaart will once again light up the Groningen canals. Approximately twenty historical ships at the Hoge, Lage, and Kleine der A, as well as the Pottebakkersrijge and the Sluiskade will host a festival consisiting of theatre, music, and lectures, among other things. The ships and the sidewalks are lit up by thousands of lights and various stands sell chocolate milk, mulled wine, and food to keep you warm, so don’t forget to invite your favourite people! [Giulia Fabrizi]
Vera | Movie quiz
When: December 17, 8.30 p.m.
Price: 5 euros
Vera Zienema is doing Christmas! Not only are they organised their annual movie quiz in which you can compete in teams of two to five people, but they’re also playing three short movies. I’m mainly looking forward to The Insect’s Christmas (1913) by Russian filmmaker Ladislas Starevich, a lovely animation film about Santa Claus who moves into the woods. [Christien Boomsma]
Kardinge | Foraging walk
When: December 22, 10.30 a.m.
Price 42.50 euros
During the Christmas holidays, I like to go out into nature. Sanne Scheltena, also known as Greendreamster, is organising a foraging walk around Kardinge, followed by a lunch around a wood stove where you eat the things you found. Can you even forage for food in winter? Absolutely! Even now, there is enough to eat, such as herbs, berries, and seeds. Sanne will also tell you about the medicinal properties of certain plants. [Mirjam van der Wal]
TuinInDeStad | Sustainable adoptive Christmas tree
When: every day until December 22
Price: 20 to 35 euros
If you think it’s a shame to throw out your Christmas tree after the holidays and you therefore keep postponing buying a tree, you should check out TuinInDeStad. Here, you can adopt a tree with roots. When you return the tree in January, it goes back into the ground. If it survives the year, and 80 to 90 percent of them do, you can pick it up again for the next holidays. If the tree is too big for you to carry home, you can have it delivered on a cargo bike. [Rob van der Wal]
Forum | Roald Dahl Festival
When: December 28 to 30
Price: varies for each workshop/movie
There’s a good chance you read the books of Roald Dahl as a kid, either in horror or in fondness. The annual Roald Dahl is just the thing for you, then. Most workshops are aimed at kids, so if you don’t have any of your own, you might have to borrow one from the neighbours in order to avoid getting strange looks. If you don’t have a mini me to take with you, just visit the Forum movie theatre for the remake of The Witches or the original Matilda. [Saskia Jonker]