Groningen is the largest city in northern Netherlands, the sixth largest in the Netherlands, and the province capital. Today it’s home for two major university with an estimated 25% of its population comprised of students, obvious by the large number of young people seen walking and biking.
Forum Groningen is a multi-purpose community center located on the edge of central Groningen near Grote Markt, one block from the surrounding canal. Completed and opened in 2019, its architecture is a stark contrast to the surrounding medieval/medieval-like buildings (many of which were damaged/destroyed during World War II and subsequently rebuilt/recreated).
My wife and I visited Groningen on Easter Monday, a public holiday, and only discovered the Forum because of its car park. We entered the Forum via the public doors (not from the car park elevators) into a large, welcoming entrance hall that houses an information booth, gift store, kiosk, cafe, and places to sit and relax. Students were everywhere, on multiple levels both studying and hanging out. Tourists asking for suggestions. Others purchasing movie tickets. We saw more people inside the Forum than we saw on the streets.
So what all is housed inside Forum Groningen? Lots:
- tourist center;
- public library;
- movie theater;
- technology discovery lab;
- restaurant/bar;
- car park with EV charging stations;
- observation deck.
Rooftop Observation Deck
You can take either elevators or escalators to the the Forum’s rooftop observation deck which provides spectacular 360° views of central Groningen. The plexiglas barriers installed to protect visitors are clean and clear, so bring your phone or camera and plan on taking lots of pictures. Our early morning visit was somewhat chilly, though the sun lack of wind helped. Likely intentionally, the observation deck has no chairs or benches, likely to deter people from extending their visit.
A Rooftop Cinema runs Wednesday during warm-weather months, tickets including drinks and snacks. Sounds fun!
Final Thoughts
An unexpected find, definitely worth a quick visit. The highlight is definitely the observation deck, but also a very pleasant place to just rest after a busy day of touristing. The car park is large, modern, well-lit and easy to navigate, though finding its entrance is somewhat tricky with some neighboring streets closed for construction.
Image Credits
- Photos © 2026 Scott C Sosna, all rights reserved.
