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Few travellers venture to this far corner of the Netherlands, but those who don't go are missing out on the country's rural heart, a place where traditions are kept alive and prehistoric relics dot the landscape. The Netherlands' best-known walking trail, the Pieterspad, legs it from here, from Pieterburen 490km south to Maastricht.
Provincial capital Groningen is a buzzing, youthful city. Museums, restaurants, bars, theatres, canals, festivals – it's the north's cultural point of reference and a fine base for exploring.
On the coast, try the strangely intriguing pastime of wadlopen (mudflat-walking). Or head to Bourtange, on the eastern border with Germany; its hefty defences are just as forbidding now as they were in the 16th century. South, Drenthe is a great garden with shifting tableaus of sheep pastures, stream-cut peat bogs, marshlands and fascinating hunebedden (neolithic burial chambers), often accessible only by bike or on foot.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Northeastern Netherlands.
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Those arriving by train can't help but notice the Groninger Museum. Occupying three islands in the ring canal in front of the station, the museum is, at the very least, a striking structure that will draw an opinion from any observer. Within is a scintillating mix of international artworks from throughout the ages.
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This dynamic city's most ambitious redevelopment project to date, the gleaming 'New Market' square is slated to become an A-lister hub for alfresco lounging when it finally takes shape in 2019. Its eastern side will be hemmed by the pyramidical hulk of the Forum Cultural Centre, and several cafe terraces, including trendy Het Concerthuis, will fringe its southern side.
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A climb up 251 steep and spiralling stone steps to the summit of this elegant, 96m-tall medieval tower (1482) rewards with grand views – and worrisome proximity to its giant bells, which ring every 15 minutes most days. Buy admission tokens at the tourist office across the street.
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Groningen's landmark cultural centre - home to the city's tourist office, library, five cinemas, exhibition spaces, the Nederlands Stripmuseum and a fabulous pavement cafe - will open its doors in 2019. Towering 10 storeys high on Nieuwe Markt, the eye-popping trapezoidal building is downtown's most striking piece of contemporary architecture and an icon of the new Groningen. Crane your neck upwards to admire its pièce de résistance – a hipster rooftop terrace with bar and summertime film screenings.
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Of the 107,000 Jews living in the Netherlands before WWII, all but 5000 were deported by the Nazis to concentration and death camps in central and eastern Europe. Their fateful journey began at Kamp Westerbork, a Nazi transit camp in a forest 10km south of Assen, near Hooghalen village. An excellent on-site museum traces the history of the holocaust in the Netherlands, and photo blow-ups mark the locations of Nazi-era features such as the punishment building and workshops where internees worked as virtual slaves.
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Some 25km northeast of Groningen, in the town of Uithuizen, is one of the Netherlands' most authentic manor houses. Originally a fortified castle dating from the 14th century, Menkemaborg received its present gentrified appearance – a moated estate of three houses surrounded by lavishly landscaped gardens – early in the 18th century, and it has barely been altered since. Inside, the rooms retain all the pomp and ceremony of 18th-century aristocratic life, complete with carved-oak mantelpieces, stately beds and fine china.
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In Eelde, 5km south of Groningen, this space is devoted to figurative art from around Europe. The main organic structure, which blends into its natural surroundings, features paintings from some of the Netherlands' more progressive 20th-century artists, such as Wout Muller, Henk Helmantel, Herman Gordijn and Matthijs Röling. Fascinating temporary exhibitions complement the permanent collection.
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Devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of sick and injured seals, this centre houses 20 to 30 sea mammals, which can be seen lounging and swimming in various pools. The centre also leads seal-watching cruises on the Waddenzee, departing from Lauwersoog, and is the starting point for guided mudflat-walking hikes. Check schedules and make reservations on the website for both.
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The tiniest harbour in the Netherlands is 29km north of Groningen and 4.5km northwest of the village of Usquert. Its desolate beauty is striking and is best appreciated from the mudflats. Used until recently by shrimpers from Usquert (the nearest train station), the harbour now serves mainly as a takeoff point for wadlopers (mudflat hikers). To reach it from Usquert, cycle or drive by car between flat fields with huge clouds on the horizon.