Area information

Martiniplaza is located next to the A7 and close to the city centre of Groningen.Groningen is the major city of the Northern Netherlands and, with a population of 180.000, the seventh largest city in the Netherlands. Groningen is an attractive city with a high level of facilities typical of major cities.

Institutions such as the University (RUG), the University Medical Centre, the headquaters of N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie and the Groninger Museum, make Groningen the regional centre for more than half a million people.Groningen’s main attractions are its two beautifully designed central squares: the 15th century Martinikerk (church) and the Renaissance Goudkantoor in the Grote Markt.

Cars are banned from the picturesque historic centre. The University of Groningen was founded in 1614 and its student population keeps the city vibrant (every fifth person in the city is a student).You can shop in the large shopping centre, visit one of the museums, make a trip in a canal touring boat or visit one of the 160 pubs or restaurants in the city.

In the north of the Netherlands (the three provinces Fryslân, Groningen and Drenthe) you will find many attractive landscapes. The Barn Owl (Tyto alba), Little Owl (Athena noctua), Long-eared Owl (Asio otis), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) and Short-eared Owl are breeding in this area.The Dutch Wadden Sea (north of Groningen) is the most famous nature area of the Netherlands. The area is of international importance being a nursery of marine life, and a resting, moulting, and feeding area for several millions of migratory birds. It is also the breeding habitat for thousands of birds, seals and many other wildlife. The area has been selected for European protection as part of the Natura 2000 Network. The region, especially the wadden islands, is also a key recreational area for the Netherlands and Germany. The entire area is ca. 250.000 ha and the nature reserve is ca 15.000 ha. The Wadden Sea itself is a shallow, semi-enclosed part of the North Sea, mainly consisting of tidal mud flats, sand flats, sea gullies and salt marshes. The area is bordered by a series of dune barrier islands: the "wadden islands" : Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland, Schiermonnikoog, Rottum and Griend. Important breeding birds are Oystercatcher, Redshank, Curlew, Bar-tailed godwit, Little stint, Dunlin, Sanderling, Knot, Ringed plover, Kentish plover, Grey plover, Brent goose, Barnacle goose, Wigeon, Shelduck. Eider, Herring gull, Black-headed gull and Common tern.In the autumn, some hundreds of thousands of geese gather here to spend the winter, especially in Friesland and along the Lauwers Lake (Lauwersmeer):Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) – more than 60.000 Bean goose (Anser fabalis) – ca. 18.000Greylag goose (Anser anser) – more than 28.000White-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) – more than 300.000Lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) – 1—20 Bernacle goose (Branta leucopsis) - more than 100.000Snow goose (Anser caerulescens) – a few birdsBar headed goose (Anser indicus) – a few birdsCanada goose (Branta Canadensis) – 10-100Brent goose (Branta bernicla) - more than 50.000We will try to see as much as possible of these birds during the conference tour (on saturday).