Paterswoldseweg to Der Aa-kerk Heritage Loop in Groningen

This circular city walk is 5.4 km long and takes about 65 minutes, starting from Paterswoldseweg in the Zeeheldenbuurt of Groningen. The route mixes canal-side streets, inner-city quays, bridges and historic lanes in a compact urban loop. It is especially rewarding around Westerhaven, Pottebakkersrijge, Der Aa-kerk, the Gotisch Huis, the former Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum and the nearby Groninger Museum.

Starting on Paterswoldseweg in the Zeeheldenbuurt, this 5.4 km circular walk gives a varied impression of Groningen’s south-western edge and historic centre in just over an hour. It begins with a practical urban rhythm, then quickly draws you toward Westerhaven and the waterside streets around Hoendiepskade, where quays, crossings and short connecting lanes make the walk feel lively without becoming long or difficult. From Westerhaven, the route moves into one of the most rewarding historic parts of the city. Astraat and Pottebakkersrijge lead you toward the area around Der Aa-kerk, a major Groningen landmark whose present organ has roots in the work of Arp Schnitger and was moved into the church in 1815. Nearby, the Korenbeurs recalls the city’s grain-trading past, while the Gotisch Huis and the former Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum, now connected with Museum aan de A, point to Groningen’s medieval streetscape and maritime history. The University of Groningen, founded in 1614, adds another layer of civic history just beyond the route’s central section. This is also a good walk for slowing down. Westerhaven offers logical places to pause, and the route passes close to cafés and lunch spots such as Smaaq on Astraat and Wadapartja Westerhaven on Pottebakkersrijge, both convenient for coffee, lunch or a short terrace break. Later, Praediniussingel, Emmaplein and Emmabrug give the walk a broader, open-city feel before the loop turns back by way of longer urban stretches such as Hoornsediep, Koeriersterweg and Peizerweg. The nearby Groninger Museum, founded in 1874 and now known for its striking modern building, provides a final cultural accent. Overall, this is a compact, place-rich Groningen walk: easy to fit into a morning or afternoon, yet full of quays, bridges, old façades and cultural landmarks that reward unhurried looking.

INSTRUCTIES

1. 1Walk northwest on Paterswoldseweg.42 m · Paterswoldseweg
2. 2Turn right.7 m
3. 3Turn left onto Paterswoldseweg.252 m · Paterswoldseweg
4. 4Turn right onto Westerhaven.207 m · Westerhaven
5. 5Turn right onto Hoendiepskade.141 m · Hoendiepskade
6. 6Turn left onto Westerbinnensingel.129 m · Westerbinnensingel
7. 7Turn right onto the walkway.31 m
8. 8Take the stairs.3 m
9. 9Continue on the walkway.4 m
10. 10Turn right onto Sledemennerstraat.142 m · Sledemennerstraat
11. 11Turn left onto Astraat.37 m · Astraat
12. 12Turn right onto Pottebakkersrijge.198 m · Pottebakkersrijge
13. 13Turn left onto Praediniussingel.36 m · Praediniussingel
14. 14Turn right to stay on Praediniussingel.248 m · Praediniussingel
15. 15Turn right onto Emmaplein.55 m · Emmaplein
16. 16Turn right onto Emmabrug.70 m · Emmabrug
17. 17Move left.22 m
18. 18Continue on Emmaviaduct.8 m · Emmaviaduct
19. 19Turn left to stay on Emmaviaduct.5 m · Emmaviaduct
20. 20Turn right to stay on Emmaviaduct.457 m · Emmaviaduct
21. 21Turn left onto Zaanstraat.105 m · Zaanstraat
22. 22Turn right onto Spaarnestraat.14 m · Spaarnestraat
23. 23Turn left onto the walkway.254 m
24. 24Make a left U-turn onto the walkway.254 m
25. 25Turn left onto Spaarnestraat.27 m · Spaarnestraat
26. 26Turn right onto Parkweg.100 m · Parkweg
27. 27Turn left onto Hoornsediep.6 m · Hoornsediep
28. 28Turn right onto Parkweg.83 m · Parkweg
29. 29Turn right onto Hoornsediep.399 m · Hoornsediep
30. 30Turn right onto Koeriersterweg.157 m · Koeriersterweg
31. 31Turn left to stay on Koeriersterweg.12 m · Koeriersterweg
32. 32Turn right to stay on Koeriersterweg.451 m · Koeriersterweg
33. 33Turn right.90 m
34. 34Turn left onto the walkway.10 m
35. 35Turn right to take the ramp.11 m
36. 36Turn left towards Ring Groningen Zuid/Drachten/Assen.83 m · Peizerweg
37. 37Keep left to stay on Peizerweg.82 m · Peizerweg
38. 38Turn left to stay on Peizerweg.6 m · Peizerweg
39. 39Turn right onto the walkway.71 m
40. 40Turn left.355 m
41. 41Turn left.55 m
42. 42Turn right onto the walkway.134 m
43. 43Turn left.18 m
44. 44Continue on Peizerweg.489 m · Peizerweg
45. 45Turn right onto Paterswoldseweg.42 m · Paterswoldseweg
46. 46Your destination is on the right.0 m