Martini Church 
The tower of the Martini Church (Martinikerk) is the highest church tower in the whole of Groningen. It is centrally located in the Grote Markt, the main square of the city center. The views are the best you’ll get in Groningen and as such, its 97 meter climb has become the most popular place to visit in Groningen for tourists.
Above the entrance to the tower on the front side are three pictures. They are of the blind man Bernlef, Saint Martinus and Rudolf Agricola – all three of which are linked historically to Groningen. The tower itself, though extremely impressive, has very shallow foundations, penetrating just three meters deep.
The current tower is the third incarnation on this spot. The first dating from the 13th Century was 30 meters in height and destroyed by a lightning bolt. A second tower was built in the 15th Century of a height of 45 meters, but was also destroyed in a lightning storm. The third and current version of the tower was built from 1469 to 1482 from sandstone. Initially, the tower was an impressive 127 meters high. In 1577, in celebration of the departure of the over-lording Spanish, fires were lit on the third tier of the tower. This resulted sadly in the partial collapse of the tower. Only 69 meters of the tower ultimately remained. Finally, in the 17th Century, the tower was repaired and reached its current height of 97 meters. The tower survived World War II with only minimal damage. Those with a keen eye will be able to spot a bullet hole in the bells caused by the Canadian forces that liberated Groningen from the Germans.
Opening Times:
April – October 11am-5pm
July – August 11am – 4pm
November – March 12 – 4pm
Admission: Adults 3, Children 2. Tickets can be purchased at the VVV (tourist office), which is directly opposite on the other side of the square.
Grote Markt Groningen
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