Appingedam

Introduction

Appingedam is a small city in Groningen, one of the northern provinces of The Netherlands. It has just over 12.000 inhabitants and is one of the main destinations for tourists in the region. It is a charming town with many medieval buildings in the centre and a good number of activities in the summer months.

Its strategic location on the river Delf made Appingedam an economic and judicial centre in Medieval times. It flourished through trade, as it had an open water connection to the sea and became the seat of regional law administration. Its historic wealth remains well visible today, through the many remarkable façades in the town centre. In a way those remains of past welfare is a major aspect of Appingedam's economy today, as tourism is a large source of income.

Sights and Activities

The medieval town centre is well worth exploring. Note the 1 Hanging Kitchens this town is known for: small rooms sticking out of building sides above the Damsterdiep canal. The 2 Nicolaï Church is a Romano-Gothic hall church that originates from 1225–1450. The church is registered as a national monument. Just outside the city centre, there are several historic mansions.

• Museum Møhlmann, Westersingel 102, ☎ +31 596 682856. April 1 - December 1: F-Su 13:00-17:00. Museum Møhlmann is a privately-owned museum for realistic and figurative art. The museum was set up without any subsidy by the Dutch realistic painter Rob Møhlmann. The Museum houses three permanent collections and three temporarily exhibitions. €6.
• Raadhuis (Town Hall), Wijkstraat 36. The renaissance Town Hall of Appingedam dates back to 1630.
• Museum Stad Appingedam, Wijkstraat 25, ☎ +31 596 680168. Tu-F 11:00-17:00, Sa Su 13:00-17:00. The Museum Stad Appingedam has some good expositions about the town's culture and history, focusing particularly on architecture, urban planning and development. €4.

Getting There

By Train

There is a railway station in Appingedam along the railway from Groningen to Delfzijl. The train service, operated by Arriva, runs twice per hour both ways. The railway station is 800 meters north of the city centre. Travelling from Groningen will take about 30 minutes (€6.60). To reach Appingedam from other destinations in the Netherlands (or abroad), a transfer at Groningen's main station is required. From Amsterdam Centraal, the trip takes about 2hr 40min (2 transfers, €26.30), while from Schiphol Airport the trip takes 2hr 45min (1 transfer, €26.20).

By Car

Appingedam is easily reachable by car. The N33 expressway leads to Appingedam from Assen via the A7 motorway interchange at Zuidbroek. Another key road is the N360 trunk road that leads from Groningen city via Appingedam to Delfzijl. From Groningen city the drive to Appingedam takes about 30 minutes.

By Bus

There are a number of bus services to a lot of towns in the region. The bus services are all operated by Qbuzz. Appingedam's main bus stop is not at the railway station, and not all bus routes call at the railway station. From Groningen city the train is usually the best option to get to Appingedam, but the buses are useful from destinations inbetween.

Getting Around

The historic city centre is small and most suited to explore on foot. To see more of the city's surroundings, renting a bicycle is a good alternative.

Eat

• De Kosterij Nicolaas, Solwerderstraat 45. Good food for a reasonable price in a nice medieval building. Friendly staff.
• De Oude Rechtbank. Another historic building, nicely renovated. If you call ahead, try to reserve a table at the window, which enjoys nice views over the harbour. Food gets good reviews, as does the service.

Sleep

• Hotel Landgoed Ekenstein, Alberdaweg 70, Appingedam. A pleasant old mansion, 5 minutes drive from the centre. From €79.
• Het Wapen van Leiden, Wijkstraat 44. Friendly place in the town centre. From €74.50.
• Eco Stadshuys, Wijkstraat 1. Ecological hotel with a laissez-faire attitude and a lovely garden. From €60.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés are not as widespread as you would expect, but you can easily find one in the popular cities. Most hostels, hotels and camp sites have several computers, so you can keep connected with folk at home. Here is a list of internet cafés that could come in handy for travellers. Otherwise, most libraries have lots of computers and prices are around the €2-3 per hour range, although sometimes it can be even more expensive.

Wireless internet access using wifi is becoming more popular and is usually available at most hotels and increasingly at train stations. Also in trains (at least in most first class wagons, but also more and more in second class) and some buses you can use wifi. Finally, places like McDonald's and Starbucks have free wifi, and smaller individual business like cafés and restaurants are on the rise too offering these services. More often than not, these service tend to be free of charge, though there might be a limited time you can use the internet.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The country code for the Netherlands is 31. The outbound international prefix is 00. The general emergency number is 112, like many other countries.
0800 numbers are toll-free and for 09xx numbers are charged at premium rates. Mobile phones have numbers in the 06 range, and calls to cell phones are also priced at higher rates.

From internet cafés, it is also usually possible to make long distance international calls. Like in other countries, telephone booths have almost disappeared, though some are still found around public transport stations, where you can use a few coins to make calls. It is only recommended for local calls.

The cellular phone network in the Netherlands is GSM 900/1800. The main providers of cell phone networks are KPN (Dutch only), T-mobile and Vodafone, who cover the whole country. Other operators, like Hollandsnieuwe, Simyo or Tele2, use one of these 3 networks basically.

It is best to buy a SIM card when in the Netherlands for use in your cellphone, as this usually works out cheaper than using the one from home. If you are planning to study or work in the country and stay for several months, buying a cellphone is the best option. A simple one, sometimes with €10 worth on it, can be bought from around €25. The simplest smartphones are around €75.

Post

The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.64 (2014). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).

Sending items to other EU countries and the rest of the world (there is one price since 2014) will cost €1.05. Stamps are sold at post offices, supermarkets and smaller shops/kiosks; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.

Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between up to 2 kilograms will cost you €9 for destinations within the EU and €18 (both without Track & Trace) to the rest of the world. Prices with Track & Trace start at €13 and €24.30 respectively. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well. For sending parcels, it might be just as competitive and fast to use a company like TNT, UPS or DHL.

If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.

External Links