Groningen Central won the title of “Most Beautiful Station in the Netherlands” in the first ever edition of an NS nationwide vote.
Groningen’s station won by a landslide, securing 33% of the votes from rail travellers. The station was one of eight nominees across the country: Amsterdam Amstel, Amsterdam Centraal, Den Haag Hollands Spoor, Eindhoven, Rotterdam Centraal, Utrecht Centraal and Valkenburg.
The Groninger Internet Courant reports that the Valkenburg station in Limburg secured the second most votes (16%), followed by Rotterdam Centraal (14%), Amsterdam Centraal (11%) and Utrecht Centraal (9%). A press release from NS states that more than 10,000 votes came in for the first edition of the campaign, which was organised by NS social media manager Gerjan Vasse.
Vasse says, “Stations are more than just a place that you run through to catch your train or to absentmindedly wander through while looking at your phone. We think it’s a good thing to stop and reflect on the special historic features of these buildings.”
The Groningen Central Station originally opened in 1866, but the current building was completed in 1896 and was designed by Izaak Gosschalk. The crowning feature of the neo-gothic structure, which is in the midst of ambitious expansion plans, is the entrance hall with a coffered ceiling, stained glass windows and towering art nouveau tableaux created by Groningen artist F.H. Bach.
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