Both the Frisian capital of Leeuwarden and the city of Groningen are launching new internationally-focused websites this week: visitleeuwarden.com launched on Thursday, and groningen.nl will come online on Friday.
By Thomas Ansell and Traci White
On Thursday morning, at the Stadsschouwburg de Harmonie in Leeuwarden, around 50 people gathered in the main hall to witness the unveiling of visitleeuwarden.com, a new portal for tourist information in the city. During the event, alderperson Sjoerd Feitsma spoke about the city’s hopes that its status as a European Capital of Culture in 2018 will help to kick start Leeuwarden’s chances of becoming a tourist hot spot in the Northern Netherlands.
Aside from insider tips and best picks for culture, shopping, eating and staying, the website also provides inspiration on what really makes Friesland tick. The site, which will be available in English and German, is meant to be serve as a hub for activities in the city. The new website is the result of a coming-together of the Gemeente Leeuwarden, Merk Fryslan, and other various agencies, who would like to see the city iepen up to more international people.
Groningen.nl
On Friday, a launch party will be held at DOT for a new informational website for the city of Groningen: groningen.nl. The site, which will also be available in English, is meant to serve as a portal for newcomers in particular. The site will feature basic information about the city and the province, suggestions for how to find housing and work, and an overview of sports clubs, nightlife and other insider tips about the area.
The Groninger Internet Courant reports that the site, which was developed by Marketing Groningen, will also feature a section called “Local Heroes” with films about Groningers from the cultural, business and scientific sectors.
The site is an initiative of Het Akkoord van Groningen, which also supports The Northern Times. The Akkoord partners, which include the municipality of Groningen, the RUG, the Hanze and UMCG, hope that the website will provide a central location for recently arrived people in the city and province to learn more about their new home. T
