Martini Tower

The Martini Tower, located on the Grote Markt, is the highest tower in the city of Groningen at 96.8 meters. The tower belongs to the Martini Church. For the city residents, the tower is nicknamed d' Olle Grieze, Groningen for the old gray one.

The current Martinitoren had two predecessors. The first tower was built in the 13th century. It was about 30 meters high and entirely in the Romano-Gothic style. The 13th-century city seal of Groningen features an image of the tower. This originally stood to the west of the church, but had been extended to the west by the extension of the northern and southern aisles of the Martinikerk. The tower had a pyramidal tent roof and two round-arched reverberation holes. This tower was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1408. From 1430 the church was expanded in Gothic style, with the construction of a second tower about 45 meters high, which was partly made of stone and partly of wood, started in 1452. The church walls were built against the tower in 1461. On the Tuesday after Easter in 1465, a great fire raged in the tower as a result of a 'greeting thunder ende blyxem', according to the chronicle of  Sicke Benninghe. Possibly as a result of this the tower collapsed in 1468.

Climb the tower and enjoy the view.