Winkel Centrum

Appingedam is a small town in the province of Groningen, on the Damsterdiep canal, and its shopping centre is a good introduction to its character. The name Winkel Centrum simply means shopping centre, but here it describes the compact historic core, where small shops, cafes and restaurants line streets that have been used for trade for centuries. Appingedam is one of the oldest settlements in the north of the country, and its streets still follow the pattern of a medieval market town built around water.

The feature that makes the town known beyond the region is the hanging kitchens. In the old centre, narrow houses stand along the Damsterdiep, and their back kitchens project out over the canal, supported on wooden beams and brackets. They were built this way because the plots were small and the land was valuable, so the only way to add space was to build over the water. Seen from the bridges and the canal side, they look like a row of little boxes suspended above the water, and they are the best-known sight in Appingedam. You can view them from several points in the centre, and the shopping streets lead right to them.

Beyond the hanging kitchens, the centre is pleasant for an unhurried stroll. The buildings keep many original facades, mixing medieval and later architecture with modern shopfronts, and bridges and small squares break up the lines of the streets. Independent shops sell clothing, gifts and local products, and cafes offer places to stop for coffee and local pastries. The pace is friendly and quiet, with locals and visitors mixing easily, and the town is small enough to explore in an hour or two on foot.

Appingedam is also easy to combine with other places in the area. The city of Groningen is a short distance to the west, the Wadden Sea coast is within reach, and Delfzijl lies a few kilometres to the east. The surrounding landscape of Groningen is flat and open, with farmland, dikes and the old terps, the artificial mounds on which villages were built to escape floods.

The centre suits visitors who enjoy small towns, photographers looking for unusual architecture and travelers who like to combine a bit of shopping with sightseeing. Most shops follow standard Dutch hours, with some closing on Mondays or Sundays, so check the day of your visit.