Directions to Labs of Bart van Wees, Tamalika Banerjee and Caspar van der Wal
We are located at street address “Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen” which is the building complex for Physics and Chemistry (“Natuurkunde en Scheikunde”) of the University of Groningen. This is located at the North side of Groningen, at the “Zernike Campus”, also known as the “Zernike Complex”. Click here for a map with the train station just South of the city center (A), and our location (B).
Coming by car? Click here (and find the note on restricted parking at P1, and free parking at P5 and P6: for use of P1 press a button at the entrance to call for opening, and ask us an exit ticket for the way out). Then follow signs for walking to building “Nijenborgh 4”.
Coming by air plane? Schiphol (Amsterdam) Airport is your best option, but in some cases the Rotterdam, Groningen-Eelde, or Bremen (Germany) airports are a better alternative. Read directly below, and all the way at the bottom for some good hints on efficient traveling by train from Schiphol to Groningen. Contact us for travel hints from Bremen or Rotterdam (about same travel time as from Schiphol).
Coming by train? (See also link to train planner below.)
From the main train station “Groningen”, rent a bike! (ask us for help), use a taxi, or use
bus line 15 (prefered, most rapid and convenient, it goes every 5 or 10 minutes during the day, but a bit less on weekends and less often during school holidays).
Coming out of the train station (only possible on North side, towards city center), the area with many bus platforms is towards your right. You can buy a ticket in the bus, just give the bus driver 2 Euro. The bus ride takes 15 to 20 minutes (for 4 km). For details on departure times see the links at the bottom of this page.
The bus should go to the “Zernike Complex” or “Zernike Campus”.
Get off at bus stop “Nijenborgh”.
You will recognize where the get off in the following pictures.
Very recently they put up new signs. You can now follow the signs to “Nijenborgh 4” to get to our building.
Click here for making a pdf print of this picture.
Inside this building complex, the research office of Caspar van der Wal is
in building 5113 (“gebouw 13”), 1st floor, room 0140 (full room code is 5113.0140).
The director’s office of Caspar van der Wal is in building 5117 (“gebouw 17”), ground floor, room 0007 (full room code is 5117.0007).
You can also ask the doorman to call me at 34555 / 34843, and I will then pick you up
at the main entrance.
From bus stop “Crematoriumlaan” (B1 in above picture) continue a bit towards your right, and go into this entrance for “Physics and Chemistry”.
OR, when you get off at bus stop “Nijenborgh” (B2 in above picture), you see this blue building. It is the building next to (North of) our building.
Some usful links:
PDF map of center of Groningen
Map with location of train station, Academic Building (PhD defenses), and several hotels.
Dutch rail road travel planner and note on efficient train routes to Groningen
Useful for planning a trip from the trainstation “Schiphol” (at the airport near Amsterdam) to the train station “Groningen”.
Note on typical schedule Schiphol-Groningen, and a few hints for avoiding delays:
Once per hour there is a direct train, the other half hour there is a connection
with one easy train transfer half way in “Zwolle”
(almost always the train that leaves in two minutes on the other side of the platform).
Both options take about 2:10 hours.
If you come from The Hague (Den Haag) or Rotterdam, there is also once per hour
a direct train, and on the other half hour there is a connection
with one easy train transfer half way, also in “Amersfoort” or “Zwolle”
(almost always the train that leaves in two minutes on the other side of the platform).
Here both options take about 2:40 hours.
Travel planner for bus connections in Groningen
Preferred option is bus line 15 (do not use travel options using a train to station “Groningen Noord”)
Fill in the queries on the web site as follows (and there is a button to switch to English language):
Information on bus lines of Qbuzz in Groningen
Use the link “Plan mijn reis” (plan my trip), and select bus line 15, with “richting: Zernike” (to Zernike) for proper direction.
A note about the weather above our labs
Page last updated 2 Dec. 2019 but not all links have been checked for being fully up to date.