Groningen

The great central square and the Martinitoren, a 97 m medieval bell tower you can climb for the view, form the beating heart of Groningen. The square and its terraces are walked on the leash, but the tower climb is off-limits to dogs.

The old fish market square, overlooked by the neoclassical Korenbeurs, still hosts a lively market several days a week. You stroll here on the leash between stalls and cafes, a step from the Grote Markt.

The Groninger Museum, a colourful pavilion set on an island in the canal opposite the station, is the boldest art museum in the northern Netherlands. The interior is off-limits to dogs, but the bridges and quays around it are walked on the leash.

This large English-style park, laid out on the former ramparts, is the green lung and meeting place of Groningen, hugely popular with dog owners. You walk here on the leash along ponds and lawns, with areas where dogs can run free.

The Prinsentuin, a seventeenth-century Renaissance garden with clipped hedges, a rose garden and a sundial, is a walled oasis near the Noorderplantsoen. Dogs are not allowed inside, but the neighbouring park is a fine alternative for walks.

North of the city, the Lauwersmeer National Park and the UNESCO-listed Wadden Sea coast unfurl vast stretches of water, reeds and wind-swept dykes. Dogs are welcome here on the leash, but ground-nesting wildlife means you must keep strictly to the marked trails.