Grou () is a town in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and had around 5655 citizens in January 2017.Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2017 - CBS Statline Since 2014 Grou is part of the municipality of Leeuwarden.
The town is located on the lake and the Prinses Margriet Canal. Heineken operated a distribution centre for Friesland in Grou for 25 years until 2004.
It used to be the capital of the municipality of before the reorganization of municipalities in 1984, and capital of the municipalities of Boarnsterhim and Leeuwardeniadeel until 2014.
While the rest of the Netherlands celebrates Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) on December 5, Grou instead celebrates a unique local variation of this children's holiday known as on February 21. In local lore Sint Piter is a distinct character separate from Saint Nicholas, and was historically known as the patron saint for local fishermen.
A nickname for the town is Tsiisferdûnsers, meaning cheese dancers, from a story where a fiddler was paid with cheese at a village dance.
Transport
The town is located at an exit on the A32 motorway. There is a ferry across the canal called Veerpont de Burd that connects the de Burd island. The Grou-Jirnsum railway station is on the Staatslijn A (Arnhem - Leeuwarden) line.
Population
1954 1959 1964 1969 1973 1990 1999 3453 3522 3880 4129 4600 5316 5472 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 5731 5916 5875 5769 5737 5673 5634 2011 5623
Notable births (ca. 1542-1618), clergyman Brothers Halbertsma Eeltsje Hiddes Halbertsma (1797-1858), physician, poet and writer Joast Hiddes Halbertsma (1789-1869), Mennonite minister, writer and poet Tsjalling Hiddes Halbertsma (1792–1852), merchant and poet Atje Keulen-Deelstra (1938-2013), speed skater Haitske Pijlman (born 1954), speed skater
Sport An artificial ice rink (Glice) invented by Eric Sinnema was opened for public use in 2007.
Gallery
Notable buildings St. Peter's church Three restored windmills survive in Grou, De Bird, De Borgmolen and De Haensmolen.
References
External links
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia entry for Grouw de Grouster - local news