Swapping out central Europe’s old town vibes for the tranquillity of the Netherlands, MotoGP has landed in its most northerly destination on the calendar. The TT Circuit Assen has been a staple on the MotoGP circus since 1949 and has hosted a round every year with the exception of the COVID-19-hit 2020 season. This part of Europe has motorcycle racing woven into its DNA, its culture, its way of life which; it makes it one of the true pilgrimages for fans around the world. On top of that and away from the track, it’s a place to enjoy just as much.
One of the great things about coming north to the Netherlands is that it is usually a cooler weather experience than the sweltering heat of central and southern Europe in summer – although 2026 is so far not proving to be that. It’s also a cyclists dream with most of the country being relatively flat, perfect to get the kilometres in away from the track. On top of that, North Holland – where we go racing – is packed full of quaint, cute towns that come alive on race week.
Let’s start with the major city in the north; Groningen. The “Capital of the North” is the largest city, economic hub and cultural melting pot of this part of the Netherlands. Predominantly a university city with 50,000-60,000 students shaping a quarter of the entire population, it’s full of quirky bars and restaurants as well as the iconic Martini Tower and Grote Markt square. The ambling streets that work their way through the low-level old town and the winding canal system make Groningen unique amongst our European destinations.
Focus more on the town of the track, Assen may well be small but this is where MotoGP’s importance to the region shines brightest. Tourist shops exclusively selling Dutch GP-related items that would get any fan’s hand in their pockets, they pay both a tribute to the current MotoGP vibes and the historic presence of the Dutch TT in the region.
The race itself back in the day was a street track of 16.5km, connecting the towns of De Haar, Hooghalen, Laaghalen and Laaghalerveen. A brand-new race track was built in 1955 but the version we have now is a heavily modified one, slimmed down one – with the current version last modified in 2010. Well over 100,000 fans make the trip north to see the Cathedral of Speed’s premier event, making it one of the greatest for old timers and the new wave too.
Arriving to Assen is ideal by car but as always, best by public transport – shuttle buses run from Assen train station to the track, whilst getting to Assen itself is easy from Amsterdam (both Schipol Airport for same-day arrivals and from Centraal for those already enjoying time in the capital). If you want bigger city vibes, Groningen is easily reachable from the capital too whilst Zwolle is an ideal pitstop en route north.
The Netherlands never disappoints so make sure your trip to the Dutch GP is the best it can be!