Private BBQ Cruise Tour at Lake Paterswoldsemeer With Drinks

Fresh air, fire-grilled food, and Dutch lakeside views make this two-hour cruise an easygoing way to see Groningen from the water. The private boat carries only your group, with a barbecue and drinks included as part of the outing.

I like the private format, which lets you enjoy the lake at your own pace without sharing a table with strangers. I also like the route’s mix of water, architecture, and local landmarks, especially De Helper windmill and Wall House #2. The main consideration is the weather: this experience depends on good conditions, so your plans need some flexibility.

Key points at a glance

• Private cruise for up to eight people: The $549.99 price covers the group, making the cost more attractive when the boat is full.
• A barbecue on the water: You get a meal and drinks during the cruise, not just a sightseeing ride.
• Two hours on Groningen’s lakes: The route includes Paterswoldsemeer and Hoornsemeer, south and southwest of the city.
• De Helper windmill: This 1863 polder mill still runs at times under volunteer miller Rolf Glazenburg.
• A striking modern building: Wall House #2, designed by American architect John Hejduk, adds an unusual architectural stop.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can lead to a new date or a full refund.

Why this Groningen cruise works so well

Groningen is often treated as a cycling city, but its southern edge has a calmer side. The Paterswoldsemeer and Hoornsemeer form a recreational water area close to the city, with old drainage works, dikes, a lock, and open views across the water.

This cruise gives you a pleasant change of pace. You are not rushing between museums or trying to read a map while crossing town. You sit with your group, eat, drink, and watch the shoreline pass. The two-hour length is long enough to feel like a proper outing, but short enough to fit around other plans in Groningen.

The private setup is the biggest practical advantage. The boat is reserved for your party, so the experience suits a birthday, family gathering, small work event, or a relaxed afternoon with friends. You do not have to adjust the meal or conversation around a larger public group.

At $549.99 per group of up to eight, the price is easiest to justify with a full party. Split eight ways, it comes to about $68.75 per person. That covers the private boat, barbecue, drinks, and the sightseeing route. For two or three people, the total cost per person rises sharply, so this is better value for a small group than for a couple.

One German-language review praised the two-hour experience for its punctual organization, excellent food, and good humor. That is useful information for setting expectations. This is not only a boat ride with a grill added as an afterthought. The food and the smooth running of the outing appear to be central parts of its appeal.

Meeting at S. Allendeplein 59

The cruise starts at S. Allendeplein 59, 9728 TM Groningen. It also ends back at this meeting point, which keeps the logistics simple.

You should allow time to reach the start without rushing. The meeting point is near public transportation, and a mobile ticket is accepted. Your booking confirmation arrives at the time of booking, so keep it available on your phone.

The activity lasts about two hours. Since the boat returns to the starting point, you do not need to arrange a separate pickup or figure out how to get back from another part of the lake district.

The provider is called The Lake. The available information does not name an individual skipper or guide, so you should not book this expecting a particular person. The strongest practical details are the private boat, the set meeting point, food, drinks, and the route itself.

Cruising past De Helper windmill

One of the most appealing sights is De Helper, a polder mill on the eastern shore of Paterswoldsemeer in the hamlet of Nijveensterkolk. Built in 1863, the mill was created to drain the Helpman polder with a screw pump.

That detail gives the cruise more substance than a simple trip around a recreational lake. The water you see is tied to the long Dutch effort to control wet ground and make land usable. A polder mill is working infrastructure, not just a pretty old building.

De Helper was recently restored and still runs at times under the care of volunteer miller Rolf Glazenburg. You cannot assume the mill will be turning during your cruise, but its continued operation adds a living connection to the area’s water system.

Look for the mill from the water and consider its position beside the lake. The shoreline view helps you understand why the building is there. It was built to manage water, and the lake, dikes, and drainage routes remain part of the same story.

For many people, this will be the most recognizably Dutch moment of the cruise. It is less polished than a staged historic attraction, which is part of its charm. The mill is a working reminder of how much of the Netherlands depends on careful water management.

Hoornsemeer and the southern edge of Groningen

The route also includes Hoornsemeer, a recreational lake about five kilometers from central Groningen. Its name is written both as Hoornsemeer and Hoornse Meer, and both forms are correct.

The lake was made by removing sand from beneath a layer of peat. That origin gives the area a practical, shaped-by-people character. This is not an untouched wilderness cruise. You are seeing a water area formed through extraction, recreation, drainage, and city planning.

For you, the appeal is the open space. A boat gives you a wider view than a walk beside the shore, and the water creates a clear break from Groningen’s streets. The cruise is especially useful if you want a restful activity that does not require much physical effort.

The route takes place near the city rather than far out in the countryside. That makes it easy to add to a Groningen visit, but it also means you should keep your expectations realistic. The sights are local and modest in scale. You will not get a grand coastal voyage or a long excursion through remote waterways.

The best part is the combination of food, company, and setting. The lakes provide the backdrop, while the barbecue gives the trip a social purpose. You are not simply counting landmarks as they pass.

Paterswoldsemeer, Hoornsedijk, and the lock

Paterswoldsemeer lies southwest of Groningen on the border of Groningen and Drenthe. Its location gives the cruise a local character, since the route crosses a provincial boundary without requiring you to leave the Groningen area.

The Hoornsedijk is particularly interesting because several important sites sit along it. The route includes the bridge and lock connecting the Hoornsediep to Paterswoldsemeer. This lock is the only entrance to the lake for ships, making it a key point in the waterway.

A lock can be easy to overlook if you are focused on lunch, but it explains how boats enter and leave the lake. The bridge and lock are also national monuments. Their value is not only visual. They show the practical systems that keep the water routes connected.

The lock and bridge keepers are hired temporarily through Elkez of the municipality of Groningen. You should not assume that a lock operation or a staff member will be part of your exact departure. Still, the site is worth watching as the boat passes.

The Hoornsedijk includes a third notable building at Hoornsedijk 13, a well-preserved peat farm from the second half of the 19th century. Together with De Helper and the lock, it gives this stretch of shore a useful mix of farming, water control, and transport history.

These are the sorts of details that make a short cruise feel rooted in its setting. You see how the lake connects to older work and settlement, rather than viewing it as only a place for leisure boats.

Wall House #2 adds a modern surprise

Wall House #2 brings a completely different mood to the route. The building is in Groningen and was designed by American architect John Hejduk.

Its presence gives the cruise an unexpected architectural contrast. De Helper represents 19th-century Dutch water management, while Wall House #2 brings modern design into the picture. The route therefore moves between practical engineering, historic buildings, and bold architecture.

The information available for the tour does not specify how long the boat stops at Wall House #2 or whether you go ashore. Plan to see it as a feature of the route rather than a full architectural visit. If you are especially interested in Hejduk’s work, you may want to arrange a separate visit on another day.

Even from the water, the building can make the cruise more memorable. It prevents the scenery from becoming a single repeated view of shore and lake. You get a sharp change in style, which is welcome during a short itinerary.

Barbecue, drinks, and the value of a private boat

The meal is the heart of this outing. A barbecue turns the cruise into a shared occasion, while drinks keep the group together as the boat moves through the lake area.

Specific barbecue dishes and drink choices are not provided, so you should confirm any dietary needs or menu questions before booking. The minimum drinking age is 18, and that rule applies to the included drinks. The experience is not described as an open bar, so do not assume every beverage or quantity is included.

The food quality received strong praise in the available feedback, along with the organization and punctual start. That matters because a barbecue on a small boat needs good timing. If the meal is delayed or poorly managed, it can take over the entire outing. The positive details suggest the food is a genuine strength.

The private format also changes the mood. You can talk freely, choose your own company, and mark an occasion without a shared tour crowd. This is a social experience first, with sightseeing woven into it.

Still, the price deserves a clear look. A full group of eight gets the strongest value. A group of four pays roughly $137.50 per person, before considering how much each person values the private setting. For two people, the experience becomes a major splurge.

I would book it for a group that wants one special shared activity, not for someone seeking the cheapest way to see the lakes. The boat, food, drinks, and exclusive use are what you are paying for.

Who should book this two-hour outing?

I see this cruise working best for:

• Friends celebrating a birthday or reunion
• Families who want a relaxed activity near Groningen
• Couples who are happy to pay more for a private setting
• Small company groups looking for an informal meal
• Anyone who enjoys local history without a long museum visit
• People who want a low-effort outdoor activity

You need to be comfortable with a weather-dependent plan. The experience requires good weather, and poor conditions can result in a different date or a full refund. That policy is fair for an outdoor meal on a lake, but you should avoid placing the cruise on the one day of your trip when every other plan depends on it.

Most people can take part, and service animals are allowed. The activity is near public transportation. No special fitness requirement is stated, so the cruise may suit a wide range of abilities, but you should contact the provider directly if you have specific boarding or seating needs.

The cruise is less suitable if you want a long sightseeing tour, a detailed architectural walk, or a fixed indoor plan. Two hours passes quickly, and the route is designed for enjoyment rather than exhaustive explanation.

Booking timing, weather, and group size

The experience is often booked about 45 days ahead. That does not guarantee that every date sells out, but it is a useful warning for summer weekends, birthdays, and planned group events. If your party has a specific date in mind, booking early makes sense.

The booking is confirmed immediately, and you receive a mobile ticket. The meeting point is both the start and finish, which reduces the chance of a complicated end-of-tour transfer.

For a group of 18, the booking instructions say to place two bookings for nine-person options and contact The Lake to let the provider know. The standard price shown is for up to eight people, so larger parties should not assume one booking covers everyone.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted and are not refunded, except when the provider cancels because of poor weather or because the minimum number of participants is not met.

In those cases, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund. Check the local time when calculating the deadline.

Should you book the Lake Paterswoldsemeer BBQ cruise?

Book this cruise if you have a group of friends or family, want a private two-hour outing, and like the idea of combining a barbecue with local scenery. The route has enough variety to hold your attention: De Helper windmill, Hoornsemeer, Paterswoldsemeer, the Hoornsedijk monuments, and Wall House #2.

I especially like the way the experience connects a simple meal with the working character of Groningen’s waterways. You get recreation, old drainage technology, a lock, a peat farm, and modern architecture in one compact trip.

Think twice if you are traveling alone or as a pair on a tight budget. The $549.99 group price is much easier to defend when eight people share it. Also keep a backup plan in case the weather turns poor.

For the right group, this is a relaxed and distinctive way to spend an afternoon near Groningen. The excellent food, punctual organization, and private setting are the strongest reasons to reserve it.

FAQ

Where does the BBQ cruise start?

The cruise starts at S. Allendeplein 59, 9728 TM Groningen, Netherlands.

Where does the cruise end?

The activity ends back at the same meeting point where it starts.

How long does the experience last?

The cruise lasts approximately two hours.

How many people can join one booking?

The listed price is for one private group of up to eight people.

What is included in the experience?

The experience includes a private cruise with a barbecue and drinks.

What is the minimum drinking age?

The minimum drinking age is 18 years old.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

What happens if the weather is poor?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered a different date or a full refund.