What Alcatraz is to San Francisco, the village of Veenhuizen is to Groningen and the rest of the Netherlands. Since the beginning of the 19th century beggars and tramps were deported here, not all voluntarily. The informative National Prison Museum explores the fascinating history of crime and punishment in the Netherlands. Five centuries of Dutch justice are presented on interactive displays, not to mention gruelling instruments of torture. Kids can discover why the place is supposedly doomed by solving the Curse of Veenhuizen and intrepid travellers can even spend the night at a few of the picturesque former staff houses, which have been transformed into bungalows. The gift shop sells some interesting, original prison souvenirs. Not surprisingly, the town is actually still home to a handful of functioning prisons.