Hills and forests surround the town, and because of this, Groesbeek was isolated in the past, with a close community and a strong dialect.

The isolation of the valley was only alleviated by the arrival of the railway in 1865 and finally lifted in the interbellum by the construction of a high capacity paved road to nearby Nijmegen.

Because of much better infrastructure and a generally increased amount of mobility among the Dutch after WW2, modern Groesbeek has transformed from a small village dependent on agriculture and forestry into a sprawling commuter town of nearby Nijmegen.

The town itself is surrounded by hills and forests, including a three-kilometre wide band of woodlands, Dekkerswald, separating it from Heilig Landstichting and Nijmegen proper.

Despite having under 20,000 inhabitants, Groesbeek has one football club, (De Treffers), playing in the Tweede Divisie, the country's highest amateur level.