Exploring Haarlem, Netherlands
Time needed in this town: 1-2 nights
I turned to Blackbeard and said, “I see why people sit at cafes all day and watch the world go by”.. as we sat at The Coffee Spot, then By Lima, doing just that. Haarlem is a beautiful historic town, just 11 miles away from Amsterdam (there’s a bike path that you can take to/from there), that should be a “must” on your Netherlands trip.
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included transportation tips, as well as a summary of the history of this beautiful charming town!
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Where to Stay
While we only took a day trip here, below is a list of recommended places to stay:
Cavallaro Hotel - Top-rated!
City Attic - Top-rated!
Where to Dine
Aan’t Plein
Serving amazing international cuisine.
BastiJan
They have been serving fish, meat, and vegetarian dishes since 1982!
Brownies & Downies
One of the best concepts I’ve seen! They serve traditional cafe fare, including juices and you guessed it - lots of brownies (and waffles). They hire people with down syndrome to work in the kitchen, to which they have been receiving glowing reviews!
While we didn’t go in, we did walk by it and the store/restaurant is huge! It’s so wonderful to see the community supporting them!
by LIMA
A vegan cafe with a lot of amazing gluten-free options, this corner cafe was teeming with people. We recommend the open-faced sandwiches on their gluten-free bread, as well as the grapefruit and pineapple soda.
Chocolate Pierre
A family-run chocolate shop with truffles and ice cream
Cô Tâm
Serving Vietnamese cuisine.
De Jopenkerk
In the former St. Jacob’s Church, you can sample local beers made from medieval recipes as the church’s stained glass gleams above.
De Ripper
They server a three-course menu with an extensive list of international dishes to choose from, though they specialize in wood-fired meat. The price is reasonable and also comes with a dessert bar, fries, and bread! They are not gluten-free-friendly.
De Zeeuw
Serving affordable French and Belgian cuisine.
Franzen
A small cafe serving light Italian fare for lunch or dinner.
(H)eerlijk Eten
Serving French-Dutch cuisine for breakfast or lunch.
Little Jamaica
Serving traditional Jamaican fare.
Mama Gaia
Serving vegan cuisine.
MANO
With nothing but 5-star reviews, they serve French cuisine with an international fare. They explicitly say that if you have an allergy, you should not eat there.
Moustique
Michelin-rated, they serve two different kinds of cuisine, depending on the time of day: For lunch, it’s sandwiches, soups, and salads; for dinner, it’s international dishes.
Mr. & Mrs.
Serving upscale, international cuisine with fresh ingredients.
Nancy’s
Top-rated, they serve traditional Dutch food. They are open Tuesday-Saturday 12pm - 11pm.
New Vegas
Serving plant-based cuisine.
Ratatouille Food & Wine
A Michelin-starred restaurant, serving French cuisine at affordable prices.
Restaurant Bodega
Serving Mediterranean tapas.
Subliem
Serving traditional Mediterranean fare.
The Coffee Spot
An Instagram-worthy spot, this chic cafe sits right along the canal. They offer a variety of pastries, including gluten-free, as well as both hot and cold beverages (their hand-crafted sparkling lemonade is a must).
The Queen of Sheba
Serving Ethiopian cuisine.
Things to See & Do
Historical Exploration
Amsterdamse Poort
Once part of a series of 12 fortified gates, placed in the city wall surrounding old Haarlem, Amsterdamse Poort is the only city gate left standing, providing a straight road to the country’s capital of Amsterdam. Constructed in the early 15th century, the gate looks like something out of a fairy tale, with tall arches curving over the road and surrounded by beautiful round turrets capped with blue pointed roofs.
City Hall
Around 1100, a wooden building was constructed on the location of the current Gravenzaal of the City Hall. After large fires in 1347 and 1351, William I, Duke of Bavaria who was also the Count of Holland at that time, donated the remains of the Gravenzaal to the city's municipality. A new building was then built there. The central square building dates back to the Middle Ages, but the distinctive façade of the building was designed by architect Lieven de Key and built from 1602-1604 (the way it originally looked can be seen in a painting from 1460 by the Master of Bellaert). A large number of paintings and objects from Haarlem's history can be found inside - for example, a series of paintings depicting the various counts of Holland (in the Middle Ages, these paintings were hanging in the Carmelieten Cloister in Haarlem and were painted between 1486 and 1491). City Hall is still used for events and civil wedding ceremonies.
Corrie ten Boom House
The house/watch shop originally belonged to the Ten Boom family - regular Dutch citizens who intervened to save the lives of Jews/Dutch in danger during WWII. Called by their deep Christian faith to protect people from Nazi persecution, the family put their lives on the line to help others. From providing stolen ration cards, to offering a safe-haven in their home, they protected those waiting to move to other safe houses or to escape from the Netherlands entirely. As now a museum, you can see the house and the false wall they built to provide a hiding place for people in need, as well as learn about the family’s arrest and imprisonment.
Monument Of Folk Hero Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer And Legendary City Governor Wigbolt (Baron) Ripperda
The Calvinist Wigbolt Ripperda has gone down in history as the man who led the people of Haarlem during the Siege of Haarlem , a months-long military war of attrition that lasted from December 1572 to July 1573, and in which thousands lost their lives.
After Ripperda, together with Kenau Simonsdatter Hasselaer (and the other Haarlemmers), had defended the city against the Spanish troops for seven months, the exhausted Haarlem population surrendered on July 12, 1573. On July 16, Ripperda was beheaded at Sant (later renamed De Grote Markt) . Several hundred of his supporters were also murdered by the occupying forces after the surrender.
Proveniershuis
This building was founded in 1707 by the city council to house elderly men, though the main buildings date back to 1414 when they were built for/use as a nunnery. In 1578, the nuns were driven out by the Protestants, at the time of the Reformation. Three years later, the monastery and the surrounding grounds were assigned to the city of Haarlem by the Prince of Orange. It served as compensation for the enormous damage the city had suffered during the Siege of Haarlem during the Eighty Years' War. The site came into the hands of the Schutterij Sint Joris (militia), who used the monastery yard as a training ground. At the time, such a training ground was called 'De Doelen'. In 1592, the old monastery building was replaced by a new 'target building', designed by the famous city architect Lieven de Key. This building is still the gatehouse of the Proveniershof. This 'goal building' became a city inn in 1681 with the name “Heerenlogement”. But the gentlemen's lodge was not going well. In 1704, it was therefore decided to establish a proveniers house (elderly home) there. A “proveniershuis” offers accommodation to 'proveniers' - someone who lives on 'preuves' (gifts). However, this did not mean that residents could live here for free. A proveniershuis was more of an institution (nursing home) where wealthy people could purchase (for a one-time payment of 3000 guilders) shelter and food later in life when they could no longer care for themselves, though at the end of the 18th century, this, too, had failed. From 1810 to 1866, the proveniershuis became an old men's home, as Haarlem determined more elderly men than women could not take care of themselves in old age. It was eventually privately purchased in 1991, renovated, and now these large homes are rented out.
St. Elisabeth Gasthuis
The building is named after the society that ran the hospital, the St. Elisabeth Gasthuis, which is named after Elisabeth of Hungary. The society's original building, the Gangolf Gasthuis, was lost during the fire of 1572. In 1581, the hospital petitioned the town for permission to build a new hospital while also filing for damages from the fire. They were awarded the complex on the Gasthuisvest that was built for the "Minnebroers" monastery, which was reclaimed after the Protestant reformation (also 1581) - the remaining monks were then forced to leave. It underwent many renovations over the centuries however, the idyllic row of step gabled facades, built in 1612, along with the facade from 1871, remain today. It now houses cultural and historic museums.
Windmill de Adriaan
In 1778, the Amsterdam businessman, Adriaan de Boois, bought an old defense tower and received permission from the city of Haarlem to build a windmill. His windmill was built on top of the old Goê Vrouw tower so that the mill blades would rise high above the Spaarne and catch every breeze possible. On May 19, 1779, the Adriaan smock mill is put into use. For years Adriaan de Boois ground tuff, a sort of volcanic stone, into trass. Trass is a special additive added to mortar to make walls waterproof. In 1802, the windmill was sold to a tobacco merchant to make tobacco snuff. To make this possible, the mill was given new machinery, and tobacco rolls were processed into snuff powder for decades. Then, in 1865, the mill changed ownership again and was converted into a flour mill.But in early 1932, the last owner stopped milling, as it was no longer profitable to mill flour and coincidentally, a fire broke out a few months later. While the original was destroyed, a new one was built and was opened on April 23, 2002 - exactly 70 years to that day when it lost its first “life”.
Religious History
Nieuwe Kerk (New Church)
Built in 1649, Nieuwe Kerk is regarded as one of the most special stone church buildings built after the Reformation for Protestant worship, in the then Republic of the Netherlands. The strict, classicist design is by Jacob van Campen, who was commissioned by the Haarlem city council to make a church building to replace the dilapidated and cramped Gothic Sint Annakapel (St. Anna’s Church).
St. Bavo Church (Grote Kerk)
First mention of a church on this spot was made in 1307, but the wooden structure burned in the 14th century. The church was then rebuilt and promoted to a “chapter church” in 1479 (having been dedicated to Saint Bavo sometime before 1500) and became a cathedral in 1559. It was confiscated 19 years later during the Haarlemse noon in 1578, when it was converted to Protestantism. Then, a series of bad luck took place. On May 22, 1801 there was a fire caused by lightning which struck the tower (during the renovation of the 1930s, an automatic sprinkler system was installed in the tower which could extinguish a fire 70m high in it). In 1839, Martijn Hendrik Kretschman, the guard of the tower, stopped Jan Drost (who worked for the church) from trying to set fire to the pipe organ and piano by throwing hot coals on top of it. Drost committed suicide and he was buried in the tower.
What you see in the church:
A curious painting illustrating the miracle of St. Bavo saving Haarlem from the Kennemers in a scene from the 13th century (though it was painted 100 years later).
In the church is a high sentry box reserved for fire-watchers. If they saw a fire in the city, they would signal using red flags so that the guards in the main guard house, opposite to them, could react. This sentry position was still in use in 1919.
A consistory (waiting room), which was built in the 1630s.
The few stained glass windows left, including: Damiate legend - it’s the only one left in the world. The other four were made and installed between 1871 - 1957.
Much of the furniture dates back to before the 16th-century iconoclastic fury: rood screen (1509-1517), choir stalls (1512), later painted with family coats of arms, brass lectern with a pelican (1499) made by Jan Fierens from Mechelen.
And the best for last, the organ. It was built by the Amsterdam organ builder Christian Müller, with stucco decorations by the Amsterdam artist Jan van Logteren, between 1735 and 1738. Upon completion, it was the largest organ in the world at the time with 60 voices and 32-foot pedal-towers. But what makes it even more famous are the musicians that played it, including Mendelssohn, Händel, and the 10-year-old Mozart, who played it in 1766. The organ was modified a number of times in the 19th and 20th centuries and most drastically altered in the renovation by Marcussen between 1959 and 1961. Further voicing work was undertaken between 1987 and 2000.
Since we were not there during the months they hold organ concerts, we were able to listen to a sample of its haunting sound, on their site.
The Arts & Sciences
Frans Hals Museum
This museum houses a sizeable collection of art from the Dutch Golden Age including the world’s largest collection of portraits by Frans Hals, the noted artist who lived and worked in Haarlem in the 1600s. Among the works are many religious-themed pieces taken from churches and monasteries during the Protestant Reformation. Every spring, to celebrate the opening of the tulip gardens at Keukenhof, they place artistic tulip floral arrangements all over the museum.
Unique Experiences
Barrel Organ Museum
The history of the museum starts in 1958 when a big dance organ, made by Marenghi/Carl Frei of organ builder Kunkels from Roermond, was obtained. The goal of this was to preserve the organ for the future, for which the foundation Het Kunkels Orgel was brought to existence in 1962. In the course of ten years, the organ was restored and at the opening of the museum in 1969, it became the centerpiece of the barrel organ museum.
Drugstore Van der Pigge
Dating back to 1849, this family-run (six generations) naturopathic shop has managed to preserve the antique shelves, scales, apothecary bottles, and even the sign - a yawning head (called a “gaper”). Today, it still focuses on herbal medicine and ancient recipes for healing all types of ailments. Its renowned Haarlemmerolie (Haarlem oil) is known throughout the city for its healing properties.
We went in there but it’s an extremely busy place with not much room to move around, as most of the locals are there to buy their remedies for the week. We suggest visiting first thing on a Saturday,
Grote Markt
The Grote Market is an iconic, large town square (built in the 1500s) that is comprised of restaurants, cafes, St. Bavo Church (that dates from the 15th century), City Hall, the Hal building of the Frans Hals Museum, and a statue of Laurens Janszoon Coster, a Haarlem native and alleged inventor of the printing press.
If you go there on a Saturday, it’s a full-on farmer’s market with fresh bread and pastries, produce, cheese, meats, flowers, and a ton of other goods. It’s a great way to spend an hour in the historic center of the town!
Walking Tours
Wijngaardtuin
The Wijngaardtuin is a hidden garden in the middle of some of the city’s oldest buildings. It’s an ideal hideaway to relax as it’s situated among the tulips, flowers, and trees. You can listen to the bells of St. Bavo Church nearby.
Wander everywhere
There are very few places that I just want to get lost around, making Haarlem an exception. There isn’t an alleyway or canal view that isn’t amazing, so add a few extra hours for exploring. Check out our video below:
How to Get Around
Haarlem is only 11 miles from Amsterdam, which makes getting there very easy. Simply take a train from Amsterdam’s Centraal station, which leaves every 20 minutes, and arrive at the Haarlem station 30 minutes later. Once there, the entire town is very walkable!
A History Summary
1245 - Haarlem was granted city status.
1270 - The first city walls were built.
1328 - 1351 - Since most everyone built their buildings out of wood, the whole city burnt down in 1328, 1347, and 1351 and all three times, was completely rebuilt.
1381 - The Black Plague killed about 50% of Haarlem’s population.
1429 - The city gained the right to collect tolls, including ships passing the city on the Spaarne river.
End of the Middle Ages - Haarlem was a flourishing city with a large textile industry, shipyards and beer breweries.
1572 - The Spanish siezed Haarlem
1573 - The city was blocked off to the rest of the world, due to Amsterdam’s Army (loyalists to the Spanish), causing a famine. After seven months, the city surrendered and the Spanish allowed the city’s inhabitants to pay a handsome sum to stay in the city.
1576 - The city suffered another accidental fire that destroyed 500 buildings - it’s said sailors accidentally caused it and declined help in putting it out.
1577 - The Spanish left Haarlem and both Flemish and French people fled to Haarlem as their own cities were currently occupied by the Spanish and work was still available.
1600s - 400 new homes were built and the city continued to expand northwards - especially during the fall of Antwerp and many craftsmen moving to the city.
1622 - The new citizens had a lot of expertise in linen and silk manufacturing and trading (their linen also became notable), causing the city's population to grow from 18,000 in 1573 to around 40,000 in 1622.
18th century - The population started to decline as people headed for Amsterdam. However, it was quickly learned the canals smell in the summer, so Haarlem became more of a bedroom community at that point.
Beginning of the 19th century - Haarlem’s textile industry was in bad shape as strong international competition and revolutionary new production methods, based on steam engines already in use in England, dealt a striking blow.
1815 - The city's population was about 17,000 people, a large percentage of whom were poor.
Mid-1800s - 1900s -New industrial factories and industries were established, including cotton. This second “boom” carried well into the 1900s until WWII when the German defense occupying the city and starving its inhabitants.
Post-WWII - A fresh wave of immigrants came in with plenty of funding to build fresh homes and other buildings to help continue to expand the city. What’s fascinating, many of the existing Medieval buildings are still in-tact today.
