If you're looking for a charming destination for a romantic weekend, a day of shopping with friends or a family holiday, Haarlem should be at the top of your list! The city offers everything from picturesque shopping streets to exciting night life and great museums. You can’t but fall in love with it!
Haarlem was already a settlement in Roman times. It was the second city in the region of Holland to be granted town privileges in 1245. It was a prosperous town up until the 80-year war when it fell to the Spanish.
There's a lot to see and do in Haarlem. For example, you can cycle to Zandvoort and spend a relaxing day at the beach, or cycle or walk in National Park Zuid-Kennemerland or go shopping.
Haarlem also has a lot of lovely museums, such as Frans Hals Museum and Teylers Museum, both of which are absolute musts. The Grote Markt has a number of interesting buildings, such as the town hall and the famous St Bavokerk, where Mozart once played a tune on the organ. In addition to the beautiful buildings, Grote Markt is also home to numerous cafés, restaurants and clubs.
Haarlem has an extensive network of regional buses, which you can take to the beach, and Amsterdam is just 15 minutes away by train. You can park your car on the street or one of the parking garages for a fee.
The train journey from St Pancras takes 5.5 hours and the drive from Calais about 4 hours depending on traffic. The route will take you through Antwerp and Rotterdam. You can also fly to Amsterdam and catch a train to Haarlem from the airport. The journey takes about 30 minutes with a change in Sloterdijk. If you’re already in the Netherlands, Haarlem is easy to reach from most big Dutch cities.
Haarlem is branded as the best Dutch city for shopping, but it also has excellent restaurants, lovely museums and great open-air jazz in August.
