Best of Haarlem

Set between Amsterdam and the sandy coastline to the west, Haarlem is a picturesque city of cobblestone squares, gabled houses and canalside parks. Excellent lodging and dining options make Haarlem a good base for exploring Amsterdam (a 20-minute train ride away), though there’s much to see and do in the town itself. Haarlem has some magnificent churches, including towering St Bavokerk, with a pipe organ once played by a young Mozart. As the former home of 17th-century Dutch painter Frans Hals, Haarlem is an important destination for art lovers, with museums showcasing some of the finest works by Hals and other great Dutch artists.     

The old lanes of Haarlem are a delight to explore, particularly in the spring when the flower boxes are full of colorful tulips. The historic centuries-old buildings have many stories, which you can learn about on visits to places like the Corrie ten Boom House, where hundreds of Jews were hidden until they could be taken to safety. Beyond town, you can head out on a cycling tour to the national park of Zuid-Kennemerland and see a rolling landscape of dunes full of plant and animal life.