Haarlem Bound

My alarm rings at 5.30 am on my last day in Amsterdam and I am still groggy with sleep. I am on a Benelux solo trip with Brussels as a base and I have spent a whirlwind two nights in Amsterdam. This is my last day here and before my return to Brussels, I want to experience the best things to do in Haarlem on a day trip from Amsterdam.

I’m staying at a hostel in the Prisengracht area with proximity to the trams, Red Light district area and attractions and Amsterdam has been an extremely interesting and eye-opening experience for the past two days.

I crawl out of bed, shower in the cramped facilities and pack my things. Traditional Dutch canal homes have very steep steps and these ones are not just steep but spiral! Imagine lugging a carry-on & backpack up and down. I get my cardio in on this Benelux trip, believe me.

The Ouibus leaves from Sloterdijk Station for Brussels at 2pm and I know I can squeeze in Haarlem for at most, 4.5 hours, but I have no intention of lugging this carry-on so off to Centraal Station I head to find some lockers.

The lockers cost 7 Euros and I stash my carry-on within, purchase return tickets to Haarlem and wait on platform for train.

Related: Amsterdam – A Cultured City Sprint in 48 hours

Haarlem: City of Culture

The train ride is no more than 20 minutes from Centraal Station and in fact, it’s just like our regular commute from Brooklyn or Harlem into Manhattan. People live in Haarlem and commute into Amsterdam Centraal for work, school and other activities.

Haarlem: How to Experience 10 Things in 4 hours in the City of Culture Click To Tweet

I arrive Haarlem, step out and I’m instantly reminded of small English towns with buses neatly lined in front of the cobbled station road and the requisite statue of a past hero/legend/general somewhere on the plaza.

I realize quickly that Haarlem is a very walkable city and centrum (city centre) is about a 20 min easy walk from the station. As I amble away from the station, I cross a canal – it is the Netherlands after all – and read directions towards the centrum and Adrian’s Molaan.

From my Malmo experience, I remember that Slotsmollan is the name of a windmill in Kungsparken and so I put two and two together along with etymology and figure that Adrian’s Molaan is the name of a windmill, and I am right!

I miss seeing a windmill in Amsterdam and had zero time to visit Old Holland so I make a mental note to hunt for Adrian’s Molaan before I leave Haarlem.

Haarlem is celebrating the anniversaries of two of its major theatres and the city has rolled out festivities of arts, performances and culture for everyone to indulge in and boy, are there people! It is not as crowded as Amsterdam, of course, but it is not the sleepy little commuter town you’re thinking of.

Haarlem City of Culture celebrations end in February 2019 but that shouldn’t stop you from experiencing this lovely city whenever you have a couple of hours to spend outside of Amsterdam.

Sojourn Through History via Statues.

Anywhere there’s a statue, bend to read the inscription beneath as you can learn so much about a town/city, its citizenry and culture.

Below are the statues of Wigbolt Ripperda and Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer at Haarlem Station plaza not to be missed.

Wigbolt was appointed military commander by Prince William of Nassau during the siege of Haarlem by Spanish troops between Dec 11, 1572 and July 12, 1573.

Kenau was a shipbuilder and timber merchant and was ascribed the task of leading a regiment of 300 women in defence of the city though historical readings have this as a probable legend seeing as her name was never on a list of war criminals the Spaniards kept.

Nevertheless, she worked tirelessly in rebuilding Haarlem city walls during the siege and she is mentioned by name for this task. Impressive woman!

There are other statues in centrum available for you to explore and learn the history of Haarlem.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Promenade along the Canals

Depending on your route from the station towards the centrum, you will walk past a souvenir shop, a CBD Hemp store and a few cafes, tea houses and a Surinamese restaurant.

After stopping to buy some Haarlem mementos, you will arrive at a canal bridge filled with pedestrians and cyclists going about their daily business. I believe this canal is Nieuwe Gracht – or New Canal – and it’s a good place to take pictures and people watch for a bit, if you’re into that sort of thing.

I do this for a bit then keep walking as I have a fair bit to see before heading back to Haarlem station; the bridge footpath blends into Kruisstraat, a typical high street with clothing, shoe stores and restaurants.

 

#Things to do in Haarlem: High Street Shopping

When abroad, I personally do not shop for clothes and shoes because of the lack of space in my carry-on for “bulky extras”. Nevertheless, if shopping is your thing, you will be in high Heaven in Haarlem as Kruistraaat melds into Smedestraat, with high street and designer stores like H&M, Scotch & Soda, Lush and many more present.

Haarlem is said to be the best shopping city in the Netherlands because of its cobbled and compact centrum, a wide variety of boutique, vintage, pop-up, local and specialty stores all within walking distance of each other. There is something for everyone here and it’s not just clothes and shoes to buy.

For unique goods, Atelier 8 is present on Gasthuisstraat 34, specializing in various home accessories from select Dutch and international brands and there is a shopping mall behind Haarlem station if you require a spot with proximity to local transit.

There are also specialty stores and unique Dutch shops present on these cobbled streets and displays are so artfully done that I stop to marvel at them…but then…off I scurry along to experience Haarlem as much as I can before I depart.

Haarlem streets are referred to as Gouden Straatjes - or Golden Streets - because of the city's unique variety of craft, vintage, local & international stores and shops on seven beautiful cobbled streets. Click To Tweet

The Gouden Straatjes are listed below and I’m sure I passed through some of them without knowing as streets just merge into one another one pretty shop after another.

• Warmoesstraat
• Koningstraat
• Anegang
• Zijlstraat
• Gierstraat
• Kleine Houtstraat
• Schagchelstraat

The high streets are much more crowded than I expect for a small city and this is probably because of Haarlem’s celebration of its City of Culture festivities until February 2019.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Hofjes of Haarlem

Haarlem is well known for its hofjes scattered across the city in privately owned and locked courtyards and there are twenty of them about. If one is lucky, you might have access to two or three. Still, some are visible through locked gates so pictures can be taken while some are within private or mixed-use residential areas with zero access.

Haarlem: How to Experience 10 Things in 4 hours in the City of Culture Click To Tweet

Hofjes have existed since the Middle Ages and were a social safety net in some cities of the Netherlands for old and infirm women usually part of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Hofjes were charitable institutions established by wealthy families but some were built by the Catholic Church for unmarried, older women. Wow! I’m glad times have changed *somewhat* in how older/unmarried women are seen in society’s eyes.

Presently, hofjes still exist for this purpose in some Dutch cities but for others, they’ve been converted to residential and commercial purposes.

I stumble upon Hofje Van Oorschot on Kruistraat just before the street merges into Smedestraat and of course, it is locked and no longer accessible to the public so I stick my hands though the gate and snap a couple of pictures of  the well-manicured garden and statue beneath an arch of green.

There is also Prisenhof, an old herb garden, and Brouwershofje, both within the Gouden Straatjes of the centrum but I’m lucky to come across Teyler’s hofje on the banks of the Spaarne on my quest for Adrian’s Molaan.

This one is within a private residence and luckily a woman entering lets me in and tells me to lock the gate as I leave, which I do. I don’t spend too long here since it isn’t a public courtyard and I exit to continue my journey.

If you are really interested in seeing all 20 hofjes,  map them on Google maps – seriously, it is invaluable in me not getting lost on this Benelux solo travel adventure – or just get names, locations and directions of all hofjes in Haarlem on the Visit Holland site. Hofje visits are highly recommended as the best things to do in Haarlem.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Experience Dutch History & Museums

Until the end of February 2019, the City of Culture celebrations are still ongoing with special museum presentations, gallery openings and the like…all of which you can still experience beyond February. I mean, it’s not like they’ll pack up and leave after February so get to it.

•  Frans Hal Museum

Frans Hal is considered a great Dutch Master known for his schutterstukken – group portraits of the ruling civil guards of the era – considered a great honour to create at the time.

The museum is located in Grote Markt and you cannot miss its popping red double doors, very Dutch-like triangular facade and shutters. I fall in love with it immediately even though I don’t have time to pop in and indulge.

• Teylers Museum

This is an art, natural history and science museum founded in 1778 located on the banks of the Spaarne which I pass while following the meander of the river.

There are collections of art, fossils, minerals and coins as well as a Lorentz Lab with the largest electrostatic generator in the world.  Tours are given of the lab for curious physics-minded souls but they are only in Dutch.

 

#Things to do in Haarlem: Farmer’s Market at Grote Markt

I literally stumble upon a lovely farmer’s market not far from the high streets and I was thrilled! I spend 20 minutes here buying English pies, multiple chocolates and stroopwafels for my sojourn and it is marvellous.

There are lots of tulip bulbs and other flowers, fruit, fruity cheeses – alas, I’m lactose-intolerant – farm implements, clothing and a variety of miscellaneous items for sale.

If the pies and cakes have you salivating, book this Amsterdam canal cruise with cheese and wine upon your return to taste traditional and delicious Dutch delicacies as part of the best things to do in The Netherlands.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Grote of St. – Bavokerk

This grand church is right in the middle of Grote Markt and cannot be missed. In fact, depending on the time you’re in the area, you will hear the chiming of church bells.

The church is also referred to as Great Church or St. Bavo's Haarlem. Click To Tweet

It is possible to tour the church and I spend thirty minutes doing just that, listening to the Christian Muller organ and reading up on what happened during the Siege of Haarlem.

It is amazing the interesting history you learn about an area and its citizenry from old churches and cathedrals and St. Bavokerk is no exception.

For example:

• The Christian Muller organ has 5068 pipes and 68 registers.
• The floor of the church is made up of 1500 gravestones dating back to the 15th century.
• During the Siege of Haarlem, a board states that “dogs and cats were called roast game”- meaning that they were eaten for survival as food supplies are generally disrupted during a siege.

If you are interested in following a bit of my Haarlem route, take this interesting walking tour and explore the city and the best things to do here all in a day’s work!

#Things to do in Haarlem: Go on a Canal Cruise

Just like in Amsterdam, experience an open-boat canal cruise on the Spaarne river with packages that include tours of the history and culture of Haarlem as well as back stories of the architecture and monuments. See this 50 min Haarlem canal cruise on the Spaarne and experience Haarlem from the water.

Alas, I do not go on one but I do recommend canal cruises if you’re pressed for time in any city. It is an ideal way to soak up all history and back stories of a city, architecture and citizenry in a short space of time and I did the same in Amsterdam.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Follow the Meander of the Spaarne

The Spaarne river runs through Haarlem and connects with the city’s moats. Like most canals of the Netherlands, the Spaarne had a dam with locks built until construction of the North Sea Canal from where the river was deepened as industries sprung along its banks during the Industrial Revolution.

Presently, you can watch river boats and sail boats go up and down the river and on a warm day, you might even spy some rowboats. There are traditional and modern Dutch canal homes along the banks of the Spaarne and if you’re into architecture, they are a treat to see.

On the Spaarne, I see one of those retractable bridges that open to permit barges through and close for pedestrians and cyclists and I am in awe as this is my first time seeing such in person. Of course, the Dutch are water, canal and dredging experts and for centuries, skillfully combine water and land activities on such a small land area.

This bridge is the Gravestenenbrug – an old wooden bridge – and is a sight to behold. Of course, I cross over to the other side and the whole ambience is just so quiet and peaceful. I wish I have more time to sit along the bank with a hot chocolate and people-watch.

You can see Teyler’s Museum peeking through on the right with a statue atop the building.

#Things to do in Haarlem: Historic Adriaan’s Molaan

Also know as “Molen de Adriaan” in its native Dutch, this magnificent symbol of Haarlem stands out on a skyline once dominated by St. Bavokerk. It was consumed by a fire in the 1930s but the citizenry rallied to rebuild this edifice thus its presence today.

This is the highlight of my trip as I finally get to see a windmill in the Netherlands! I mean… did you ever go to the Netherlands if you don’t have a windmill picture somewhere in your camera roll? Exactly! Lol.

Finding it is a bit hard as the signs point in a direction but they don’t give an actual spot. I finally ask for directions to save time and I’m told to “follow the Spaarne”, and I do… for a while.

In fact at a point, I turn back, thinking I’m on the wrong track, but I ask for directions again and get the same answer: “follow the bend of the Spaarne”. Alrighty then!

There is a point at which the Spaarne meanders and you have to round a bend and voila! there it unexpectedly pops up across the river. Alas! I’m on the other side and to reach the Molen, it seems that I have to turn back, cross the Gravestenenbrug bridge and walk towards the Molen…and I don’t have time for that.

If you do have time to spare in Haarlem, do not miss guided tours of historic Windmill de Adriaan on the canal, where you enter the 250-year old structure and marvel at its sturdy innards. It lasts between 45 mins to an hour and is in both English and Dutch.

It’s all good. I take multiple pictures, of course, and head back towards centrum for my train back to Amsterdam.

There are tours of the Molen with its history available within and the mill is usually rented for weddings and events. How unique to have this as a backdrop for your wedding. I hope to return to explore the mill and its past one day.

Haarlem City of Culture celebrations bring out the best of the city in terms of performances, art and a variety of events and this can be enjoyed till February 2019.

Nevertheless, Haarlem is the ideal city to visit outside Amsterdam if you’re keen on exploring a smaller Dutch city full of history, Gouden Straatjes, picturesque canals and the requisite Dutch windmill that is so ubiquitous in the Netherlands.

It is also the perfect affordable city for a solo travel from Amsterdam and to experience a less frenetic pace.

#VisitHaarlem.

******************************************************

Don’t forget to share and comment on whether you’re from Haarlem, have been there or are planning a trip there. See you on the social streets! xoxo

Musings and Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program affiliate advertising program, designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com sites.*

Sharing is caring! xx