About Haarlem

Haarlem, with its attractive cityscape, is one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in the Netherlands. With 150.000 inhabitants, Haarlem is a pleasant and safe city situated on the river Spaarne. Haarlem has a beautiful, monumental city centre with many places of interest and a great variety of shops, cafés and restaurants. Moreover, Haarlem is traditionally a city of art and culture. Jump in the train and within 15 minutes you will be or on the beach or in the city centre of Amsterdam.

Haarlem has a lot of shopping to offer. It is many time chosen as the best shopping town in the Netherlands. Big retail chains in the main street are alternated by cosy, funny, picturesque and cheap shops in the small streets around it. Market square with enough opportunity to spend you day with shopping or having a drink at a terrace. Everything is on walking distance in the city centre, the main square that is characteristic for its old buildings and the St. Bavo Church.
Around the Grote Markt (the main square) hotels, bars, pubs and restaurants are centrally located. Also the Spaarne and Botermarkt are offering an idyllic place to have a bite.

Haarlem’s vibrant! Throughout the year, large crowd-pulling events are organised in the city. Music, food and drink, flowers, sailing, monuments, comics and sport all have their own event. Whatever the theme, Haarlem has a great event to celebrate it. Here are just a few of the events Haarlem organises: the world famous Bollenstreek Flower Parade, Bevrijdingspop (on Liberation day), the Haarlem Baseball Week, Haarlem Jazz, Haarlem Culinary Festival, the Heritage Days, Haarlem Comics Festival, the Sailing Festival and the traditional Christmas market. During Queensday Haarlem shows it hospitality with a large range of music, food, theatre and other entertainment.

Haarlem, a city full of surprises!

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