The New York Times called Haarlem ‘a classic Dutch city with a village feel’, and it’s true - the magnificent, historic centre breathes the atmosphere of the Golden Age while maintaining a village feel. The city was home to the famous painter Frans Hals and the Müller organ once played by Mozart, as well as breweries, almshouses, a rich culinary life and special shopping streets. Haarlem has been proclaimed the best shopping city in the Netherlands three times, offering the greatest variety.
Below you will find just some of the wonderful attractions and activities Haarlem has to offer.
Haarlem is shaped by its central location, close to Amsterdam (17 km), Schiphol (12 km), beach and dunes (10 km), IJmuiden (15 km), Keukenhof (25 km) and Zaanse Schans (30 km). This makes it a great turnaround port and base for before or after a cruise. Haarlem is a surprising new destination with all the ingredients for a real Dutch experience. Ask for our special Haarlem brochure or make an appointment for a personal visit.
For more information about booking activities, tours and places of interest, please contact Haarlem Marketing via
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Discover the beautiful historic city center of Haarlem from the water! On board one of our ships you can enjoy many beautiful sights such as the Molen de Adriaan, the Teylers hofje and the Basilica St. Bavo.
General information
Spaarne 11A, Haarlem, Nederland
Distance from harbor
500m, 10 min
Discover Haarlem at its most beautiful from the water. Join a canal cruise, hire a boat or enjoy a boat tour package. The Haarlem canals, pavement cafés along the water and the views of the stunning monuments make your boat tour a truly special experience.
General information
Spaarndamseweg 386, Haarlem, Nederland
Distance from harbor
Hop-on hop-off option from river cruise quay
Het Dolhuys, the Dutch national museum of the mind, aims to show how thin the line between sanity and insanity can be. The museum also gives an overview of how ‘madness’ was treated throughout the centuries. Before, during or after your visit, why not pop in to museum café ‘Thuys’ for a cup of organic coffee or a delicious Thuys home-made lunch with local ingredients?
General information
Schotersingel 2, Haarlem, Nederland
Accessability: wheelchair accessible
Distance from harbor
2 km, 5 min
Monday: closed Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 to 17:00 Saturday to Sunday: 12:00 to 17:00
Haarlem has been voted the best shopping city of the Netherlands several times now. And it’s easy to see why. The Gouden Straatjes, or Golden Streets, are a shopper’s delight with plenty of surprising boutiques, trendy concept stores and relaxed interior design shops.
General information
Grote Markt 2, 2011 RD Haarlem, Nederland
Distance from harbor
3 km, 10 min
3 km, 10 min
By public transport approximate 25 minutes
Haarlem has twenty-one public hofjes, courtyards with almshouses. The oldest, Hofje van Bakenes dates from 1395. In the past, these hofjes, provided accommodation to poor, or unmarried, women and widows. Many of these small urban oases have disappeared over the years, but there have also been a few new additions, such as the Johan Enschedéhofje, built in 2007 to a design by Joost Swarte and Henk Döll.
General information
Wijde Appelaarsteeg 11f, 2011 HB Haarlem, Nederland
Distance from harbor
3 km, 10 min
Monday to Friday: 10.00 to 17.00 Saturday: times differ per hofje Sundays and public holidays: closed
Take a look around the ‘hiding place’ of the Ten Boom family, where they offered shelter to Jews and members of the Dutch resistance during World War II. The family was betrayed in 1944 and arrested and Corrie was the only person to survive. The house, still partly decorated in the original 1940s style, is now a museum.
General information
Barteljorisstraat 19, Haarlem, Nederland
Distance from harbor
3 km, 10 min
Museum visits are by guided tours only. Advance booking is available via the website.
An imposing square, Grote Markt forms the heart of the historic centre of Haarlem, surrounded by famous buildings such as the town hall and Vleeshal, a former covered meat market hall. Weekly markets are held in this square every Monday and Saturday. A must-visit is the Grote of St.-Bavokerk, a 14th century Gothic cruciform church.
General information
Grote Markt 22, Haarlem, Nederland
Maximum amount of visitors: no limmit
Distance from harbor
3 km, 10 min
Monday to Saturday incl.: 10.00 to 17.00 In July and August, also open on Sunday from 12.00 to 16.00
Molen De Adriaan was opened in 1779 and is famous for its picturesque setting on the river Spaarne. Businessman Adriaan de Boois crushed tuff stone to trass here for many years. The mill went on to have several other purposes and owners. For instance, tobacco leaves were ground up into snuff here and the mill was later rebuilt into a wind and steam flour mill.
General information
Papentorenvest 1A, Haarlem, Nederland
Maximum amount of visitors: no limmit
Distance from harbor
2.5 km, 5 min
The Frans Hals Museum is one museum spread across two locations, with two very different collections. Its internationally renowned collection of 17th century art is displayed at the ‘Hof’ in Groot Heiligland and includes works by Frans Hals, one of the most important Dutch masters. At the ‘Hal’ in Grote Markt, you can find works by contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st century.
General information
Groot Heiligland 62, Haarlem, Nederland
Maximum amount of visitors: unknown
Distance from harbor
3 km, 40 min
4 km, 12 min
4 km, 12 min
Teylers Museum is the first and oldest museum in the Netherlands (1784). It was founded from the estate of wealthy cloth merchant and silk manufacturer Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. The interior of the museum alone, with the monumental Oval Room as the pièce de résistance, is a definite must-see. Walking through Teylers Museum is like going on a voyage of discovery through time. The tour takes you past minerals and fossils, drawings and paintings, but also scientific instruments, coins and medals.
General information
Spaarne 16, Haarlem, Nederland
Accessability: The museum is wheelchair accessible.
Distance from harbor
3 km, 15 min
Open Tuesday to Sunday
Jopenkerk is a former church that has been transformed into a brewery, grand café and pub. Jopen beers are brewed according to a local medieval recipe. You can watch the brewing process while enjoying your drink or dinner, which makes every visit a real experience.
General information
Gedempte Voldersgracht 2, Haarlem, Nederland
Accessability: the church is wheehchair accessible
Distance from harbor
3.5 km, 15 min
National Park Zuid-Kennemerland stretches from Zandvoort to IJmuiden. The ever-surprising dune landscape, extending from country estates on the edge of the park, via rugged dunes to the North Sea beach, is the habitat of numerous special animals and plants.
General information
Zeeweg 12, Overveen, Nederland
Distance from harbor
5 km, 20 min
Open from Sunrise to sunset
Largest steam engine
in the world
The Cruquius houses the worlds’ largest steam engine: its main cylinder has a
diameter of 3.66 metres! The engine could drain up to 320,000 litres of water
per minute, that’s one Olympic swimming pool every 8 minutes. The engine
room, unchanged since 1849, is a marvel of Victorian engineering.
General information
Cruquiusdijk 27, Cruquius, Nederland
Accessability: Opening hours: 1 November to 31 March Monday to Friday: 13.00 to 17.00 Saturday and Sunday: 11.00 to 17.00 1 April to 31 October Monday to Friday: 10.00 to 17.00 Saturday and Sunday: 11.00 to 17.00
Distance from harbor
7.3 km, 26 min
7,6 km, 20 min
Bloemendaal and Zandvoort are great places to visit all year round. Blow away the cobwebs on the beach, walk through the dunes or recharge at one of the beach pavilions with a cup of coffee. Wonderful in the autumn and winter months too.
General information
Jan Steenstraat 2041, Zandvoort, Nederland
Accessability:
Distance from harbor
10 km, 20 min
Bloemendaal aan Zee: 9 km Zandvoort aan Zee: 11 km
General information
Schiphol Boulevard, Schiphol, Nederland
Distance from harbor
25 km, 20-40 min
25 km, 25 min
17 min by train from Amsterdam central station
General information
Stationsweg 166a, Lisse, Nederland
Accessability: Our park offers excellent access for (electric) wheelchairs and has plenty of disabled toilet facilities.
Distance from harbor
50 km, 45 min
Coach Parking Coaches can be parked for free in the carpark adjacent to the main entrance.