Eight-week Haarlem floral bonanza In April and May, Haarlem is the flower city of the Netherlands! Not only are the surrounding bulb fields in full bloom at this time, Haarlem itself will be putting its best floral foot forward with a whole host of flower related events, exhibitions and activities under the slogan: Haarlem Bloeit!(Haarlem Blooms!). This is Haarlem’s way of bringing art, culture and flowers together in one big celebration of spring. And the many restaurants, cafés and shopping streets in the historic city centre will, of course, be joining in this festive floral bonanza! Museums in bloom During Haarlem Bloeit!, you can visit no fewer than four exhibitions in three museums where flowers and plants are brought to life! Discover 17th and 18th century botanical art at Teylers Museum through exhibitions as ‘200 Kinds of Green’, with watercolours by world-famous brothers Franz and Ferdinand Bauer, and ‘A Feast of Flowers’ in the Print Room, featuring amazing drawings of flowers. Experience the exciting synergy between ceramics, design, the Old Masters and fresh flowers during the ‘Museum in Bloom’ event at Frans Hals Museum. And, find out all about the rise and fall of the Haarlem flower industry between the 18th and 20th century at Museum Haarlem. Cathedral in bloom ‘De Nieuwe Bavo Bloeit’ (Nieuwe Bavo in Bloom) is an impressive floral event in the imposing, eclectic Nieuwe Bavo cathedral, a fairy-tale transformation created by 150 students. The church, which ranks among the top five most important churches in Europe, along with the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, among others, will be putting on a spectacular display of colour, fragrance and light for ten days. City in bloom The arrival of the Flower Parade of the Bollenstreek, the bulb region of Holland, during the weekend of 13 and 14 April is embraced by the city as an opportunity to offer a broad cultural programme all weekend long. Events include the ZontaWalk, which leads you through the historic city centre on Saturday evening to special places with (outdoor) performances, DJ and party collective Je Suis Energy’s parade with spectacular street acts, and for families, the musical Kindercorso kids’ flower parade by bike, which takes place on Saturday and is open to everyone. And for those of you who want to immerse yourself in the history of the city and the tulip, VVV Haarlem tourist information office offers a guided Tulpomania city walk, with the audio tour also available to download for free.