Haarlem
The Capital Of North Holland: Grote Markt, The Frans Hals Museum, The Teylers Museum (The Country'S Oldest Museum) And Hidden Almshouse Courtyards · Haarlem, North Holland
Haarlem is the capital of North Holland and, for many visitors, the best-kept secret beside Amsterdam: a handsome old city of gabled streets, a slow river and a great market square, only about 15 minutes away by train. The Grote Markt is dominated by the Grote Kerk (Sint-Bavokerk), a vast late-Gothic church where the painter Frans Hals is buried and whose Muller organ Mozart is said to have played as a boy. The Frans Hals Museum holds his lively group portraits in an old almshouse, and the Teylers Museum, opened in 1784, is the oldest museum in the country, a time capsule of fossils, instruments and drawings. Tucked behind plain doors are the hofjes, quiet almshouse courtyards still lived in today, and the Corrie ten Boom House tells a moving story of wartime hiding. The beach at Zandvoort is ten minutes away by train, and Keukenhof is close. The honest caveat: Haarlem is no secret any more, its canals are fewer and smaller than Amsterdam's, and some museums close on Mondays - but it is calmer and often cheaper as a base.
Haarlem centre around the Grote Markt and the Grote Kerk (Sint-Bavokerk), 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam, Haarlem, North Holland, Netherlands
The centre is open all year and free to walk. The Grote Kerk opens to visitors Monday to Saturday and is closed to sightseers on Sundays - confirm. The Frans Hals Museum and Teylers Museum usually close on Mondays - confirm. The hofjes open their courtyards roughly Monday to Saturday in daytime and close on Sundays - confirm each one. The Corrie ten Boom House runs free guided tours that should be booked online - confirm days. Trains run from Amsterdam Centraal every few minutes (about 15 minutes) and the station is 10 minutes on foot from the Grote Markt; parking in the centre is expensive, so use the station or a P+R.