There something about this big church towering over Haarlem’s market square. I would always look up and admire that beautiful lead covering wooden tower soaring high towards the sky. This is the Great Church or Sint Bavo Church of Haarlem. “Grote Kerk or Sint Bavo Kerk” in Dutch. Not to…
Tag: things to do in Haarlem

Haarlem Jewish Monument
The Jewish Monument Haarlem located at Philip Frankplein, where the old synagogue once stood nearby before the war. In Dutch: Joods Monument Haarlem. It has the names of 715 Jewish Haarlemmers who were deported from their homes during the Second World War and were killed in the extermination camps. The…

Bloemencorso Bollenstreek 2024
Presenting the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek 2024 in Haarlem … This flower parade is the highlight of the spring season in the Netherlands! Such yearly event usually starts on Wednesday to Friday whereby the public can buy tickets to see behind the scenes how a float is decorated by volunteers, in Sassenheim….

Gravenzaal
When you arrive at Grote Markt in Haarlem, you will not miss the imposing City Hall building, across from the big church, the Grote Kerk or St.-Bavokerk. It was originally a count’s hunting mansion built in 1250. After large fires in 1347 and 1351, William II, Count of Holland donated…

Corrie Ten Boom House Museum
The story started in 1837 when Willem ten Boom opened a small watch shop at the front of his family home in Barteljorisstraat in Haarlem. Ten Boom family was known to be devoted Christians, inspired to help their community and active in social work around town. Their corner property along…

Haarlem Red Light District
UPDATED 02/05/2025 The unsuspected Haarlem Red Light District towards the end of this street at Begijnhof. It is a small cluster of operations around Waalse Kerk Haarlem or Walloon Church Haarlem. Yes, a real church! The undistinguished pink building with red lanterns hanging outside is Het Poortje, a brothel in…