Take a Trip to the Nearby City of Haarlem

The closest of all possible Zandvoort day trips is a day trip to the nearby city of Haarlem. Haarlem is the capital of the North Holland province in the Netherlands, and forms the sixth largest metropolitan area in Europe. Tourists are mainly attracted by the rich history and culture inheritance of the city. Here is how to get to and what to see in Haarlem.

Getting There

Haarlem is located roughly 10km east of Zandvoort. Both cities have an established direct road connection, which will take you to the outskirts of Haarlem, but close enough to the center. If you don’t have a car at your disposal, you can take inter-city bus number 81, which will take you directly to the Haarlem Central Station, or you can take a train, which is a very popular choice for transportation between both cities.

Sights

Once in Haarlem, there is much to be seen. One of the major sights is the Haarlem City Hall (or Grote Markt as the locals refer to it). It is an impressive building dating from the 14th century. Nearby is the Franz Hals museum, which is only one of the several museums in Haarlem. It specializes in art dating from the 15th century and up to the present day. Lastly, you shouldn’t miss seeing the Bakenesserkerk and the Grote Kerk van St. Bavo, two amazing Christian monuments, dating from the 15th and the 18th century.