Haarlem May 2018
We had a few days to kill in the Netherlands before boarding a river cruise in Amsterdam. Luckily for us, the accommodation we had booked in Amsterdam fell through, so we found a place in Haarlem instead. This turned out to be a wonderful spot to stay. Haarlem is only 20 minutes from Amsterdam by train, but it is smaller and quieter and much less crowded.
Our hotel was on the main square just opposite the Cathedral, and although tiny with a very steep, narrow staircase, the position was excellent. When joined by our friends (one couple staying in a B&B and the other couple staying in a hotel on the opposite side of the square) they each lay claim to having the steepest, narrowest staircases possible, so it seems this is the norm.
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Haarlem is small enough to explore on foot. It has some very pretty canals, lovely old buildings and a lively town square. The cafes serve great beer. And ice-cream and hot chips are popular foods to eat on the go. We enjoyed a visit to an old windmill, a free concert in the cathedral, and a lively weekend market where we sampled some fantastic food.
One day we took a train to the beach at Zarndorf . It was a Sunday and most of Holland’s population must have been there as well. The beach is very long, flanked by a wide boulevard. Thousands of little beach huts were nestled between the road and the water and I wonder how anyone ever finds their place. Those without beach huts had little shade tents on the sand. Refreshment trucks move up and down the beach selling cold drinks and ice-cream.
I would highly recommend choosing Harlem as your base if you want to avoid the crowds and high cost of Amsterdam. We had a wonderful few days there.