Surroundings
Haarlem | Beach | Nature | Culture | Museums | Neighbouring cities | Sports

Haarlem
Haarlem is an old city with a wide variety of restaurants, shops (it has been declared the best shopping city in the Netherlands), culture, museums, and a choice between hustle and bustle or peace and quiet. Haarlem”s monuments council, in co-operation with the ANWB (Royal Dutch Touring Club), has affixed signs to more than a hundred buildings, each displaying a brief description of the particular property or building. Such signs are also sported by the Haarlem almshouses, the churches and the many extraordinary buildings like "het Stadhuis" (Town Hall), the "Vlees- en Vishal" (Meat & Fish Hall), "de Waag" (the Weighing-house) and "de Hoofdwacht" (the Main Guardhouse).

Beach
The trendy beach of Zandvoort can easily be reached by car (traffic jams, high parking tariffs), by bus (also traffic jams), by train (stops virtually on the beach every half-hour), by bicycle (about half an hour through the dunes) or on foot (about an hour through the dunes). The beaches of Bloemendaal, IJmuiden, Bergen and Wijk aan Zee can also be reached easily by car or public transport.

Nature
The nature reserve of the Kennemer Dunes is only a stone’s throw from “de Rosenhof”. Exploring this area on foot, by bicycle or with a guide, are just some of the possibilities.
Thijsse Hof (Mollaan 4 in Bloemendaal). An area of roughly 2 ha where the original flora and fauna of the inner dune can still be found to a certain extent.
Stadskweektuin ('City Nursery Garden' - Kleverpark 9 in Haarlem). Alternating exhibitions on the subjects of nature and the environment.
Various country estates and nature areas (Association of Nature Reserves, Water Canal Dunes) in the area are freely accessible, and definitely worth a visit for walks or bicycle trips.

Culture
In Haarlem you will also find the Concertgebouw (Concert Hall), the Stadsschouwburg (City Theatre), the Toneelschuur (stages), the Patronaat (the Patronage - 'pop temple'), the Lichtfabriek (Light Factory) and the Meterhuis (Meter House). Of course, the city also offers various churches (organ concerts on the well-known Christian Müller organ), cinemas/auditoriums, puppet theatres, galleries and various outdoor events during the summer. Information about these different programmes can be obtained at “de Rosenhof”. For events, you can take a look at the events calendars.
Haarlem also provides opportunities for day trips or a sightseeing tour on foot, escorted by a guide.

Museums
Haarlem also has many museums. These include the Teylers Museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands), the Frans Hals Museum (old Dutch Master), the Corrie ten Boom House, the Vleeshal, the Vishal and the Verweyhal (alternating exhibits), the ABC Architectural Museum, the Historical Museum Zuid Kennemerland, the baseball and softball museum and the archeological museum. In the area surrounding Haarlem, the Cruquius Museum, the Halfweg steam-powered pumping station (working polder steam pumping station), the polder museum in Alkmaar and the Juttersmuseum in Zandvoort.

The neighbouring cities
Amsterdam : In view of its special ambience, a must for every tourist. The canals, shops and museums are worth a visit. Amsterdam can easily be reached by car (high parking rates), by rail, by boat (from Velsen), and, for the true enthusiast, by bicycle (good locks are absolutely necessary).
Alkmaar : An old city about 25 km from Haarlem and worth a visit, particularly on Friday morning during the summer months, when a traditional cheese market is held. Alkmaar can be reached conveniently by train or by car.
Beverwijk : Every weekend, the city hosts Europe’s largest covered market (3000 stalls). Open from 08:30 – 16:30.
Zandvoort : A major drawcard for the beachgoer, where entertainment events such as concerts, exhibitions, live music, tournaments and festivals abound during the summer months. Zandvoort can be reached conveniently by rail, by bicycle and on foot. When the weather is fine, you will often be stuck in traffic jams if travelling by bus or by car.
IJmuiden : one of the larger fishing ports of the Netherlands, and the main port for the port of Amsterdam. An outing to the harbour, the sea-locks and the fish market easily takes up an entire day. In addition, IJmuiden also has a beach where you can relax in peace and quiet. IJmuiden can be reached easily by bus and by car. Cycling offers another possibility.
Lisse : The place where the Keukenhof is open during the months of April, May and August (thus not during June and July). Lisse can be reached easily by bus and by car.

Sports
Haarlem and environs offer countless possibilities for sporting activities, such as ten-pin bowling, go-karting, the racetrack, golf courses, canoeing, boule, skittles, climbing walls, skating rink/artificial ski-run, riding schools, skating, squash, tennis, surfing, stepping and fishing.