I found myself completely out of practice when it came to my family’s recent trip to the Netherlands, booking things relatively last minute and researching activities on the fly. However, one tidbit I picked up was that the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek—the annual flower parade—would finish in the town of Haarlem. This was only a 20-minute train ride from Amsterdam, and it meant we could get close to the parade floats without the crowds that typically line the parade route.
So, as Sunday dawned, we headed out of Amsterdam and into Haarlem.
We arrived early and walked through the sleeping streets. On the surface, there are similarities with Amsterdam since Haarlem is also criss-crossed with canals lined with tall, narrow houses. The latter are built in this style because, in the past, homeowners were taxed based on the width of the house’s frontage along the canal. Narrow was cheaper, so the Dutch built up rather than out. Another similarity: once Haarlem woke up, bicycles were everywhere and you had to be on your guard.
However, a key difference between the cities is the comparative lack of crowds. Although locals and visitors alike flocked to see the corsos—the parade floats—the entire atmosphere was different from the capital city: festive, but not frantic.
The street of Gedempte Oude Gracht was closed for the day so the corsos could line up along it. These floats are created from different spring flowers and can best be described as charming. There is usually a theme each year, but 2025 was a free-for-all: designers could do what they wanted. This resulted in a gloriously eclectic mix ranging from anthropomorphic fruit to rainforest wildlife and everything in between.
As we wrapped up the flower parade, Google continued to work its magic of recommending excellent places to eat. We ended up at Hare of the Dog (yes, that’s the spelling), which advertises itself as a brunch bar but is in reality a little slice of heaven tucked away on a Dutch side street. The food was divine, the service top notch, and it bucked a trend we had noticed at other restaurants: they provided free water.
If you are going to the Netherlands from the US or UK, be prepared to shell out for bottled water at most venues: tap water is not given as standard. I found this unusual because the Netherlands is quite environmentally friendly in most other respects, but this is one area where the majority of restaurants and cafés are firm. You pay for water because the restaurant or café has to pay to provide it. The simplest solution is to bring a reusable bottle and fill up before setting off for the day.
Remember the iAmsterdam City Card I mentioned in a previous post?
The venues included in the card extend to Haarlem, and it ended up being a good example of how the card encourages you to take a chance on visiting sites you might not otherwise go to. Despite its stellar ratings, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to take my family to the Frans Hals Museum, but we had time to spare and admission was included with the card.
It also turned out to be the ideal introduction to Dutch art. The museum itself is housed in a 17th century building that served as an almshouse for a few hundred years before its dedication to the work of Frans Hals (and others) at the beginning of the 20th century. It was the perfect atmosphere for taking in the artwork on display and, because most visitors to Haarlem were busy taking in the flower parade, we practically had the place to ourselves.
But first a small diversion.
When people think about the Netherlands today, their thoughts probably turn to tulips, windmills, and, if they are gastronomically inclined, cheese.
However, it’s often overlooked by the rest of the planet that the Netherlands was once a key player on the world stage. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) and West India Company (WIC) brought incredible wealth to the nation (and suffering to those living in colonised lands … but that’s a blog post for a different day). Amsterdam itself became the financial hub of Europe, opening what is considered the world’s first stock exchange in 1602. As a result, the 17th century is known as the Dutch Golden Age, with innovations in architecture, science, engineering, and art.
Rembrandt and Vermeer in particular tend to hog the spotlight when it comes to artistic development. If you were to summarise each artist in only one word, Rembrandt would be moody and Vermeer luminous. Where does Frans Hals fit into this? I would describe his paintings as alive.
He was also ahead of his time. His trademark is loose, flowing brush strokes that would serve as inspiration for the Impressionists of the 19th century. It borders on the miraculous to see what appear to be random brush strokes when you view them close up resolve themselves into a portrait when you step back. As a result, the people he painted—primarily large groups of civic guards or guild members—feel real. There are no stiff or formal poses: the men look up at the viewer as if you have just walked in on the middle of a lively conversation.
All of us were blown away by the collection, and it more than justifies its spot in the Haarlem top 10.
After leaving, we worked our way along the canal to the Teylers Museum, which is the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Confession time: I have a thing for classic museums. It’s almost like time travel to step into a place that has barely changed in a century or two. The Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens fits the bill, as do Oxford’s Pitt Rivers Museum and Museum of Natural History.
Teyler can now be added to my list.
Its origins are in the late 18th century. While America and the UK were busy squabbling, the Dutch were putting Enlightenment ideals into action. Wealthy banker Pieter Teyler van der Hulst left a bequest at his death in 1778 for the creation of a foundation to promote art and science. Teylers Museum, built adjacent to Pieter’s house, was the result. It opened its doors to the public in 1784 with the grand, neoclassical Oval Room, and it has been slowly expanding ever since. Its collections are a true mix of Enlightenment interests: scientific instruments, fossils, minerals, medals, medallions, and coins can be found throughout the museum.
A small gallery of paintings also felt like a blast from the past, at least in terms of general appearance. But there was something that connected the past to the present: the subject of the paintings wouldn’t be at all out of place on a modern social media platform. Still lifes? Today, we have photos of someone’s lunch. Self-portraits and selfies clearly go hand in hand. And paintings of cats are self-explanatory.
We continued our circuit of Haarlem with a visit to the Molen de Adriaan. The origins of this windmill go back to 1779, when it was constructed by merchant Adriaan de Boois. It was used to grind various things over the centuries, ranging from paint to tobacco. However, the original building was destroyed by fire in 1932, and it wasn’t until 2002 that it was rebuilt and rose from the ashes. Regardless of its exact age, it now serves as a landmark and picturesque view along the busy river Spaarne.
We had managed to make a day of Haarlem, but it was now time to head back to Amsterdam.
And it was here, after three outstanding recommendations for places to eat, that Google finally let me down. The map to a highly rated restaurant I had my eye on took us into the middle of a residential area. We eventually ended up at what appeared to be a community centre, and there was a restaurant there … it just had a different name and didn’t appear to be open.
Time for Plan B. The next place had amazing reviews, but I neglected to look into the details: slow, fine dining.
We ended up at an Italian restaurant across the street. It was fine.
THOUGHTS ABOUT APPS:
The whole FamilyElaineous are fans of the television show Race Across the World, where contestants have to get from A to B with limited money and no mobile phones. I would fail dismally at this: I fully relied on my phone to get us through the week. Beyond Google restaurant reviews, these are the apps I would recommend if you’re planning a trip to the Netherlands.
- Left Luggage: Luggage Hero and Bounce can help you see where you can drop your luggage for a small fee if you want to explore without your bags.
- Transportation: The NS app is the official app for the Dutch train network; it was perfect for planning trips and buying train tickets while on the go. Transit helped me navigate the bus and tram system within Amsterdam itself; however, it can be used anywhere in the world, and I found the live updates more helpful than Google Maps.
- iAmsterdam: If you get the iAmsterdam City Card, the associated app is helpful because it has all of the details you need about what’s included and what needs to be booked in advance.
- Rijksmuseum: I’m working my way towards a blog post about the incredible Rijksmuseum, but I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out for their app. It’s a great way to see the highlights without suffering from museum fatigue.
- Stolpersteine: I’ll discuss these further in a future post, but stolpersteine or stumbling stones are a moving tribute to those killed during the Holocaust. The app allows you to find the locations of the plaques and even add your own photos of them if they’re missing.
