Travel to Haarlem for a Great Vacation in North Holland

Haarlem is a city and a municipality located in the province of North Holland, region of which it is the capital. The city of Haarlem is located at a distance of about 20 kilometers from Amsterdam, next to the River Spaarne, and has a population of about 147,200 inhabitants who live in an area of about 32 km2.

The first moments in the life of this city can be traced back to as long ago as the 8th century, when it was known as Haarlo Heim, a term that can be translated as "place higher than others" or "place on sand covered by trees." One of the first most important events in the history of Haarlem took place around the year 1220, when the knights of this city conquered the Egyptian harbor of Damietta, after which Haarlem was honored with the privilege to bear the Count's sword.

Towards the 14th century, most of Haarlem's buildings were made of wood, in such a way that, around the year 1330, the city was almost entirely burnt. This disaster was repeated two times more, in 1328 and in 1351. After these three fires, a large part of the city and many of its main buildings, such as the count's Castle, were completely destroyed.

As it can be easily noticed, the history of this city is extremely interesting and full of important moments. Due to this and the several other attractions it combines, Haarlem is a great choice for all those tourists who wish to travel to a destination that is very rich in historical past as well as to those who wish to have a vacation in a unique environment that is full of traditions as well as of exciting places.

One interesting and famous characteristic of Haarlem is provided by its hofjes, country houses in which elder single women would live. Nowadays, tourists can still meet about 19 of these hofjes, many of which are still used for the same purposes than centuries ago and some of them even open to the public from Monday to Friday.

There are several amazing constructions which tourists who travel to Haarlem for a vacation should not miss. One of these constructions is The Teylersmuseum, the first museum in the Netherlands and one of the most interesting ones as well. Besides this, visitors can also meet many other peculiar constructions and spots, such as, for example, The Saint Bavo Cathedral, The Grote Markt, The City Hall of Haarlem, The Vleeshal, The Amsterdamse Poort, The Frans Hals Museum, and the Sint Bavokerk or Grote.

Haarlem is also famous by its production of beer. Since the beginnings of its production, at beginnings of the 15th century, beer has provided one of the main traditional resources for this city. Two of the most famous beer types of this city are the Jopen Adriaan or Jopenbier and the Jopen Koyt, both of which are still produced following almost the same recipes than those followed in the 15th century.