Walk through the historic streets filled with ultramodern boutiques, hip fashionistas and trendy cafés of Grote Markt and then step back through time as you enter Haarlem’s main square. In the Grote Markt, you’re surrounded by historic buildings: the Gothic cathedral, the 17th-century town hall, the 13th-century Hoofdwacht building where the civic guard once met and the former meat hall which is now the Museum de Hallen.
On Mondays and Saturdays, enjoy salted herring (a must on any visit to the Netherlands), caramel stroopwafels and bakery treats from the market stalls in the square. Shop for a bit of bargain fashion too. During the rest of the week the square is a fantastic place to meet with friends for drinks and dining, with plenty of choices of bars and restaurants.
Discover the hidden treasures inside each of the architectural wonders of the Grote Markt. Take a tour through the Grote Kerk, where young Mozart once played the organ. Next head to the Vleeshal, at one time the only place in the town that fresh meat could be sold. Now it is home to contemporary and modern art, with a focus on video and multimedia artworks. Downstairs, in the Vleeshal’s cellars you’ll find the Archeologisch Museum Haarlem, open afternoons from Wednesday to Sunday. Wander through displays of Stone Age weapons, Bronze Age farming tools and medieval artifacts. Try your hand at an archaeological dig.
If you’re visiting on a summer weekend, explore the inside of the Hoofdwacht building. It once served as Haarlem’s town hall before it became the base for the citizens chosen to perform civic guard duties in the 18th century.
The Grote Markt is quintessential Haarlem, not to be missed. Grab a coffee or broodje (sandwich) and take the opportunity to sit and soak up the history of Haarlem’s historic heart.
