"Haarlem" a Haarlem Travel Page by isolina_it

Located about 20km from the capital city of Amsterdam, Haarlem is a picturesque city in the province of North Holland. The old city centre dates back to mediaeval times with at its heart the main square ("Grote Markt") dominated by the spectacular cathedral of St Bavo.
The city is rather rectangular in shape, with the north-south axis being several times larger than the west-east. Down through this long rectangle runs the river Spaarne, with its many undulations marked by a range of different kinds of bridge, all of which can be raised to allow the many ships and boats to pass. This river traffic is quite considerable and reaches a peak in the summer, when many pleasure boats add to its volume.

The coastal dunes, some 7km distant, can be seen from the top of the higher buildings in the city, so a trip to the beach is no great exertion. The nearby seaside resort of Zandvoort can be reached easily by train or bus.

Haarlem is also known as the City of Flowers and thoughout the spring and summer the streets are decorated with floral dispays. It lies at the heart of the world-famous bulb-growing area stretching from Haarlem to Leiden. There is an annual procession of floats decorated with thousands of Spring flowers which attracts many onlookers.