Is Haarlem Worth It?

A daytrip to Haarlem is a wonderful idea ! It's very easy to get there from anywhere in the Amsterdam area. Haarlem is very charming, yet not too big - you can see all the highlights in a few hours, plus have time for a bite to eat. There are several restaurants right off the main square in the town center, with some outside tables so you can enjoy the scenery while you eat.

Definitely visit St. Bavo's church right across the square. If you are lucky, you will hear someone playing their enormous pipe organ ... the sound it can produce is incredible. You may also want to visit the Teyler Museum a few blocks from there ... it's a compilation of artwork, fossils, and everything in-between. An hour or two is sufficient, but worth it.

I am torn about my response. I always wanted to go based on RS books, but after going unless there were things that I really wanted to see or do I would look at other places. Been there, done that, don't need to go back and I wouldn't necessarily recommend as a definite see. Comparatively speaking not like Brussels and Bruges.

If all you have planned in the Netherlands so far is Amsterdam, a trip to Haarlem might be a pleasent change. It's a fairly typical mid-sized Dutch city... an old historic core, complete with canals, surrounded by a hyper-modern ring of housing and industry, and an outermost ring of polderland. It can be a welcome change from the bustle of Amsterdam, although I wouldn't exactly call it a peaceful getaway either.

It's worth a trip. The Frans Hal Museum is one of favorite Art Museums in all of Europe. And the tour of the Corrie ten Boom Museum/tour is interesting. On selected evenings the Church in the city center has excellent organ concerts. The NY Times travel section did a big write-up about it a couple of weeks ago:

http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/europe/netherlands/haarlem/overview.html

P.S. Haarlem also has Holland's only Ikea. So if you've also wanted to check out an Ikea here is your chance. There are shuttle buses available at the train station.

"P.S. Haarlem also has Holland's only Ikea. So if you've also wanted to check out an Ikea here is your chance. There are shuttle buses available at the train station."

Delft also has one.

Ahh, another one has sprouted. Looks like the one in Delft is better and is a "concept store" testing out new products and layouts. It also has a hotel attached to it...furnished completely by Ikea of course;)

Do they have a restaurant serving meatballs and various fish products?

Probably, but I did talk to someone who said they sell excellent and affordable framed prints of the region.

Just don't go on a Sunday -- pretty much everything is closed except a few cafes on the sqare.

RS tours often have people stay in Haarlem. It was ok, but it would be farther down on my list of things to do after visiting sights in Amsterdam, a trip to Delft, etc. It didn't seem to have much you can't see anywhere else in Europe. I didn't go to the Frans Hals museum, though, so that might be worth visiting.

Off Topic: Haarlem is by no means the only IKEA in the Netherlands, nor was it the first. Having lived there, and hauled half my furniture 45 mins on a train, trust me on that. I see the IKEA there is no just about 5 mins from my old home - oooooooh, how I could have used that. LOL

Karen, Haarlem is great if you love shopping. As others have said, the Barvo Kerk and the Hiding Place (ten boom museum) are worth seeing. The town center is one of the older ones, dating back to the 1200's in places (buildings still in use today).

If you go on a Thursday, there's late night shopping. Great night to have some ice cream, sit at a cafe, and people watch.

Saturdays have a nice market in the main square, that is worth going to.

As I mentioned, shopping is the main thing in Haarlem. It has lots of modern stores. BUT, if you go off the beaten track a block or two in the town center, you will find wonderful oooooooold shop, still making candles, and violins by hand, etc.

I don't know that I'd spend a couple days there, but I'd definitely do one.

PS - I'd definitely vote for Delft.

Personally we prefer to stay in Haarlem and see Amsterdam, Delft, etc as daytrips. Haarlen is quiet and peaceful and does not have the drugs and sex that make Amsterdam so unpleasant.

I now formally apologize for implying that the Ikea of Haarlem was Holland's only outlet. After further research I've now found out that Ikea's world headquarters is actually in Delft, and not Sweden as I had assumed. How did Sweden allow that to happen and why are they still serving Swedish Meatballs at all their worldwide outlets instead of frites with mayonnaise?

"why are they still serving Swedish Meatballs at all their worldwide outlets instead of frites with mayonnaise?"

This is one of those questions that may never be answered; some things are destined to remain a mystery.

Although probably there is a Destination Expert at the Delft forum of Tripadvisor.com (the source of ultimate wisdom about the ways of the travel world, oui?) who knows:)

Well, I do have to back Michael on the suggestion of gong to IKEA in Haarlem.

1) The prices are even better than IKEA in America (at least when I was there last.)

2) You've never had the true Netherlands experience, until you've tried to take a Jerker desk kit, on a rush hour train, in the middle of a heat wave... ;)

Go Meatballs! :-D

We took a day trip to Haarlem and enjoyed it a lot. It is about 15 minutes away from Amsterdam. Looking back, and having read a bit more after the fact, I wonder whether Utrecht would have been the better day trip choice. I think Rick talks about staying in Haarlem rather than Amsterdam, but for the life of me I can't see why. I loved Amsterdam and could have stayed there 2 weeks instead of 5 days, and don't regret having visited Haarlem. You'll have a great time wherever you go in the Netherlands.

Haarlem was not my favorite city, but it was pleasant enough. The main thing i wanted to check out was Teylers Museum which was pretty cool (if you like science, natural history, etc).

"Looking back, and having read a bit more after the fact, I wonder whether Utrecht would have been the better day trip choice." They're both pretty similar, but perhaps because it hosts a university, Utrecht is a bit livlier. I particularly liked the railroad museum here, but it might be of limited interest to non-Dutch speakers. There's also a mechanical musical instrument museum that sounded interesting, but I ran out of time and didn't see it (damn horrible map in the Eyewitness Travel guide!).

I would recommend Utrecht. The train is right in the center and a quick walk through the mall/station "Hoog Catherine" will get you within a block to the Oude Gracht canal which is bi-level; lower level wharf side has restaurants, small boats, rowing clubs, and paddle boat rentals ; the upper level has shops, cafes, more restaurants ( I believe San Antonio came here for ideas before restoring their river walk). They have good museums, my favorite is the Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum. Flower market on Saturdays on the upper level of the canal, regular market coming out of the mall, a street organ if you are lucky and he is around town that day. Late night shopping is on Thursday night too.

Karen
I would take a day trip to Haarlem. We enjoyed staying there and day tripping into Amsterdam. It is only 15 min on the train.
It is a nice old city that had some interesting places to see.
Unlike one other poster on here though, one thing I liked about Haarlem was the smoke and red light district was half the price of Amsterdam.