Spend a day in and around Haarlem 

Haarlem is a beautiful city to spend a weekend, especially in the season when the tulips are in full bloom. From the rowing boats you can already catch a glimpse of the old city, but do take a day or half a day to wander around. For instance, have a coffee at the Grote Markt (Great Square) in full view of the Grote of St. Bavochurch. Or even better, visit the church where painter Frans Hals had been buried and watch (and maybe even listen to) the famous Muller Organ where a young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played during his European tour. 

The weekend of our rowing event is also the weekend of the Bloemencorso, with floats decorated with flowers in a specific theme drive from Noordwijk to the center of Haarlem. Be aware that it might be busy that weekend and hotels can be fully booked. 

See top locations with flowers 

If you feel that our International Rowing Event isn’t enough to satisfy your need for flowers head to the Keukenhof to see and smell the flowers in all kinds of different breeds and colours (www.keukenhof.nl).

Or pay visit to The Tulip Barn, where over 1,5 million tulips are blooming this spring! You will be in the middle of 200 different varieties of tulips, you can expect a true color explosion (www.thetulipbarn.nl).

Plan ahead, reserve your tickets online.

Guided tour 

The Haarlem visitor centre is located on the ground floor of the city hall and it’s the place to go to if you wish to take a guided tour through the city center or a tour especially focusd on the ‘Haarlemse hofjes’, courtyard housing where the elderly of the city used to live (www.visithaarlem.com)

Eating out

The area around the Grote Markt has the largest number of restaurant, varying from the Dutch ‘eetcafés’, where you can go for a steak, a burger or the Dutch version of a sateh. For a more authentic version of that last dish, go to the Indonesian restaurants such as Café Samabé (although a reservation might be necessary, samabe.nl) or De Lachende Javaan. 

The Lange Veerstraat  offers restaurants from various cuisines such as Peruvian-Japanese food in Maita, an Italian pasta or two, and more traditional French cuisine at BastiJan. For a beer go to the Haarlem brewery Jopenkerk or café De Uiver. 

Alternatives for when the weather is really bad

• Teylers Museum: This oldest museum in the Netherlands offers fascinating exhibitions where – in true Enlightenment spirit – art and science are combined. There are nineteenth-century paintings to see and the ‘Electriceer machine’ a huge contraption built to create electricity. This April there’s also an temporary exhibition on the Kosmos and the ways we looked at that through the ages (www.teylersmuseum.nl)
• Frans Hals Museum: Here you will find the largest collection of paintings by the world-famous Haarlem painter Frans Hals. But in addition to this 16th and 17th-century art, the museum also offers a rich collection of modern and contemporary art.
• Dolhuys Museum: This museum about the mind and mental health is interactive and inspiring, fun for young and old.
• Corrie Ten Boom house tells the story of the Ten Boom family and their efforts to hide Jewish people during the Second World War. But be warned that the guides have an almost evangelical approach to telling the story of this Christian family (www.corrietenboom.com). 
• Cinema: Catch a movie at Pathé Haarlem or the Filmschuur, where you can watch both blockbusters and arthouse films.
• High tea or lunch: Make a reservation at one of the cozy cafés, such as De Dakkas with a view over the city, or go for classic coziness at Hofje zonder Zorgen.
• Get creative: Take a ceramics, painting, or photography workshop at a local studio such as Studio De Bakkerij.
• Grote or St. Bavokerk: Admire the impressive organ and the architecture of this monumental church – a nice place to take shelter from the rain.
• The Cathedral Basilica: The Dome Cathedral Haarlem, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of St. Bavo, is unique and ranks among the top five most important churches in the world built between 1850 and 1950, alongside the Sagrada Familia, the Sacré-Coeur, Westminster Cathedral, and the Basilica of Koekelberg.
• Spa day: Relax at Spa Mami or Sauna van Egmond, for example, for a day of wellness.
• Visit Amsterdam: the capital city with numerous museums. Or go shopping in the Golden Streets: in these atmospheric shopping streets you will find unique boutiques and cozy cafes, perfect for relaxing indoors.

If you want to read more information please check the following websites:

Heemstede/Haarlem region

• www.visithaarlem.com/en NL, EN, DE
• www.visithaarlem.org EN
• www.franshalsmuseum.nl/en/ NL, EN, FR, De
• www.teylersmuseum.nl/en/ NL, EN, FR, DE
• www.haarlemmermeermuseum.nl/en/ NL, EN
• www.bloemencorso-bollenstreek.nl/en/ NL, EN
• www.hetspaarne.nl NL

Leiden/Leidschendam region

• www.visitleiden.nl NL, DE, EN
• www.rmo.nl/en/ NL, EN, DE, FR
• www.naturalis.nl/en/ NL, EN
• www.molenmuseumdevalk.nl/en NL, EN, FR, DE
• www.hortusleiden.nl/en/ NL, EN, FR, DE
• www.rvrijnland.nl NL

How to get where?

KR&ZV Het Spaarne

Marisplein 5

NL - 2102 AC Heemstede

N 52 21.557, E 4 38.19

RV Rijnland

Oostvlietweg 63

NL - 2266 GN Leidschendam

N 52 6.938, E 4 27.049

Accommodation

Accommodation being at a premium at this time of the year, we suggest you make early reservations, both in the Rijnland area (Leidschendam/Leiden) and Het Spaarne area (Heemstede/Haarlem). Depending upon where your start is on Friday. 

Suggestions

• CenterPark Zandvoort: www.centerparcs.nl
• EuroParcs Spaarnwoude: www.europarcs.nl NB: accessible only by private transport

Attainability by mobile phone

Phone numbers shall be available and will published in time.