Haarlem, Amsterdam in miniature
HAARLEM: THE FATHER OF THE NEW YORKER
Once again the statistics throw us the robot portrait: 150,000 inhabitants and twice as many bicycles. They are the numbers that portray the way of living in Haarlem , a kind of amsterdam in miniature, which can be reached by train in a quarter of an hour from the capital. It resembles her, in addition to the love of pedals, for its unmistakably Dutch physiognomy: for its canals with locks and the stone houses that look out over them. But also for his love for art , which crystallizes in its museums, the heterogeneous Teylers and the one dedicated to the painter Frans Hals, its most famous citizen. The visit begins at Grote Markt , the market square, a complex with a church and the buildings of the old fish and meat markets, which have now been converted into exhibition halls or restaurants with terraces. The tour continues in the commercial street, the Grote Houtstraat , and ends with a drink, a snack and listening to live music, in the brewery located in an old Protestant church.
Haarlem, twice as many bicycles as inhabitants
ZANDVOORT: THE URBAN BEACH
Until the middle of the 19th century, Zandvoort was nothing more than a fishing village. Then the concept of tourism appeared in the Netherlands and it literally became the beach of the inhabitants of Amsterdam and Haarlem (but also from the Germans) . today go to Zandvoort is still synonymous with holidays , sea and water sports.
Zandvoort, the urban beach par excellence of Amsterdam
For fans of speed, the word Zandvoort is also synonymous with adrenaline, which can be unleashed on its racing circuit, whose bends wind through dunes. The youngest prefer the northern beaches ( Bloemendaal aan Zee ) for its lively parties in venues such as Woodstock 69 either Republicek, and practice kitesurfing at the beachlub in The Spot . The sea is near. And there is no loss. It just takes a bit of rattling: there are several trains every hour from both Amsterdam and Haarlem.
Zandvoort is synonymous with holidays for the Dutch
MARKEN: MORE THAN ENOUGH
Local tourist brochures toss out their suggestions: programs for one hour, two or three hour visits . And all, shooting high. Marken has no mystery . It is a woven center made up of wooden houses painted in black and green, paths and small canals, with a cheese museum , a shop selling typical products and a miniature port, with a lighthouse and a couple of cafes.
Marken, the charming coastal town
Not much to do in this tiny peninsula 22 km from Amsterdam , but that is precisely its great asset. So much so that we go further and we are not satisfied with one hour or two, but rather spend the night in the Hotel Hof Van Marken . It only has seven rooms, a restaurant and a small lounge with earmuffs and a piano: more than enough.
The peninsula where you can relax
KEUKENHOF: THOSE FLOWERY CARPETS
It is the largest flower garden in the world : 7 million tulips in a park 32 hectares through which 800,000 visitors pass each year. If you had to put a but, the only one would be that you need tact when planning the tour, since it only opens for eight weeks a year, specifically from March 21 to May 20. There is a combined ticket that includes the transfer from the city center or the airport and the entrance to the park that can be purchased at the tourist office. The interested in the world of botany they can also visit a flower auction in Aalsmeer , where 19 million flowers and two million plants are sold every day. You have to get up early and take bus 172 (direction Kudelstaart), which takes about an hour to get to the site.
Keukenhof, the largest flower garden in the world
ALKMAAR: YOUR CHEESE IN GOLD
It happens every Saturday from the first of April to the first of September (from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Since 1593 in the Waagplein (fish square of Alkmaar) the traditional gouda cheese market . Curious and experts rub shoulders there: they sniff, touch and taste before deciding . The big wheels are transported on huge barges by porters uniformed in the colors of the different companies. If the visit does not coincide with these dates (it would be a pity), you can take a walk through its immaculate medieval center, enter one of its museums ( the one from Stedelijk, the one from the Beatles, the one from the cheese or the one from the beer ) or rent a bike to cycle to the town of Bergen (only 5km away) and the Schoorl Dunes National Park. From Amsterdam and Haarlem trains leave every half hour and take around 30 minutes.
Alkmaar and its famous gouda cheese market
ZAANSE SCHANS: VERY GIANT AND VERY MILLS
If a place brings together all the Dutch icons one by one, it is called Zaanse Schans . It was artificially created in 1961, as an initiative to preserve original buildings in the area that were moved here. was then declared National Monument . Although at first glance it seems like a kind of theme park, it is not. People live in Zaanse Schans , there is a music academy and clothes hanging on the ropes; an antique dealer, some souvenir shops and even a bed and breakfast.
Zaanse Schans, between windmills and tulips
Everyone likes to come: the residents of the capital to spend Sunday, especially if it is with children; and foreigners because it responds perfectly to the preconceived Dutch postcard image they carried in their heads . There they can learn how clogs are made from a piece of poplar wood, visit a grocery store where 19th-century artifacts are preserved, or shop for homemade mustards and cookies. But, without a doubt, the most interesting thing is to know the windmills. Those that reached almost a thousand and were part of the first industrial park in the world. In one of them, the Kat's , pigments are still being made and can be visited. From Amsterdam you can get there by train or by bus 391 (40 minutes).
Zaanse Schans is the Dutch postcard you had in mind