Romantic Weekend in Haarlem: 48 Hours for Two in the City Center

There’s something about Haarlem once the days start getting shorter. The lights along the Spaarne come on early, the shop windows in the old streets begin to glow, and the theaters and concert halls are in full swing for the season. Everything you’ll see during this weekend is within a 15-minute walk of one another, so you can always pop back to your room in between to warm up. Here’s how we would plan the weekend ourselves.

Friday Evening: The Spaarne After Dark

By train, you can get from Amsterdam Central Station to Haarlem in just 15 minutes. At Anegang Boutique Hotel You can check in yourself, so it doesn’t matter whether you arrive at five o’clock or later after a long workweek. Drop off your bag and head to the Spaarne, where the illuminated façades are reflected in the water. For dinner, you’ll find plenty of restaurants around the Botermarkt and along Lange Veerstraat, all just a few minutes’ walk away.

Tip for couples: Take a stroll along the water after dinner. Late in the evening, it’s quiet, and with a warm coat on, the crisp night air feels wonderfully refreshing.

Saturday Morning: Market and the Gouden Straatjes

Saturday is market day. At the Grote Markt, at the foot of the Grote or St. Bavo’s Church, the market stalls are there from around 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. At the Botermarkt, there’s a smaller market until 4 p.m., selling cheese, bread and flowers. From there, you can easily wander into the Gouden Straatjes, seven streets around the Grote Markt filled with independent shops. You won’t have to walk far: the Anegang, where you’re staying, is one of them.

Be sure to walk along Gierstraat, towards drogisterij Van der Pigge. The shop has been here since 1849. When V&D bought up the entire block in the 1930s, the chemist refused to sell, so the department store was built around it. V&D has long since disappeared, but inside Van der Pigge, the shop still smells of herbs and licorice.

Tip for two: Pick up a small bunch of flowers at the Botermarkt to brighten up your room.

Saturday Afternoon: Courtyards, Windmill and Waterfront

After lunch, it’s time to explore the courtyards: quiet inner gardens surrounded by small houses, hidden behind unassuming gates in the middle of the city. Haarlem has more than twenty of them, and most are open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., making Saturday the perfect time to visit. A beautiful place to start is the Hofje van Bakenes, dating back to 1395 and the oldest courtyard in the Netherlands. As soon as you step through the gate, the sounds of the city almost completely fade away. The courtyards are still inhabited, so please keep your voice down as you walk through. Nearby is the Bakenessergracht, one of the city’s most beautiful canals, which you can read more about in our blog on Haarlem in de herfst.

Afterwards, join a guided tour to climb Molen De Adriaan on the Spaarne. From the platform, twelve metres above the ground, you’ll have views across the whole of Haarlem. Right next to the windmill, you can hop aboard a small boat for a cruise along the Spaarne and the canals. Some operators also run tours during the colder months, with heating and blankets on board.

Tip for couples: In the winter months, it gets dark as early as around 5 p.m. So plan the windmill and boat trip for early afternoon, so you can still see the city in daylight.

Saturday Evening: A Late-Night Stroll

Head back to your room to warm up and change for dinner. If you’re still in the mood for music or theatre afterwards, check the programme at the Philharmonie or the Toneelschuur. Or keep it simple and walk back to your room via the Grote Markt. Without the market stalls, the square is quiet in the evening, with the Grote Kerk towering above you in the dark. Inside, you’ll find the famous Müller organ, which Mozart played when he was just ten years old. You can read more about the church in our blog about de architectuur van Haarlem.

Tip for two: Make a reservation for Saturday evening well in advance, as restaurants in the city centre fill up quickly at the weekend.

Sunday: sleeping in and the Dutch Golden Age

Het Frans Hals Museum It’s about a seven-minute walk away and doesn’t open until 11:00 a.m., so you can take your time and sleep in. You’ll see works by Frans Hals and other masters of the Dutch Golden Age, in the city where he himself lived and worked. Afterwards, take your time over lunch in the museum café. If you still have time after that, you can be in Zandvoort by train in just under fifteen minutes, for a walk along a windy, almost deserted beach.

“Good to know”

• Market: Saturdays at the Grote Markt and Botermarkt
• Almshouses: usually open Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; closed on Sundays.
• Molen De Adriaan: open from 10:30 a.m. on weekends; the guided tour takes about 45 minutes.
• Frans Hals Museum: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Staying in the Golden Streets

Anegang Boutique Hotel is housed in a historic building right in the heart of the Golden Streets, with the Grote Markt just around the corner. With six rooms and one apartment, it’s small-scale and peaceful. Once the door closes behind you, you have a place of your own.

For a weekend away for two, the Deluxe Rooms on the first and second floors are a lovely choice. With their high ceilings and beautiful natural light, they feel spacious and bright, even on a grey day. If you prefer something cosier, the Economy Rooms on the third floor are a better fit, and it’s here that the building’s historic character really comes through. In the bathroom, you’ll find toiletries by Marie-Stella-Maris – a lovely little luxury after a day in the city.

Planning a weekend in Haarlem for two? Check out the rooms and availability at Anegang Boutique Hotel & Appartement.