The Secrets of
Haarlem

Where Golden Age Masters Meet Hidden Courtyards

A city of painters, rebels, and secret gardens. Haarlem earned its city rights in 1245 and became one of the great cultural capitals of the Dutch Golden Age. Frans Hals painted here. Mozart played the organ here. The world's oldest museum opened its doors here.

But Haarlem also endured one of history's most brutal sieges, sheltered families during the darkest years of WWII, and quietly preserved hidden courtyards where elderly women have lived for six centuries. Walk the cobblestones and discover what lies behind the facades of the Spaarnestad.