When you tell people you’ve been to Haarlem, they usually think of the Harlem neighbourhood in New York, but this couldn’t be more different from the pace of the Big Apple; it’s also less tourist-saturated than neighbouring Amsterdam, only 15 minutes away by train, but still bursting with culture.
During the “tulip mania” of the 17th century, when the financial craze for tulip bulbs was similar to today’s cryptocurrency bubble, Haarlem was the centre of the tulip trade. These days it’s the endpoint for the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek flower parade every April, with intricately decorated floats passing through the streets, groaning with huge displays – this is miles away from your basic flower arrangement.
