New Year's plunge
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New Year's plunge

Those crazy Dutch! Once you survived Sinterklaas, Christmas and dodged the fireworks during new years eve you think you can finally relax. Well, guess again. How the tradition started I don't know but on the first of January masses of children,…
Oliebollen
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Oliebollen, a Dutch New Year's tradition

It is a Dutch tradition to eat 'oliebollen' on New Year's Day. What's that, what's their origin, where to buy the best ones and how to bake them? Here we go... Oliebollen? Oliebollen are a traditional Dutch delicacy eaten during winter.…
Grote Markt HaarlemFiona McGeever ©
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Life in the Netherlands

90 days in: Life in the Netherlands. Is it time to stick or twist? When I was about one month into my time in the Netherlands, I met up with some other expats.  Those that were here for one year shared with me that the first six months were…
Vooges
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Haarlem Xmas Comedy & Drinks

Join the Haarlem Xmas Comedy, with a great international line up, in trendy and cozy Vooges Centraal, with excellent drinks and snacks, next to (almost in) Haarlem Central Station. Don't miss it! Online tickets with discount (€ 10 p.p. instead…
Boom Marketing
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Boom Marketing 2019

Join the first International Marketing Conference & Comedy in Amsterdam! and explore what's on in branding, marketing and technology. Boom Marketing is an interesting and fun 1 day marketing event with sessions about Branding, Neuromarketing,…
Dan Glasstetter ©
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Can you really mountain bike in the Netherlands?

Mountain biking in the Netherlands: An uphill climb or a flat disappointment? I used to live in Boise, Idaho, a small city situated on the sunny slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the western United States. Boise is renowned for its isolated…
healthhttps://pixabay.com/users/rawpixel-4283981/
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My first experiences with Dutch healthcare

Dutch healthcare: Perfectly practical or a painstaking quest all for a few paracetamol? Moving to the Netherlands, I was prepared for the Dutch weather, but not as prepared for the Dutch super germs. While our neighbors are enjoying the great…
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Join the marketingSpark meetups & events

We organize interesting, cool and accessible events and meetups on branding, digital analytics, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, business development and much more in the marketing & business world. As the organizer is expatsHaarlem,…
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Haarlem Comedy Café

Beleef comedy op zijn best: met goede Nederlandstalige comedians, in oergezellig Café de Zwaan, met privébar, uitzicht op de singel, meer dan 40 biersoorten, heerlijke bitterballen en... in Haarlem! Voor maar € 10 p.p. Kom naar het Haarlem…
© Wikimedia Commons
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A day off in Bloemendaal

Take time out in affluent Bloemendaal, a short bike ride from Haarlem city centre. Aren’t weekends the absolute best!? It’s amazing all the cool stuff you can do with the luxury of free time. Like, finally going on that romantic date your…
Klim naar het licht
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Climbing to the light

The new Saint Bavo church in Haarlem has always been a bit of a mystery to me.  Don’t get me wrong, I find it a beautiful piece of architecture to be admired from afar while biking along the Leidsevaart or walking on the edge of the Vijfhoek.  …
weekend
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Open House Weekend Toneelschuur & Filmschuur

Have you always been curious about that very special building on the edge of Haarlem’s red light district? Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September sees the kick-off of the new cultural season, and to mark the occasion Toneelschuur will be holding…
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Theater tip: LANGUAGE by Vanja Rukavina

Let Language lead the way to a better world.  Welkom bij een college over taal. Welcome to a lecture about language. Dobro došli na predavanje o jeziku. Добро дошли на предавање о језику. 言語に関する講義へようこそ。 언어…
DansClick 21 I Korzo producties - choreografie Q4 Qantified (Steven Tips) 3DansClick 21 I Korzo producties - choreografie Q4 Qantified (Steven Tips) 3 ©
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Toneelschuur Haarlem 'Language No Problem' Theater Program September-December 2019

Toneel-en Filmschuur Haarlem offers a ‘language no problem’ program that consists of a broad variety of films, theater, dance and musical theater performances for adults, youngsters, and children. Below you find the Language No Problem theater…
Octoberhttps://pixabay.com/en/users/FrankMagdelyns1-2783371/
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Life isn’t an extended vacation

Life in the Netherlands:  Week 6 Life isn’t an extended vacation For the first few weeks that we were living in Haarlem, our life looked like a promotional video for the Netherlands.  The kids and I laughing in our new urban arrow…
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THINGS TO DO IN HAARLEM THIS SEPTEMBER

Summer may be coming to an end but there are plenty of reasons to be happy that September has arrived in Haarlem! As always we have the Dutch Language Café, our monthly drink and to celebrate the start of the cultural season, we have 3 comedy…
Poldergoud FestivalPoldergoud Festival ©
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PolderGoud Festival

PolderGoud Festival 2019   PolderGoud Festival is a blazing music festival in an industrial setting! Surprising elements are presented to you and ensure a constant shift of your attention. For anyone looking for a great festival…
Taalthuis
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Taalthuis open day September

Are you interested in following a Dutch course? Do you want to learn Dutch in a structured but fun way? On September 4 Taalthuis organizes an open day so you can come and see why learning Dutch at Taalthuis is a good choice. ExpatsHaarlem readers…
Picture of De Adriaan windmill, HaarlemBy Fiona McGeever
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My first realisations of Dutch life

Life in the Netherlands: Week One My first realizations of Dutch life Recently, my family decided to take a leap of faith and move from the states to Haarlem, Netherlands.  We had a very comfortable life in America; good jobs, a nice home,…
Haarlem Summer Comedy
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Haarlem Summer Comedy

The Haarlem Comedy Factory & City Beach Bar Oerkap present the HAARLEM SUMMER COMEDY!  Join our OPEN AIR COMEDY with excellent INTERNATIONAL COMEDIANS and a FANTASTIC VIEW on the RIVER SPAARNE and the city of HAARLEM.   Program -…
Haarlem Jazz & More
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Haarlem Jazz & More 2019

Haarlem Jazz & More 2019, from Wednesday 14th of August until Sunday the 18th, promises five days of magical musical festivities! Jazz fans it's almost that time of the year again! Get ready to kick back and enjoy the smooth sounds of Haarlem…
travel kids
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Best Age to Travel with Kids

The smaller the better It doesn't seem so when you have a tiny baby and are overwhelmed with the big change in your life. But, having a toddler and having travelled with her a lot, we can assure you that the easiest…
caterpillars
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Danger poisonous caterpillars in the Netherlands

A plague of poisonous caterpillars explodes throughout the country. It is an annual summer problem in the Netherlands, but the number of complaints about the Oak Processionary moth caterpillars have soared this year, according to the…
September Events Haarlem
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THINGS TO DO IN HAARLEM THIS JULY

Summer has finally arrived to Haarlem! July in Haarlem is full of events for the whole family to enjoy, from the International Choral Biennale to a British Festival and a concert on the river and in the park,  from our Monthly Drink and Dutch…
Parksessies
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Parksessies

Park Sessions is a multidisciplinary art festival that takes place four days in a row in the Haarlemmerhout in Haarlem every summer. This monumental park is the background for an easily accessible place, where various arts, from museums,…
Spaarnestad Concert
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Spaarnestad Concert

For the fourth time a wonderful open-air concert on the water that you should not miss! The Nieuwe Gracht forms the impressive backdrop for beautiful sounds and offers space for thousands of listeners. When Saturday the 6th of July…
Climbing light
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Climbing to the light

The extensive restoration of the cathedral is almost complete and it is more beautiful than ever! To celebrate this until July 31st you can climb to almost 60 meters height and enjoy great views on a spectacular bridge from tower to tower. Making…
British Festival in Zandvoort.
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British Festival Zandvoort aan Zee

Great Britain in the Netherlands for a weekend, that's the British Festival in Zandvoort. Take the well-known double-decker bus to the various locations, eat Fish 'n Chips with a sea view, marvel at the beautiful British cars, be amazed…
Koorbiënnale
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10th International Choral Biennale Haarlem and Amsterdam

Adventurous vocal festival at the highest level. From 28 June through 7 July 2019 During its 10-day run the Choral Biennale presents some of the best international vocal ensembles of today, at the same time exploring the boundaries of choral…
Houtfestival
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Houtfestival: open-air music and dance festival

One of Haarlem’s biggest outdoor fests offers an exotic blend of music. It takes place at the Stadspark de Haarlemmerhout in Haarlem. Houtfestival is a relaxed event where people of all ages and backgrounds come. You can listen to the…