
Haarlem’s black and red house numbers
Encountering a new city for the first time can be confusing at times and finding your way around can throw up challenges when you least expect it. How about when you are looking for somewhere to live and you go to a house viewing, only to be…

Stad Amsterdam at the Maritime Museum
The clipper Stad Amsterdam will be moored at The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam until the end of March 2021.
The clipper Stad Amsterdam will arrive at The National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam at the beginning of September. After…

Body found in the Spaarne near Catharijnebrug in Haarlem
A body was found in Haarlem on Saturday afternoon in the Spaarne near the Catharijnebrug. It concerns a 35-year-old man from Haarlem.
At around 14:30 on Saturday 29 August, passers-by discovered the body and alerted the police.
The…

HEMA leaves Kruisstraat for good and moves to former Hudson's Bay in Verwulft
On 5 September, the HEMA store on the Kruisstraat will close its doors for good. The entire contents and all the staff will move from Kruisstraat to the former V&D and later Hudson's Bay building on Verwulft. The new store opens on 14 September.
It…

Heavily pregnant cow walks into a busy Brabant restaurant
Imagine this happens to you ... you are having a nice dinner in a restaurant and suddenly a heavily pregnant cow walks in. This happened on Thursday evening in Brabant's restaurant Herberg De Brabantse Kluis.
De Brabantse Kluis at Kloosterdreef …

Funny language flops of an expat
The best way to master a foreign language is to jump in and start interacting with the locals. Sure, you will make mistakes – such as signing off an email with 'friendly vegetables' instead of 'kind regards' (writing groenten instead of groeten),…

Concerns about coronavirus measures at Beverwijk Bazaar
The Veiligheidsregio Kennemerland (Kennemerland Region Security Organisation) has decided to close three halls that are part of the Beverwijk Bazaar, Hall 30 to Hall 33, for two weeks. However, Bazaar Beverwijk entrepreneurs refuse to close…

Summer ice skating causes environmental concerns
Friends of the Earth Netherlands called on the municipality of Haarlem to close the rink as soon as possible and let the ice melt.
It sounded like a charming idea. Enjoy skating in the summer, on the semi-covered ice rink in Haarlem. However,…

You won't believe it: the rent in Haarlem drops
It is hard to believe, but it is true: the rent per square metre in the free sector fell in Haarlem in the second quarter of this year, according to figures from NVM Makelaars.
Earlier this year, all the way back in February, the average…

Haarlem Jazz Sit-Down Edition: thermometers, hand gel and long rows of chairs
Thermometers, hand gel, ordering by phone and long rows of chairs: this is what the sit-down edition of Haarlem Jazz & More looks like this year.
Haarlem Jazz & More is a unique multi-day event in the old town of Haarlem. Due…

Schools start again in North Holland
The primary schools will start again on Monday 17 August. This means that many children go to school by bicycle and on foot.
Coinciding with the opening of primary schools after the summer break, the Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) (National…

Testing centre at Schiphol Airport open from this week
A testing centre at Schiphol Airport opened on Friday 14 August. This is where travellers returning from high-risk areas can get themselves tested. Read about what that involves.
By getting yourself tested for COVID-19 at Schiphol,…

Face masks mandatory in parts of Amsterdam
Since Wednesday 5 August, it has been mandatory for anyone the age of 13 and above to wear a non-medical face mask in parts of Amsterdam city centre. These designated areas have been selected due to there being limited space and where it…

End of heat in sight: showers and thunderstorms and cooler weekend
In a few days, the heatwave that the whole country has been dealing with for a week will end. According to KNMI, after some thunderstorms and rain showers, it will be 'only' 25-28 degrees from Friday.
Today was another hot day in the…

Refilling water bottle more dirty than licking toilet seat
While reusing water bottles is good for the environment, it may not be as good for us. Research has shown that recycled water bottles can contain more bacteria than a toilet seat.
For the study, water bottles of athletes were tested to…

Car vandalism in the Vijfhoek
Last Friday morning my car was damaged in de Vijfhoek. The perpetrator has fled. Local residents say that trucks very regularly do not easily make the bend in the Gedempte Raamgracht, damage a car and flee. The Municipality of Haarlem and the…

First official national heat wave of the year
The Netherlands officially has the first national heat wave of the year. Around 10 a.m. a temperature of 25 degrees was measured in De Bilt.
To be classed as a nationwide heatwave, the De Bilt weather station must record a five-day period…

Reflecting on my first year in the Netherlands
The first year as an expat in the Netherlands brings a roller coaster of emotions. Throw in a global pandemic and family issues and you have quite a year to reflect on.
One year ago, my family landed in Amsterdam from America to start…

Million building in Droste factory for sale
In the old Haarlem Droste factory, there is an apartment is for sale for 2.1 million euros.
Although such amounts are more common in a city such as Amsterdam, they are quite unusual in Haarlem. In this case the price could be explained…

Connexxion: This weekend extra buses from Haarlem to Zandvoort beach
Connexxion will run more buses this weekend from Haarlem to the beach at Zandvoort. The transport company says that they learned a lesson from last Friday, when it was overcrowded in the buses on the way to the sea.
This weekend there…

Greenjoy Boat Renting Summer 2020: Special € 20 Discount for expatsHaarlem readers
Wow, it’s amazing.. SUNNY WEATHER IN THE NETHERLANDS! Can you believe it? Why not making the most of it then? The weather forecast seems to be pretty awesome for the coming week! Let's hope even weeks! Are you – like many others – eager…

Haarlemmers to harness the power of the sun with KweekZon
It was announced on 4 July that there will be 700 solar panels installed on the greenhouses of the Haarlemmer Kweektuin. Harlemmers from eligible postcode areas, who don't have space for solar panels on their own homes, can apply to join the…

Go on safari 1.5 hours’ drive away from Haarlem
If you opted for a 'staycation' and are looking for ideas of what to do, why not head to Tilburg for an educational outdoor adventure? Go on safari right here in the Netherlands, exploring nature, getting some fresh air and coming face-to-face…

Get on Your Bike for Rondje Haarlem: The Most Stunning Cycle Route
Hey you! Are you, like me, feeling the wanderlust growing as days pass by? Have you, too, reached that uncomfortable point, where you really need to get out and about for some kind of adventure, even if just for an afternoon, but don’t quite…

Police warns against swimming in the Spaarne: fine €140
With such a good weather, the police has seen people swimming in the Spaarne. This is dangerous and forbidden. The following days will still be nice and warm and the Haarlem police announced that they will constantly patrol the Spaarne with…

Dutch renewable energy consumption is increasing – but is it fast enough?
According to a recent report released in early June by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the usage of green energy increased by 16% in 2019 relative to the previous year across all renewable sources. However, this only accounted for 8.6% of the…

Bison in Haarlem’s backyard
Did you know that there is a herd European bison roaming a stone’s throw from the centre of Haarlem? Next to the largest dune lake of the bison area Kraansvlak in Zuid-Kennermerland National Park, you might have chance to spot them – and,…

Yellow heart markings in Haarlem
Now that the city is reviving and more people are on the move, the message to keep 1.5 meter distance from other persons and avoid crowds will continue. That is why yellow heart markings have been applied in Haarlem to remind visitors this message…

Terraces in Haarlem open on 1 June with ten golden terrace rules
The terraces may open again on 1 June. That is good news for the catering industry and the city. The municipality of Haarlem has drawn up ten golden terrace rules to enable the necessary expansion during the current restrictions. With the golden…

Summer weather during and over Pentecost weekend
The summer weather, with plenty of sunshine and some cloud, is set to continue during and over the Pentecost weekend, with even higher temperatures next week, according to KNMI (the Dutch national weather service).
On Friday it's sunny…