wild swimmingroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Lake swimming: Haarlem’s natural watering holes

When the temperatures soar, what a better way to keep cool than going for a swim surrounded by nature? Haarlem has lots of natural swimming spots nearby where you can take a dip. with Which lakes are you permitted to swim in though? We share…
There is recurrent car vandalism in the Vijfhoek in Haarlem. Local Municipality and Police are aware of the situation but do nothing. The citizens pay the fee of this uncontrolled vandalism.
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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…
The Netherlands officially has the first national heat wave of the yearGerd Altmann via Pixabay
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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…
Million building in Droste factory for saleAfbeelding van Jori Samonen via Pixabay
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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 beachCreative Commons CC0 1.0 Universele Public Domain Dedication
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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…
Sidney Waerts street art Haarlemroyalty free (author's own pic)
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Haarlem’s otherworldly street art by Sidney Waerts

What’s your favourite activity to do when you move to a new city? Mine is to get out and wander around, always opting to take the road less travelled – to not follow the crowds and instead head down the back streets and quirky small lanes…
zwembad de houtvaartroyalty free (reuse possible WITH attribution and link)
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Haarlem’s outdoor swimming pool that’s also a national monument

Zwembad de Houtvaart is a treat for swimmers on many levels, thanks to its architecture, history and the fact you can splash around in the open air, come rain or ’shine! During the summer days, what a better treat than to go for a dip…
Greenjoy Boat Renting Summer 2020: Special € 20 Discount for expatsHaarlem readers
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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…
New wine bar Zuid Noord
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A new gezellig wine bar and bistro in the centre of Haarlem!

Pavle Jovanović from Serbia, has taken a brave step and opened a new Natuurwijnbar & Bistro, at Kleine Houtstraat 105zw in Haarlem, immediately after the loosening of the coronavirus restrictions. Zuid Noord offers a delicious list of Natural…
haarlemroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Things to do around Haarlem during July

As July rolls in, more restrictions are eased and more events will hopefully start happening. From 1 July, many – but not all – places can now welcome more visitors while everyone needs to remember to keep 1.5 metre distance rule and to…
News: Swimming in Spaarne dangerous & forbidden
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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…
SUPmission Haarlemrpyalty free (reuse possble, as it is a promo shot)
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SUPmission in Haarlem for World Oceans Day

Through the efforts of five friends and a whole lot of helpers, who all happen to be stand-up paddleboarders (SUP), a clean-up mission was undertaken on the canals of Haarlem on Monday 6 June – coinciding with World Oceans Day. Karen, Kasper,…
bison in netherlandsroyalty free (photo author's own)
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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,…
social distancingroyalty free (reuse possible without attribution)
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Things to do in Haarlem and beyond during June

The start of June brings with it new possibilities for physical outings to take place. Museums and some cultural institutions have opened their doors from 1 June, keeping in mind the restrictions that come along with that. Be prepared to keep…
Yellow heartsHaarlem Marketing
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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…
terrace open June 1Afbeelding van Markus Distelrath via Pixabay
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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…
weather pentecosthttps://www.theweathernetwork.com/
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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…
Arianna Ardia
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HEMA opens new outlet store on Verwulft Haarlem

On Friday 22 May, HEMA opened the doors of a new outlet store at the Verwulft in Haarlem. The new HEMA Outlet is now in the location of the old Hudson's Bay's department store. The opening of the store on 22 May soon led to a queue of customers…
Keukenhof CastleKeukenhof Gardens
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Keukenhof Castle ready for summer

Now that government measures have been eased somewhat, the Keukenhof Castle estate is accessible again. With the beautiful spring weather and nature in full bloom, everyone can take a lovely walk in the gardens and the forest around Keukenhof…
Police shot tires in play area
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Police shot car tyres of fleeing suspect in Haarlem (+video)

On Wednesday 13 May, around 15:30, police shot the tyres of a suspect's car that drove off in Mathilde Wredestraat in Haarlem. The car stopped on the lawn of a play area where, according to witnesses, children were playing at that time.  According…
Liberation
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Liberation Day 2020

Following directly on from Remembrance Day, 5 May is a national day of celebration known as Liberation Day, celebrating the end of Nazi Germany’s occupation during World War II.  Liberation Day is usually celebrated with festivals and events…
Remembrance
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Remembrance Day without an audience in Haarlem live on NH Nieuws

Remembrance Day on 4 May in Haarlem will be this year be held in an adapted form due to the corona crisis, without any members of the public in attendance. The special commemoration ceremony can be seen live at 16:30 on TV news channel NH Nieuws. Mayor…
Verwulft
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New HEMA in former V&D building at Verwulft in Haarlem

In the course of the following month, the department store HEMA will move into the ground and first floors of the former building of V&D / Hudson’s Bay at Verwulft in the centre of Haarlem. There the group starts a Hemarkt. It is…
Ikea
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Long lines at the reopening of IKEA Haarlem

The Dutch stores of housing giant IKEA opened their doors again this Tuesday, after they closed on 17 March because the safety of customers and staff could no longer be guaranteed due to the crowds. The run-up was also massive on the day of…
Haarlem historyroyalty free (public domain), no attribution required
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10 interesting little factoids about Haarlem’s history

Hello, my fellow quarantined friends! Are you looking for something new to do to occupy yourself in these somewhat dull times? How about some fun reading, to brush up on your history of our beautiful city? As an incorrigible trivia addict,…
empty Haarlemroyalty free
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VIDEO: Empty Haarlem – a moment of gratitude

Beci and Reni of BFF Visuals made this short video as a token of their gratitude to all the frontline workers. https://vimeo.com/401665094 'We are facing a worldwide crisis now. A crisis that we've never experienced before. The whole…
Taalthuis How to learn Dutch online
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Learn Dutch in the time of corona

In these weird coronavirus-times we are going through, we all have to self-isolate in order to help ourselves and our community. Staying at home might be a good opportunity to brush up your Dutch. Nowadays, there is an increased demand for Dutch…
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Online Income Tax Return Seminars April 2020

Two free Online Income Tax Return Seminars will take place on Saturday 18 April. During the seminars, our business partner Vincent Van Wijgerden of GVN Adviseurs/Expat Taxes will present information about how to file your taxes in the Netherlands,…
Van Gogh
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Vincent van Gogh painting stolen from Singer Laren museum

A Van Gogh masterpiece was stolen during a break-in at the Singer Laren museum, in Laren near Hilversum, said museum officials this Monday afternoon. The Singer Laren museum located to the east of Amsterdam had closed its doors earlier in March…
Corona business
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The coronavirus and your company: government measures to help businesses

This information is provided by Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, KVK | Government.nl | Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO. The coronavirus COVID-19, and the measures taken to restrict the spreading of the coronavirus in the Netherlands, have…