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Market Square with St. Bavochurch, 1696
Market Square with
St. Bavochurch, 1696
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Cityhall
Cityhall
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Meathall
Meathall
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Guardhouse
Guardhouse
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Almhouse of Bakenes
Almshouse of Bakenes

Monuments

Great Market Square

A nice and spacious square, the heart of the city, once a tiltyard of the Counts of Holland. Around it the Bavochurch with Fishmarket, the City Hall, the Meat Hall and the Guardhouse. See for these monuments below. On the square a statue of Coster, a fifteenth century citizen of Haarlem, supposed inventor of the art of printing.

Great or St. Bavochurch

This late gotic cross-basilica was build between 1370 and 1540. Very rich interior. Famous organ (1738), played by Händel, Mozart and Liszt. One of
the largest and most beautiful churches of our country.

City Hall

Build in 1370. Wing (1622-1630) by the Flemish city architect Lieven de Key. Front of the Hall renewed 1630-1633. Behind the City Hall a Dominican Convent, founded around 1292. The convent-church was demolished in 1579.

Meat Hall

Exuberant example of Dutch Renaissance. Build in 1604 by Lieven de Key.
Now Museum De Hallen.

Guardhouse

Thirteenth century building with seventeenth century front. Before 1370
City Hall (?), later private residence, from 1755 Guardhouse (‘Hoofdwacht’)
of the Citizen Soldiery. Since 1919 seat of the Haerlem Historical Society.

Almshouses

An almshouse (‘hofje’), a typical Dutch phenomenon, consists of a number
of small dwellings, clustered around a courtyard, for the housing of poorer
single women. They were founded out of charity by rich citizens, guilds or
religious communities. In Haarlem you will find more than twenty almshouses. Each forms an oasis of calm in the busy citycenter. The oldest one was founded in 1395.