Not only has this 900-year-old town an historic center full of beautiful medieval houses, a 13th-century city hall and the oldest museum of the Netherlands, the Teylers Museum http://www.teylersmuseum.nl (science technology and Dutch art), but it is also the home town of the author.

The main square, called de Grote Markt, is on mondays and saturdays still home of a very lively market, where one can buy flowers, textiles and those delicious stroopwafels (A delicious molasses wafer) and much more...yes I almost forgot the fresh herring!

If that's not enough to satisfy your appetite, you can continue with the Nieuwe Kerk, the Frans Hals Museum (Dutch Masters) and the St. Bavo church.

Not only has Haarlem itself lots to offer, it also makes a nice stop on your way to Zandvoort, the beach resort closest to Amsterdam.

Aalsmeer
Alkmaar
Almelo
Ameland
Amersfoort
Amsterdam
Apeldoorn
Arnhem
Beek
Bloemendaal
Bolsward
Breda
Brunsumm
De efteling
De hoge veluwe
De zaanse schans
Delft
Den Bosch
Den Helder
Deventer
Dokkum
Domburg
Dordrecht
Edam
Eindhoven
Enkhuizen
Enschede
Ermelo
Franeker
Giethoorn
Gouda
Groningen
Haarlem
Harlingen
Heerde
Heerenveen
Heerlen
Hellevoetsluis
Hengelo
Hilversum
Hindeloopen
Holwerd
IJlst
IJmuiden
Keukenhof
Laren
Leeuwarden
Leiden
Lemmer
Lochem
Maastricht
Marken
Meppel
Middelburg
Midsland
Naarden
Nieuw statenzijl
Nieuwolda
Nijmegen
Noordwijk
Onstwedde
Oss
Ossendrecht
Purmerend
Rotterdam
Ruinen
Sloten
Sneek
Stavoren
The Hague
Tilburg
Tjuchum
Utrecht
Valkenburg
Vlissingen
Volendam
Wageningen
West-Terschelling
Woerden
Woldendorp
Workum
Woudsend
Zandvoort
Zoetermeer