Day Trip to Haarlem

For our last day-trip getaway, my friends and I decided to spend the day in Haarlem, a city west of Amsterdam. With clear blue skies, infinite sunshine, and temperatures in the low 70s, we set off from Centraal Station via the Intercity Train. After a quick 15-minute ride, we arrived to a quiet but beautiful Haarlem. Our first stop was the Teylers Museum, a science-art-history museum featuring a variety of rooms boasting everything from gemstones and crystals, to a Rembrandt exhibit. We then headed to the St. Bavo Church, a gorgeous Gothic-style church boasting a massive Muller organ that was played by both Handel and Mozart! Tired and hungry from a morning of travel, we settled in at Lima's Place, a vegan restaurant, by Lima, where we feasted on spinach-matcha pancakes, sweet potato soup, and vegan bitterballen. Refueled, we wandered the sun-soaked cobbled streets of Haarlem, where we stumbled into the Frans Hals museum, a modern/contemporary gallery featuring the works of Dutch portrait painter Hals. After a quick shopping break, we enjoyed some delicious gelato in the square before heading back toward the station. Once back in Amsterdam, we wrapped up our day at the fancy farewell dinner hosted by IES Abroad!