Brewing beer in a city of flowers

Say Haarlem, you say beer brewing. Already in the Middle Ages, beer was brewed in our city. Domestically, so on a small scale, but still. In the 14th century, the city was one of the largest beer cities in the Netherlands. Beer barrels were then called Jopen. And that name is immediately the bridge to today's beer culture. In fact, one of the breweries is called Jopen. They brew in the Jopen church and so that is where you can enjoy the beer they brew there, overlooking the kettles. Where you can also drink delicious beer is café de Gooth, that beer comes from - you might have guessed it - brewery De Gooth. Then there is also Uiltje, a brewery that, in Uiltje's own words, aims to offer a moment of relaxation in a crazy and stressful world. Not to mention: Lokaal Haarlem, where they also brew their own beer.

So is Haarlem all about beer brewing? Well no, Haarlem is not only a beer city, but also a flower city. And that too goes back centuries. For example, our city was the center of the flower bulb trade until the early 20th century. Even now, the city is still in bloom in the spring, culminating in the flower parade. And thanks to grower Edwin Visser, the beautiful spring bloomer Haarlem Bells has returned.

While you're there

If you want to see even more flowers as well as trees and other greenery, we can highly recommend our city parks. For example, the Frederikspark. Fun fact: at the park lies Pavilion Welgelegen. That is now the provincial house and was once the home of Louis Napoleon. And it is also near the center, where you can rent bikes and enjoy one of the many cycling routes in and around the city, such as the special Street Art bike route. A route of 23 kilometers, long enough to take an occasional break, for example at eatery The Waiting Room.

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