Midweek Haarlem
Haarlem is the ideal destination for a green city break. Centrally located, easily accessible by train and everything is within walking distance of each other.
"In the cozy streets surrounding the Grand Place, the most beautiful stores are hidden away."
At many of these stores you can also find sustainable offerings. A sustainable city break with this is easier than you think. Honeyguide provides tips for a green midweek trip to Haarlem.
Day 1 - A green start is half the battle
You roll in by train at Haarlem's beautiful train station. A short walk towards Boutique Hotel Staats to check in for the next few days at this beautiful hotel which is located in a former school building. You recognize this immediately when you walk through the long corridors and the high windows remind you of a classroom. Every room looks different in STATE. And we dare say; one room is even more beautiful than the other. In the inner garden of the hotel is a bee hive from which you get the honey at breakfast (and can even buy it at the reception). In your room you'll find toilet rolls from The Good Roll, which is how this hotel tries to do its bit for sustainability whenever possible. That will make you happy!
Once checked in you can walk right into the center of Haarlem, we start in the Koningstraat where you can immediately find a fine selection of sustainable stores.
Concept store NYHAVN; at first glance, NYHAVN looks like a supermarket. Shopping baskets at the entrance and stocked shelves everywhere, bulging with the cutest products. The store is spacious and there is so much to see that it's best to sit down with a coffee first. Every product in this store is chosen for a reason. Whether it is sustainable, handmade or from a local designer. These are hand-selected one by one by the owner and you can feel that in everything. At this store you will walk out with a well-stocked bag with the most beautiful gifts for your loved ones and yourself.
VIND Lifestyle; a few meters away you walk inside VIND. VIND stands for vintage and a hairdresser all in one. Here you can easily find a new sustainable vintage outfit while completing your look with a new haircut at the hairdresser's at the back of the store.
End the day "naturally" at Mama Gaia
Mama Gaia is more than just a vegan restaurant. It's also a hub where you can get a co-working spot. But let's face it, you come to Mama Gaia for the food. And that's not just any food. Everything on the menu is plant-based without sacrificing flavor. From start to finish, a feast on your plate. Once you've been here once, you'll come back.
From Mama Gaia, it is just a short walk back to hotel STATE.
Day 2 - Museum visits
Breakfast at STAATS is a treat. An extensive breakfast buffet filled with mostly organic products from local producers. A nice base for a day of culture sniffing in Haarlem.
Haarlem has some very nice museums that are all worth visiting. But today, a visit to the completely renovated Museum of the Spirit on the schedule. This museum interactively introduces you to all facets of the mind. The best way to do this is to choose from one of the many audio tours the museum has to offer. The museum has an awful lot of photogenic nooks and crannies and is recommended for young and old alike. Conclude your visit with a visit to The museum café.
"Every gift is beautifully wrapped and is a treat to give or receive."
Walk from Museum van de Geest into the Kleverbuurt, a cozy neighborhood with nice stores and coffee shops but we come here for the city park. In the city park you can take a rest at;
The Culture Café; An inspiring place in a city park in the equally cozy Kleverpark neighborhood just behind the station. Besides having a cozy coffee and a delicious lunch here, shopping in the Kweekstraat is also among the possibilities. Sustainable and young entrepreneurs have gathered there with an inspiring offer.
Day 3 - We dive a little deeper into Haarlem
Start the day well at Hartje Haarlem where we pick up the e-bikes (or chopper) for an extensive city tour. Before you start this, choose which district of Haarlem you want to explore further, we chose Zuid.
Haarlem is surrounded by nature. And with those Fatbikes, you can zoom out of the center and be in the green within five minutes. With the IZZI app, you can easily download one of the routes created by Visit Haarlem. We discovered the Zuid route and passed through green parks and country houses. We shopped in the country store and had good coffee in one of Haarlem's lesser known neighborhoods. What a recommended and sustainable way to discover the rest of Haarlem and its surroundings.
If you take your time on the tour, you're sure to find great places along the way to grab lunch or some goodies. If you really get the hang of it, you can cycle straight to the beach and end the day with a sunset before heading back towards the city.
The Local food route works through the app Izi.Travel. It can be downloaded for free from the App Store and Google Play.
Day 4 - Have a nice lunch and continue shopping a bit ahead
Huijsing Books; this is perhaps the coziest bookstore you will ever enter. Filled to the brim with books. That may also explain why there is a ladder in the store. No matter what books you like to read: they have it. And all second-hand for a very reasonable price.
Concept store Drifter; Drifter is a beautiful design store full of sustainable brands and products made from quality materials. Think of the famous design brand HAY. You can also find sustainable clothing (from Ganni, among others) and sneakers from VEJA, for example.
The World of Jansje; you are quite literally stepping into a world here. A world full of the most beautiful gifts. Jansje is an elongated store with a café at the very back. Here you can sit down and be served by people with a distance to the labor market. Delicious food, good coffee and friendly service. The store is filled with sustainably developed gifts such as paper goods, candles, accessories and beautiful items for your interior.
"Every gift is beautifully wrapped and is a treat to give or receive."
Sûr Atelier; the distance from makers to store has never been shorter. At Sûr, you physically step into the atelier. In the store, you see people drawing patterns, sewing and designing. In the store, the shelves are full of handmade clothing and the label features the name of the maker. A personalized way of buying clothes that allows Sûr to fight against mass production. And when you see the beautiful hand-crafted garments, you can understand that this comes at a price.
By Lima; in the middle of Zijlstraat on a cozy corner you will find By Lima. On the menu you will find mainly the most delicious dishes, made of organic seasonal products from local suppliers. And you can taste that from it. The portions are nice and big, so you can easily get your daily portion of vegetables!
