Even though it was raining all day, we loved exploring Haarlem. It takes just 20 minutes to reach Haarlem by train from Amsterdam, which makes it a perfect day trip. Haarlem has a rich history and is filled with historical buildings and beautiful churches. We loved checking out all the sightseeing spots and taking photos at all the insta-worthy spots we found. In this blog post, we’re sharing the most Instagrammable places in Haarlem, including links to the locations.

Read more: One Day in Haarlem

Molen De Adriaan

Molen De Adriaan is a windmill located along the Spaarne river. The original windmill dates from 1779, but it was completely burnt down in 1932. The current windmill is built in 1999 to the original design of the one from 1779. The view of the windmill from across the river is beautiful and serves as an amazing photo spot. You can also walk along the river for a bit to find another angle of the windmill.

Molen De Adriaan in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

Amsterdamse Poort

The Amsterdamse Poot (Gate of Amsterdam) is the last remaining city gate of the original seven. This gate dates back from around 1425 and we loved the look of it. The gate has octagonal towers which gives it a castle-look feel. You can’t miss this photo in your Haarlem Insta feed!

Amsterdamse Poort in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

Gravenstenenbrug

The Gravenstenenbrug is a drawbridge located across the Spaarne river. We think drawbridges always look amazing, especially against a beautiful backdrop of historical Dutch building. Relatively speaking, this bridge isn’t even that old as it was built in 1950. We love the look of it though. Did you notice the golden stars on the bridge too?!

Gravenstenenbrug in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

We can absolutely recommend walking along the Spaarne river for more Instagram-worthy photo spots. You can find plenty of beautiful historical buildings here. You can’t have enough of these on you Instagram feed after visiting the Netherlands.

Kathedrale Basiliek Sint Bavo

We were so impressed by this beautiful cathedral. The Kathedrale Basiliek Sint Bavo is a huge cathedral built between 1895 and 1930. We especially loved the back of the cathedral which looked somewhat similar to churches you can find in Eastern Europe. The many smaller towers and huge green dome looked amazing from this spot. Having a little picnic on the grass here would be so lovely. Unfortunately, this was completely undoable because of the horrible weather during our visit. Regardless of the weather, you can’t miss this Instagrammable place in Haarlem!

Kathedrale Basiliek Sint Bavo in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

Grote of Sint-Bavokerk

Another huge church in Haarlem is the Grote of Sint-Bavokerk, which is located in the heart of the city center and shopping area. It’s a late medieval church and was built between 1370 and 1520 in gothic style. The square surrounding the church is perfect for taking photos. In December, there’s a huge Christmas tree located on the square as well, which is great for those Christmas vibes.

Grote of Sint-Bavokerk in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

Lights in shopping area

In the winter months, many cities in the Netherlands decorate the city center with more lights to brighten the shorter days. In Haarlem, we found this cool light sign of Haarlem with stars and we had to take a photo with it. If you’re visiting Haarlem during winter, this is a lovely Instagram-worthy photo spot.

Lights in Haarlem, the Netherlands

Click here for the location

We hope these Instagrammable places convinced you to visit Haarlem during your stay in the Netherlands. Would you like to visit Haarlem? Let us know in the comments below!

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