Many of the activities that made Haarlem great were possible because of its location on this water. Before the arrival of the railways and modern road traffic, the Spaarne was the lifeline that connected Haarlem with the world,
Molen de Adriaan is a modern replica of an ancient mill that went up in flames in 1932. Due to its location on the Spaarne and its great height, the De Adriaan windmill is one of the most striking buildings in Haarlem. Over the centuries, tuff, snuff and corn were successively grinded. In 2002 the rebuilt Adriaan was opened to the public, now as a museum mill.
At the Spaarne river Haarlem De Waag was built between 1594 and 1599 as a design by the Haarlem city architect Lieven de Key in Renaissance style. The location on the Spaarne river was very favorable for the supply of the goods to be weighed, because the ships could moor there directly to unload their merchandise. The Haarlem weigh house fulfilled its original function until 1915. In the 1960s, the building was a folk club where artists such as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Simon and Garfunkel performed. Today there is a bar anex café.
A visit to all the Haarlem highlights during the floral tours. Haarlem city of flowers.