Grote of Sint Bavokerk

We happened to catch the church just as they were performing a concert on the giant (largest in Holland) pipe organ. The unique thing about this church is that it has a bunch of quirky little items added over the years to make it entertaining and educational. There’s a cannonball stuck in the wall here, a giant pendulum hanging from the ceiling over there, a bunch of unlucky people carvings holding up the roof pillars up there and even a dog whipper carved in to stone over there. Plus other unique Dutch things as well such as 3 small Dutch ship models hanging from the ceiling. Not your typical church/​cathedral but then again, you need to look close to see them all.

Tolle Kirche im Zentrum von Haarlem, davor ein wunderschöner Platz mit vielen Restaurants/​Cafes.

The «Big Church» costs you a moderate 2,50EUR fee but this pays off quickly once you are inside the building. There you’ll find Beautifully colored ceilings, windows and original wall paintings (a few of them are from the 1400s!), a small «coffee corner» which serves good but strong coffee and an organ which is breathtakingly huge. At least in the summer, every Thursday and Tuesday there is a concert.