Grote Kerk, Haarlem

Grote Kerk, Haarlem tickets: which one to buy

The Grote Kerk, or Saint Bavo's Church, stands on the Grote Markt, the main square of Haarlem, the Netherlands, about fifteen minutes by train from Amsterdam, and a ticket is required for visitors, including an audio guide. It is a large Gothic church, Protestant since the Reformation, and it is best known for its magnificent Müller organ, once played by the young Mozart. It should not be confused with the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Bavo, a later building elsewhere in Haarlem.

The church is a few minutes' walk from Haarlem station, and visitors combine it with the Frans Hals Museum, the Teylers Museum, the oldest museum in the Netherlands, the Corrie ten Boom House, the almshouse courtyards known as hofjes, the De Adriaan windmill and the shops and cafés of the old town. The beaches of Zandvoort are a short train ride away. Organ concerts are held regularly, including free summer concerts, and they are the best way to hear the instrument. The church is used for events, so check opening times. The Grote Markt, with the Town Hall and old guild houses, is one of the most beautiful squares in the Netherlands.

Visiting Grote Kerk, Haarlem: what to see

An earlier church stood here, and the present Gothic church was built between about 1370 and 1520, with its wooden tower, covered with lead, rising above the square. After the Reformation in 1578, it became a Protestant church, and its images were removed, but its size and light remain impressive. The vaulted wooden ceiling, made of cedar, covers the long nave and choir. The church's organ, built by Christian Müller between 1735 and 1738, was one of the largest in the world at the time, with thousands of pipes in a richly carved case decorated with gilded figures, and it attracted famous musicians: the ten-year-old Mozart played it in 1766, and Handel and Mendelssohn also played it.

The painter Frans Hals is buried in the church, and his gravestone is marked in the choir. The floor is covered with gravestones. The choir screen, made of brass, and the carved choir stalls survive from the medieval church. The small Dog Whipper's Chapel recalls the official whose job was to chase dogs out of the church. Models of ships hang from the ceiling, recalling the crusade legend of the ships of Haarlem at Damietta, and a cannonball in one wall is said to date from the Spanish siege of the city in 1572 and 1573.

Grote Kerk, Haarlem opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open from Monday to Saturday, and it is closed to tourist visits on Sundays, except for services. The International Organ Festival Haarlem, held every two years in summer, brings organists from around the world. Free organ concerts are held on Tuesday evenings in summer. The Grote Markt hosts a market on Saturdays and Mondays, and the Christmas market in December. Spring, when the bulb fields near Haarlem bloom, is a good time to visit. Allow about forty-five minutes for the church.