6 Of Our Favorite Parks In Haarlem To Walk, Play, and Enjoy

We’ve been living in Haarlem, Netherlands for a bit now and one of our favorite things to do in Haarlem is playing in the many parks that surround us. Also, the Netherlands isn’t really a budget-friendly place so if you’re trying to find free things to do, the parks are your best option.

There are some great parks though, so let’s talk about it. From places to just walk along beautiful paths if that’s your thing, to the parks with jungle gyms and places for kids to play, there are plenty of green spaces to find.

Haarlemmer Kweektuin, Haarlem-Noord, Haarlem, Netherlands; park in Haarlem

Some of our favorite parks in Haarlem will definitely be some of your favorite parks in Haarlem, you’ll see:

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Haarlemmer Kweektuin

The park closest to us so I’ve visited in every season, the Haarlemmer Kweektuin is a sprawling 4.2-hectare park which features a beautifully curated garden as well as two playground areas for kids, history in the form of ruins of Huis Ter Kleef and more. There’s both a playground set as well as a natural playground (make sure you bring extra clothes if your friends will play there as it can be muddy messy fun).

This park also hosts bio-markets on the weekends and there’s a cafe so you can hang out for a few hours here with plenty to enjoy while soaking in the nature that surrounds.

Address: Kleverlaan 9, 2023 JC Haarlem, Netherlands
Hours:
- April 1 – September 30: Monday – Friday: 9:00am ~ half an hour before sunset; Weekends and holidays: 10:00am ~ 7:30pm
- October 1 – March 31: Monday – Friday: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm; Weekends and holidays: 10:00am ~ 5:00pm

Zaanenpark

Another park in our area that I visit often, this park features a skate park and playground for kids, is popular with dog owners, and my favorite part is a path lined with double cherry blossoms that is overlooked by most cherry blossom lovers. It’s gorgeous!

There’s both a playground for young children as well as a skate park and bigger play area for bigger kids as well as a big field where you’ll catch people throwing balls and flying kites when it’s nice out.

This is a good park to know about because it also hosts a fair for King’s Day, ‘Summer in Zaanen’ festival, and other fun events for the local community. In my experience, the carnival/festival that is in Haarlem’s Grote Square each spring heads here just after and because there’s more space, is even better because there are more rides. Keep that in mind!

Address: Orionweg 1, 2024 TE Haarlem, Netherlands
Hours: 24 hours a day

De Bolwerken

You don’t have to walk far from Haarlem Station to find De Bolwerken. On the north side of the station, this city park hugs a very wide waterway. When it’s sunny, you’ll find picnickers all along the waterway and when it’s hot, people are jumping off the grass into the water.

When it’s icy enough, the Dutch locals put on their skates and take to the ice. We are not nearly so brave. Just doesn’t seem thick enough to me, but we’ll watch from the bridges.

Historically significant, De Bolwerken was where Haarlem’s old city walls were and then they were demolished in the 19th century. The wide canal there now is roughly where the old fortification was.

On the west end, there’s a jungle gym for kids and a great ice cream spot just across the street. Walk towards the central area and you’ll find Museum of the Mind. If you’re someone who likes walking in park, this is a great one to choose because it’s rather long and windy and has benches all along the way to take a break among the greenery.

Address: 2023 AB, Haarlem, Netherlands

Schoterbos

This park is very large and is a bit more focused on physical activity than the other parks. There are two playground areas for kids along with an outdoor workout area for adults called Boogieland. There are paths that criss-cross the park for joggers and pedestrians and bicyclists and all of it surrounds a beautiful pond at the center.

Make sure to walk up to the viewpoint on top of the hill near the wooden playset to take in the entire park and catch site of the nearby baseball fields. This is a great park in Haarlem-Noord that is more locally visited and less touristy than some of the others on this list.

Address: 2024 CM Haarlem, Netherlands
Hours: 24 hours a day

Haarlemmerhout

Known as the oldest public park in the Netherlands, no list of parks in Haarlem is complete without it. This park is a great spot to visit if you’re on the south side of Haarlem. Apparently, there are other parks that have existed since the medieval times in the Netherlands, but Haarlemmerhout is special because it was never locked by a gate.

The park is a sprawling space with great fields, but for our daughter, the best part is a petting zoo in the park where you can see sheep, goat, deer, and more animals up close. There’s also the Theehuis De Haarlemmerhout where you can get a snack and drink so you could spend a couple of hours there. Being right near the Centrum area, this the easiest park to visit if you’re just in Haarlem for the day.

Address: Hertenkamplaan 1, 2012 CV, Haarlem, Netherlands

Burgermeester Reinaldapark

One of the first parks we got to know in Haarlem even though it’s very far from our house in Haarlem, but was right next to the newcommers schools (where all new foreign children go to learn Dutch before being acclimated into the public school system) for Haarlem was Burgermeester Reinaldapark.

This gigantic park has a beautiful lake, bridges, walking paths, some great playgrounds and exercise equipment for public use and Pannenkoeken Paradijs for all of your Dutch mini pancake needs, among other things. This park also hosts various events throughout the year, so it’s a good park to know about. When they erected the tents, we got very excited. Just keep an eye out for activities there.

Our daughter visited in the winter with the school because they even set up an ice rink there when it’s cold enough. Fantastic park if you’re more on the southern side of Haarlem.