Haarlem Bingo: Spot 30 Typically Haarlem Things
Walk the cobblestones, tick off the card, snap a photo of every typically Haarlem thing you can find. From a bitterballen plate on the Grote Markt to the silhouette of De Adriaan windmill over the Spaarne, this is a 30-item Haarlem bingo that turns any walk into a treasure hunt. No fixed route. Just keep your eyes open.
Challenges (30)
Spot a Haarlem haring with onions
Find raw Hollandse Nieuwe herring with chopped onion at a Haarlem haringkraam. Photograph the silver fish.
Spot a Haarlem bitterballen plate
Find a plate of bitterballen on a Haarlem café table. Photograph the line-up.
Spot a Haarlem stroopwafel
Find a fresh stroopwafel in a Haarlem bakery or market stall. Photograph the warm wafer.
Spot a Dutch cheese stall in Haarlem
Find a cheese stall on the Grote Markt or in a shop window with Gouda wheels. Photograph the stack.
Spot a Heineken sign in Haarlem
Find a Heineken sign on a Haarlem café awning. Photograph the red star.
Spot a Haarlem Vlaamse frites cone
Find a cone of Belgian-style frites with mayonnaise at a Haarlem friet stand. Photograph the cone.
Spot a Haarlem Dutch flag
Find a Dutch flag flying on a Haarlem building, balcony or canal house. Photograph it.
Spot a Haarlem Dutch upright bike
Find a Dutch upright bike parked along the Bakenessergracht or Spaarne. Photograph the bike with the canal in shot.
Spot a Haarlem stepped gable
Find a stepped gable (trapgevel) on a Haarlem canal house. Photograph the silhouette against the sky.
Spot a Haarlem bell gable (klokgevel)
Find a bell-shaped gable (klokgevel) on a Haarlem facade (less common than steps, but Haarlem has them). Photograph the bell shape.
Spot the Grote Markt Grote Kerk
Find the Grote Kerk (Sint-Bavokerk) on the Grote Markt. Photograph the gothic facade or the wooden tower.
Spot a Grote Markt market day stall
On a Saturday or Monday find the Grote Markt market stalls (flowers, cheese, herring). Outside market days, photograph the square. Photograph a stall or the square.
Spot the Vleeshal facade
Find the Vleeshal (Meat Hall) on the Grote Markt, the gabled brick-and-stone Renaissance building. Photograph the facade.
Spot the Stadhuis (Town Hall)
Find the Haarlem Stadhuis on the Grote Markt, the medieval-and-Renaissance town hall. Photograph the steps or the facade.
Spot the Frans Hals Museum facade
Find the Frans Hals Museum (Hof and Hal locations) facade. Photograph the entrance or sign.
Spot a Frans Hals painting reference
Find a Frans Hals reference: museum poster, postcard, the painter himself in a souvenir shop. Photograph the reference.
Spot De Adriaan windmill
Walk along the Spaarne and find De Adriaan windmill at Papentorenvest. Photograph the white sails against the sky.
Spot a Spaarne canal boat
Find a wooden tour boat or rowboat on the Spaarne. Photograph the boat from a bridge.
Spot a Haarlem hofje (almshouse)
Find one of the Haarlem hofjes (almshouses): Proveniershof, Brouwershofje, Hofje van Bakenes. Photograph the courtyard through the gate.
Spot the Sint-Bavokerk wooden ceiling
Walk into the Grote Kerk (Sint-Bavo) and find the wooden barrel-vault ceiling or the Müller organ. Photograph the interior.
Spot a Haarlem street art piece
Find a Haarlem street-art piece (the underpass near the station, the Klokhuisplein area). Photograph the wall.
Spot a Haarlem bakery appeltaart
Find an appeltaart (apple tart with cinnamon and raisins) in a Haarlem bakery window. Photograph the tart.
Spot a Haarlem brown café
Find a Haarlem bruin café (dark wood, smoke-stained, beer pumps). Photograph the interior or the doorway.
Spot a Haarlem boat-shaped street tile
Find a hand-painted ceramic street-name tile on a Haarlem corner. Photograph the lettering.
Spot the Teylers Museum facade
Find Teylers Museum, the Netherlands' oldest museum, on the Spaarne. Photograph the classical facade.
Spot a Haarlem Bart Smit toy or Dutch shop
Find a Dutch chain store (Hema, Albert Heijn AH To Go, Blokker) facade in Haarlem. Photograph the storefront.
Spot a Spaarne canal reflection
Find a still stretch of the Spaarne or one of the city canals with houses reflected. Photograph the mirror image.
Spot a Haarlem poffertjes plate
Find a plate of poffertjes (small Dutch pancakes) at a market stall or pancake house. Photograph the plate.
Spot the Adriaan Pauwbrug or another Haarlem bridge
Find a Haarlem bridge over the Spaarne (the white Catharijnebrug lifts for tall boats). Photograph the bridge.
Spot a tulpenkraam (tulip stall)
Find a flower stall on the Grote Markt or in the city with tulips for sale (Haarlem is in the heart of the bulb fields). Photograph the cascade.
Frequently asked questions
The duration is up to the organizer when they set up the adventure. As a guideline, a focused day across the Grote Markt, Bakenessergracht and Spaarne ticks off most of the easy items, and stretching across a weekend (with De Adriaan and Frans Hals) lets a determined group complete all 30.
Each of the 30 items is a camera challenge. When you spot the thing, take a photo and submit it; the bingo card tracks progress. Play solo, with friends or split into teams and race to tick off the most items.
Some items (De Adriaan rotation, a hofje courtyard) need a slight detour. Sweep the Grote Markt for the easy items, the Bakenessergracht for the canal-houses, the Spaarne for the windmill and the side streets for hofjes.
The Grote Markt, Damstraat, Bakenessergracht and Spaarne hit the most items in a walking loop. Add De Adriaan windmill on the Spaarne and the side streets for hofjes (almshouses).
Yes. Kids love spotting windmills, herring stalls and stepped gables; adults enjoy hunting Frans Hals references, hofjes and Dutch design. No alcohol stops are required.