Brewed in Haarlem: Beer, Breweries & Medieval Trade

Around 1550, Haarlem had roughly one hundred breweries within its walls — one for every fifty citizens — and its beer outsold every rival in the Low Countries, even in Antwerp. This loop of ~3 km across the old brewing quarter follows the water, the tax, the guild and the politics that turned a modest city on the Spaarne into the brewing capital of Holland. Fourteen outdoor stops (one modern brewery-in-a-church is optional to enter). Cobblestones throughout; allow 2 to 2½ hours, plus a well-earned glass at the end.