A photograhic journey of Haarlem and its history.The first official mention of Haarlem was in the 10th-century. The name comes from `Haarlo-heim or `Haarulahem which means: place, on sand and covered with trees, higher than others. It is also the capital city of the province of North Holland. Haarlem is located 20 kilometres west of Amsterdam; on the banks of the River Spaarne. But, unlike the Netherlands capital city, Haarlem, with a population of 150,000 is on a much smaller scale. With a pedestrian onlycity centre, the visitor is led along herringbone paved brick streets and into tranquil hofjes (almshouses). For such a small city, Haarlem is steeped in history, and what remains is a testament to its past. It is rich in architecture, museums and churches, of which the most notably is Saint Bavo Sint Bavo or the Great Church on the Grote Markt.