landmark
Haarlem Grote Markt
A handsome historic square dominated by the towering St-Bavo church where Mozart once played the great organ.
5 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeNetherlandsNorth Holland
Spaarndam
North Holland, Netherlands · Europe
About Spaarndam
Spaarndam works well as a base: 5 minutes from Hofgeest, 5km from Haarlem Grote Markt.
Spaarndam is in North Holland, Netherlands, with about 3,600 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Hofgeest, about 4 km away.
Spaarndam (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌspaːr(ə)nˈdɑm]) is a village in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands, on the Spaarne river and the IJ lake. The oldest part of the village, on the western side of the Spaarne, belongs to the municipality of Haarlem; the newer part on the eastern side is a part of theRead more
municipality of Haarlemmermeer. The village is built around a dam in the river, which is also the division line of the two municipalities.
Spaarndam was created around a dam where the river Spaarne flows into the IJ. This dam was built here by count Floris V of Holland in 1285. The village collected tolls at this dam, and people made their living from fishing. From 1812 to 1927, the western part of Spaarndam was an independent municipality.
The village has some tourism, and many people commute to Amsterdam and Haarlem.
Spaarndam has always been strongly connected to water. Besides the river and the fishing, it is also famous because of a story within the 1865 American novel, Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates, about a Dutch boy, "The Hero of Haarlem," who stuck his finger in a dike to prevent the town from flooding. The story became a popular legend in America, and in 1950 the local tourist bureau put a statue of this character in Spaarndam.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Spaarndam?
Within an hour or so of Spaarndam: Haarlem Grote Markt (5 km), Circuit Zandvoort (10 km), Zaanse Schans (11 km), Anne Frank House (14 km).
Are there any good drives near Spaarndam?
The nearest famous roads are Houtribdijk, Afsluitdijk and Brouwersdam.
Where is Spaarndam?
Spaarndam is in North Holland, Netherlands, about 4 km from Hofgeest.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,550
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Netherlands
- Region
- North Holland
- Timezone
- Europe/Amsterdam
- Coordinates
- 52.4125, 4.6833
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Netherlands
Watch for cyclists. They generally have priority.
Full driving guide for NetherlandsTags
Worth the detour from Spaarndam
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
racetrack
Circuit Zandvoort
Dutch seaside circuit with banked corners, revived for modern F1
10 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Zaanse Schans
A riverside open-air village of working green windmills, clog makers and cheese sheds just north of Amsterdam.
11 km · about 20 min drive
museum
Anne Frank House
The preserved hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary during World War II, a powerful memorial to the Holocaust.
14 km · about 25 min drive
cafe
Winkel 43
Corner café on Amsterdam's Noordermarkt whose towering cinnamon-heavy appeltaart with whipped cream is widely held to be the Netherlands' best apple pie: the queue on Saturday market morning is part of the ritual.
14 km · about 25 min drive
museum
Van Gogh Museum
The world's largest collection of Van Gogh's works with over 200 paintings, 500 drawings, and 700 letters in Amsterdam.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Dam Square
Historic heart of Amsterdam flanked by the Royal Palace, the Nieuwe Kerk, and the National Monument.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Royal Palace Amsterdam
Imposing 17th-century palace on Dam Square built during the Dutch Golden Age, still used for royal functions.
15 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Spaarndam
3 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 100km.
- 55 kmHoutribdijkA 26 km dike road (N302) running straight across the water between Enkhuizen and Lelystad, splitting the IJsselmeer from the Markermeer with sea views on both sides.
- 58 kmErasmusbrugRotterdam's swan-necked cable-stayed bridge soars over the Maas, a striking modern icon glowing over the river at night.
Driving in Netherlands
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€2.04/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
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