Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem
Haarlem, Netherlands
A great Gothic church on Haarlem’s market square with a Müller organ that Mozart played as a boy. Summer organ concerts are held on set days; use the park-and-ride outside the centre.
The Grote Kerk (St Bavo’s Church) in Haarlem (North Holland, Netherlands) is a late Gothic church on the Grote Markt. It was essentially completed by 1520. The painter Frans Hals is buried in the church, and a cannonball from the Spanish siege of Haarlem in 1572–73 is still embedded in one of its walls.
The church is known for its Müller organ of 1738, at the time one of the largest organs in the world. According to Atlas Obscura and Frommer’s, Handel and the ten-year-old Mozart travelled to Haarlem to play it; Mozart did so in 1766. Organ concerts are held in the summer half of the year, according to Frommer’s usually on Tuesday evenings from May to October, with extra Thursday recitals in July and August (as of October 2026). You should check dates and tours in advance on bavo.nl.
- Nearest town
- Haarlem, Netherlands
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 52.3811, 4.6373
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually June–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in May. Cold, short days in January–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Getting there
- Netherlands: No motorway tolls for cars. 100 km/h on motorways between 6:00 and 19:00.
Featured in these trip guides
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Nearby
© dronepicr · CC BY 2.0Zuid-Kennemerland National Park
Photo by Brett Beutell on UnsplashKeukenhof
© Donald Trung Quoc Don (Chữ Hán: 徵國單) - Wikimedia Commons - © CC BY-SA 4.0 International. (Want to use this image?)… · CC BY-SA 4.0Zaanse Schans
© Ciell · CC BY-SA 4.0Rijksmuseum
Campsites nearby
- Camperpark N205Motorhome stopover5 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemMotorhomesElectricityShowersToiletsWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Camping Caravanpark De DuinrandMotorhome stopover7 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- Natuurcamping SchoonenbergCampsite8 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWi-Fi
- De Sport CampingCampsite10 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWi-Fi
- DecemberhoeveMotorhome stopover10 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposalDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Natuurkampeerterrein RuigenhoekCampsite13 km from Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), HaarlemTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
All campsites in Netherlands · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem?
Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem is in Haarlem, Netherlands, at GPS 52.3811, 4.6373. It is about 7 km from Zandvoort.
Can you camp near Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is UrbanCamperSpot Haarlem, about 2 km away; within 25 km there are 92 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem?
Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Old Holland: Delft, The Hague, Leiden and Haarlem.
What is there to see near Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem?
Places worth a stop nearby: Zuid-Kennemerland National Park (6 km), Keukenhof (14 km), Zaanse Schans (16 km) and Rijksmuseum (17 km).
When is the best time to visit Grote Kerk (St. Bavo), Haarlem?
The most pleasant months are usually June–September. Still fine, with some compromises, in May. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)