Haarlemmerhout

The Haarlemmerhout is the oldest public park of the Netherlands. It lies on the south side of Haarlem, on the same old sandy sea wall that is shared by the public park Haagse Bos in the Hague and the Alkmaarderhout in Alkmaar.

History

On a map drawn in 1560 of Haarlem, the Haarlemmerhout is shown in the characteristic form that it has today. It was burned by the Spaniards during the siege of Haarlem, but replanted. The east-west road at the southern edge of the park still exists and is called the "Spanjaardslaan" (Spaniard's lane) in memory of this event.

Across the centuries, various landscape artists have made new plans for this wood. But the long vista through the eastern portion of the park designed in 1760 by Jan van Vorel exists up to this day, affording a view of the government building villa Welgelegen.

Though several parks in the Netherlands date from medieval times, the Haarlemmerhout is special because it was never locked by a gate, and when the park was redesigned in 1760, it was planted in the fashionable English style with a view for public access. Though in earlier centuries the park served as a common ground for farm animals and fire kindling, the redesigned park came to be used as a place for recreation in the sense currently given to public parks today.