The St. Bavo Church in Haarlem — Attraction in Haarlem

The St. Bavo Church in Haarlem is truly stunning and a must-visit if you’re in the city. The architecture is absolutely breathtaking, both from the outside with its grand Gothic design and inside with its soaring ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows, and the famous Müller organ, which was once played by Mozart himself.

The atmosphere is calm and awe-inspiring, filled with a sense of history and grandeur. Walking through the church feels like stepping back in time. The details in the stonework, wood carvings, and organ pipes are incredible.

It’s not just a religious site but a cultural gem that adds so much to Haarlem’s charm. Whether you’re into history, architecture, or just love discovering beautiful places, St. Bavo is well worth a visit. Highly recommended!

The St. Bavo Church in Haarlem, also known as the Grote Kerk, has a long and fascinating history. It was built on the site of older churches, with construction of the current Gothic-style building starting around 1370 and finishing by 1520. It replaced a smaller Romanesque church that had become too small and had been damaged by fire.

The church was originally a Catholic cathedral, dedicated to Saint Bavo, a nobleman from the 7th century who later became a monk. It was one of the most important religious buildings in the area. In 1578, during the Protestant Reformation, Haarlem adopted Protestantism, and the church became part of the Dutch Reformed Church. Many Catholic decorations and altars were removed or painted over to reflect the simpler Calvinist style.

One of the church’s most famous features is the large Müller organ, installed in 1738. It’s one of the most impressive organs in the world and was played by famous musicians like Mozart, Handel, and Mendelssohn. Today, the church is no longer used for regular religious services but is open to visitors. It hosts concerts, exhibitions, and tours, and remains one of the most important historical and cultural...

St. Bavo (Grote Church) is must-see sightseeing in Haarlem. This is a large medieval church and landmark on Grote Markt in the city centre. Entry is €2.50 and opening hours are 10am to 5pm daily.

The Gothic exterior and interior are quite impressive and there are numerous interesting things to see within the church. The decorative belfry of St. Bavo is well worth spending a few minutes to view prior to entering the church.

Entry is through a small gift shop into the main nave. Do pick up a brochure which provides location and description of the church highlights. We most enjoyed seeing the Christian Mueller organ, which was played by both Mozart and Handel. The organ has over 5000 pipes and is beautiful. During our visit, we were able to watch an early afternoon organ performance.

We also enjoyed walking around the main hall of St. Bavo seeing the various chapels, sculptures, painting, wooden ships, stained class windows, choir stalls and other notable items mentioned in the brochure guide. Plan on 30 minutes or so to leisurely explore the church interior.

In the end, St. Bavo is an impressive church visit to make during visits to Haarlem. We very much enjoyed our time sightseeing and listening to the organ concert here and will gladly return for another visit the next time we are in Haarlem.

Note - The church of St. Bavo is not to be confused with 19th-century St. Bavo Basilica (Cathedral) on the southwest side of the city centre. These are separate and different...

This church is an important landmark for the city of Haarlem and has dominated the city skyline for centuries. It is built in the Gothic style of architecture, and it became the main church of Haarlem after renovations in the 15th century made it significantly larger than the Janskerk (Haarlem). First mention of a church on this spot was made in 1307, but the wooden structure burned in the 14th century. The church was rebuilt and promoted to chapter church in 1479 and only became a cathedral in 1559. The main architects were Godevaert de Bosscher and Steven van Afflighem (nave), and Evert van Antwerpen (transept).[1] The term "Catholic" was never really associated with this church, since it was only consecrated as a cathedral in 1559, which was already in the middle of the period known as the Protestant Reformation. The church was confiscated only 19 years later during the Haarlemse noon in 1578, when it was converted to Protestantism. It was dedicated to Saint Bavo at some time before 1500, though there exists a curious painting in the collection of the Catholic Cathedral of St. Bavo illustrating the miracle of St. Bavo saving Haarlem from the Kennemers in a scene from the 13th century. This painting was painted a century after the Catholics were banned from their church, and may have been a commemorative painting referring to the defense of the Church and the Catholic faith as well as the defense...