Holland's Haarlem opens its doors to holidaymakers

Historic buildings in Haarlem, Holland will open their doors to curious holidaymakers next month for two days only.

On September 13th and 14th the Open Monumentendag event will allow visitors to take a peak around prestigious buildings which are normally off-limits to members of the public.

During this weekend visitors will be able to get up close and personal with buildings such as the St Bavo Cathedral.

Better still, access to these listed buildings, museums and churches will be free for the weekend, making a visit to Haarlem inexpensive.

Located about 20 kilometres from Amsterdam, Haarlem is not a difficult city to reach for those who have brought their cars abroad with them on a cross-channel ferry.

The city's official tourist website says: "Although situated at the heart of Holland's industrial region, Haarlem is also close to the coastal dunes and many areas of natural beauty, including the world-famous Dutch bulb fields."