Bakenesserkerk
Bakenesserkerk
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Neighbourhood: Centrum
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4.0
25 reviews
Excellent
6
Very good
10
Average
7
Poor
2
Terrible
0
Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,166 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
The Bakenesserkerk is a former church in a side street just off the Bakenessergracht canal. It is only a very minor sight but if you are strolling down this charming residential area, then it’s worth a quick look.
The most distinctive feature is its tall white sandstone spire. It’s usually a prominent feature on the Haarlem skyline but when we were there recently, it was undergoing a major renovation and was covered in scaffolding. The church was also closed so there was little to see and we did not linger.
The church has a long history and was founded in the 13th century by William II of Holland. The spire was added much later in 1520.
We stopped outside the northern doorway which was a 17th century addition. Above the door is a long Latin inscription with the words, ‘Si laudem nova qui struxerunt templa tulere cur non qui renovant et vetus hocce ferant 1639’. It roughly translates to 'If those who build new temples are praised, why not praise those who renovate the old ones, 1639’ - an appropriate inscription given the current renovation work.
The most distinctive feature is its tall white sandstone spire. It’s usually a prominent feature on the Haarlem skyline but when we were there recently, it was undergoing a major renovation and was covered in scaffolding. The church was also closed so there was little to see and we did not linger.
The church has a long history and was founded in the 13th century by William II of Holland. The spire was added much later in 1520.
We stopped outside the northern doorway which was a 17th century addition. Above the door is a long Latin inscription with the words, ‘Si laudem nova qui struxerunt templa tulere cur non qui renovant et vetus hocce ferant 1639’. It roughly translates to 'If those who build new temples are praised, why not praise those who renovate the old ones, 1639’ - an appropriate inscription given the current renovation work.
Written 17 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
macedonboy
Glasgow, UK185,662 contributions
Jul 2019 • Solo
The Bakenesserkerk is a former church and seat of the archeological working group of Haarlem. As it's no longer used as a church, the interior space has been given over to exhibitions. Although I really came to see the famous Gothic bell tower. The lower part of the tower is constructed of bricks, but the upper portion is constructed from white stone. The upper portion is highly ornate, the white of the stone contrasting beautifully against the red of the bricks.
Worth coming along just to see the bell tower.
Worth coming along just to see the bell tower.
Written 29 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Hong Kong, China174,810 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
Baknesserkerk is a former church building at Vrouwstraat that is interesting to see when sightseeing around Haarlem. At present, it seems the church functions as an exhibition area for the Archeologisch Museum Haarlem. April to October opening hours are 1-4.30pm. From Sept to March, opening hours are 2-6pm.
The church history dates back to the 13th century and is medieval in its exterior appearance. There is an interesting 16th century sandstone tower that is a landmark in this area of the city. It seems this tower was rebuilt in 1972, hence its fine present appearance.
The tower is Gothic in appearance, ornately decorated and topped with a crown. You can see it from various points within the area, while there is opportunity to view it up close from the outer church grounds.
This is one of the buildings included in the Monumental walk - self walking tour around city. You can purchase maps of of these walks at the TI at the City Hall building at Grote Markt. Alternatively, you can download from the Visit Haarlem website.
The church history dates back to the 13th century and is medieval in its exterior appearance. There is an interesting 16th century sandstone tower that is a landmark in this area of the city. It seems this tower was rebuilt in 1972, hence its fine present appearance.
The tower is Gothic in appearance, ornately decorated and topped with a crown. You can see it from various points within the area, while there is opportunity to view it up close from the outer church grounds.
This is one of the buildings included in the Monumental walk - self walking tour around city. You can purchase maps of of these walks at the TI at the City Hall building at Grote Markt. Alternatively, you can download from the Visit Haarlem website.
Written 20 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
gordium2013
Bucharest, Romania263 contributions
Sept 2015 • Couples
Bakenesserkerk is an 13th century church transformed into an archeological museum. So it no longer serves the purpose for which it was built, as now it is an exhibition space for archeological foundings from Haarlem area.
Its white sandstone tower can be seen almost from every point of the city, so it is pretty easy to locate the former church.
Its white sandstone tower can be seen almost from every point of the city, so it is pretty easy to locate the former church.
Written 13 March 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia50,924 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
We came across this church by chance while wandering the streets of Haarlem. As it turned out it is not a church at all, now as it functions as a sort of museum, or exhibition Hall. The building dates back to the 13th century, so in a way, that alone is probably worth stopping by and having a very quick look, if you happen to be walking by, otherwise keep going, on your way.
Written 20 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MikeyMackTravels
Prague, Czech Republic2,984 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
Really enjoyed our visit to this Cathedral in the middle of Haarlem. We arrived about 15 minutes before they closed. Very nice they let us go in for free. Amazing structure. Big, beautiful on the inside. Really happy we made this quick visit.
Written 20 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Noraatc
Sudbury, MA39,297 contributions
Sept 2023 • Solo
From the Sparne embankment, I made a turn to one of the most atmospheric canals in Haarlem with the view of the Bakenesserkerk tower at the distance. This church is not a functioning religious body anymore, but it has some archeological artifacts on display as well as modern stained glass windows.
Written 31 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffrey R
Tampa, FL341 contributions
Aug 2019
Bakenesserkerk is visible on the Haarlem skyline just outside the city center, and the cool Dutch steeple makes for good photographic effects. But it's well worth going inside if it's open, as it is the home of the Haarlem Bureau of Archeology, which has been preserving artifacts from the city's history for many years. Excellent displays of ceramic, tile, old utensils and pots and pans (captioned in Dutch, but you can suss it all pretty easily) and a set of recently renovated and beautiful stained glass windows, each by a different artist.
This was a very pleasant surprise to me on a day I was wandering Haarlem backstreets. It's well worth being a real destination!
This was a very pleasant surprise to me on a day I was wandering Haarlem backstreets. It's well worth being a real destination!
Written 25 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deb L
Berlin, Germany24 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
Tower is a beautiful landmark. Didn’t explore farther than finding the base of the steeple That’s all folks.
Written 9 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christian M
Copenhagen, Denmark6,009 contributions
Jul 2018 • Couples
As people get less religious the churches are transformed into other purposes. This one is now an archeological museum, free of charge, and is worth a visit if you are interested in this kind of stuff. Otherwise, forget about it.
Written 9 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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