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Haarlem is the capital of the province
of North Holland. The city is located on the river Spaarne, about
20 km west of Amsterdam and near the coastal dunes. In the 1630s,
Haarlem was (and still is) a major trading centre for tulips,
and it was the epicentre during tulip mania, when outrageous
prices were paid for tulip bulbs. From the time that the Leiden-Haarlem
canal Leidsevaart opened in 1656, it became popular to ride from
Rotterdam to Amsterdam by passenger boat rather than coach. The
canals were dug for passenger service only, and were comfortable
but slow. The towpath led the passengers through the bulb fields
south of Haarlem. As Haarlem slowly expanded southwards, so did
the bulb fields, and even today rail travelers between Rotterdam
and Amsterdam will see beautiful blooming bulb fields on the
stretch between Leiden and Haarlem in the spring. |
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