After the Amstelveen Spring Marathon: Haarlem

The Route: Amstelveen Stadshart → Amsterdam → Haarlem → Schiphol Airport Logistics: GVB tram or metro to Amsterdam, then an NS train to Haarlem. The old town is a compact grid within ten minutes' walk of the station. Marathon Month: March Duration: 1 night

Amstelveen ──(20-30 mins, tram/metro)──> Amsterdam ──(15-20 mins, NS train)──> Haarlem
                                                                                  │
                    Schiphol Airport (AMS) <──(about 30-40 mins, via Amsterdam)───┘

The Amstelveen Spring Marathon runs on a Sunday in March and finishes in the Stadshart. Haarlem is a short hop from there and one of the few Dutch towns where the centre fits inside a flat 1.5 km walk, which suits the day after 42 km.

March in Haarlem: the average high is about 9°C, with showers that blow through quickly. The bulb fields around Haarlem and Lisse are the region's spring draw, but in most years the first sheets of colour arrive in April, so treat any March sighting as a bonus. Crocuses and early daffodils in the town's gardens are more likely than tulips.

Plan the route around Monday. Teylers Museum and the Frans Hals Museum are both closed on Mondays, so a Sunday-night stay gives you a day on foot and in churches, with the museums as an option only if your flight is late on Tuesday. Check opening hours on teylersmuseum.nl and franshalsmuseum.nl.

From Amstelveen, ride tram or metro to Amsterdam Centraal or Sloterdijk, then take an NS train to Haarlem. The rail leg takes about 15 to 20 minutes and trains run several times an hour. Dutch rail sells no advance fares, so there is nothing to book ahead; a single is a few euros, paid by tapping in and out with a contactless card or OVpay. Check the NS planner for your date.

Night One: Haarlem

The Grote Markt is the middle of the town, a cobbled square with the Gothic Grote Kerk of St Bavo at one end and the medieval town hall on the other. The cobbles are uneven, so walk slowly. Inside the church, which charges a few euros, the 1738 Müller organ is the instrument Mozart played as a boy.

The hofjes are the quiet part. Hofje van Bakenes, founded in 1395 and tucked off Wijde Appelaarssteeg, is the oldest almshouse in the Netherlands, and many of the courtyard gardens open to visitors in daylight. They are flat, gravelled and a few minutes apart. Along the Spaarne river the paved quay is level and has benches; Molen De Adriaan, a windmill rebuilt in 2002, is the landmark at the north end.

Teylers Museum, entry around €18, opened in 1784 and holds a fossil collection and drawings by Michelangelo and Rembrandt. The Frans Hals Museum, around €20, sits in a former almshouse with the Haarlem civic guard portraits. Both are on level floors, and the Teylers oval room has seating.

For a room, the Amrâth Grand Hotel Frans Hals sits near the station and is the more conventional choice. Hotel Lion d'Or on Kruisweg, also by the station, is smaller and quieter, and a short walk from the old town. Book a cancellable rate and confirm lift access when you reserve.

For food, Jopenkerk is a brewery in a former church on Gedempte Voldersgracht with a restaurant upstairs and long tables for tired groups. De Haerlemsche Vlaamse on Spekstraat sells paper cones of Dutch chips, which is the cheapest way to refuel.

Getting to Schiphol Airport (AMS)

Haarlem to Schiphol takes about 30 to 40 minutes, usually with a change at Amsterdam Sloterdijk or Amsterdam Centraal. Trains run frequently and the airport station sits under Schiphol Plaza. Check the NS planner on the day, and allow extra time if you are carrying luggage and a sore stride on the platform stairs.