Spaarne

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The Spaarne is a river, in North Holland, the Netherlands. The river formerly flowed from the Haarlemmermeer or Haarlem lake to the North sea. After a century of planning, this lake was pumped dry in 3 years from 1850-1853 and made into a polder where currently the landing strips of Schiphol reside. Nowadays the river is more of a canal, connecting the ringvaart to the other canals of Haarlem. A lock at Spaarndam separates this canal system from the North Sea Canal.

The river runs through Heemstede, Haarlem and Spaarndam.

According to Sterck-Proot, a historican, The name Spaarne probably comes from 'Spier', which means reed in old Dutch.

[edit] Places of Interest along the riverbanks

Pumping Station Cruquius at the mouth of the Spaarne

View of Damstraat in Haarlem on the Spaarne. The old weighing house is the gray one on the right

Teyler's Museum in Haarlem on the Spaarne.

Gravenstenen bridge over the Spaarne in Haarlem

Windmill De Adriaan (2003)

• At the juncture of the river and the ringvaart is the Cruquius Museum, a museum that resides in one of the three original pumping stations from 1850. Steam engines were used to pump the water out.
• Teyler Museum
• Teylers Hofje
• Windmills 'De Hommel', and 'Adriaan'.

[edit] References

• Haarlems oudste tijden: een vroeg-middeleeuwsch stadsbeeld, J.M Sterck-Proot, Tjeenk Willink Haarlem, 1930.

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