Holland, Haarlem and Teylers Museum

I have discovered a gem. Recently, we went to Holland, ostensibly to go to the Hieronymus Bosch exhibition in Bosch, but also to ‘do’ the various other arty museums in that country. My wife is studying art history, and she organized the itinerary. In the event, we could not get into the Bosch exhibition because it was practically fully subscribed, but we went to Holland anyway. Both of us love the country; probably the most civilized in Europe. It is clean and organized, the people are friendly and helpful, and absolutely everyone speaks English.

The first pleasurable surprise on this trip was how good the railways are. Previously we had driven, but decided to leave the car behind and let the trains take the strain. And they did. The trains were comfortable, relentlessly on time, and the people in the ticket offices provided us with perfect instructions and printed itineraries.

Then we found out what a nice place Haarlem is. The decision had been taken to stay there rather than in Amsterdam, and take the 15-minute train between the two places. Haarlem also has its canals as well as a charming old quarter and the delightfully picturesque St Bavo’s Cathedral.

The real find though, was Teylers Museum. Established in the late 18th century, it is a charming mix of art, science and natural history; the best bits of the South Kensington museums brought together. Teylers Museum is a museum of itself; a museum of museums. It contains rows of mahogany display cases full of fossils or obscure scientific instruments in brass and copper. Teylers museum reminds me of the parts of the Natural History and Science museums in Kensington that I used to visit as a child and which got me interested in science in the first place. The labelling is not great, and frequently there is no English translation but that is part of the charm of the place. The best part though was the wonderful oval room complete with galleries dating from the late eighteenth century, and an original William Herschel telescope. And thank goodness, the museum trustees have resisted the temptation to ‘glitz’ it up to attract more visitors. A haven of peace, tranquillity and learning. A real temple of civilization.

The Oval Room at Teylers Musem, a painting from the 1800s