City Stories Index · Netherlands · 2026 edition
Amsterdam vs Haarlem
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Amsterdam leads 4–1. Character is a different question: Amsterdam is the canal-ring capital; Haarlem is the golden-age painters' town.
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| What we measure | Amsterdam | Haarlem | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 120 | 34 | Amsterdam |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 233 | 292 | Amsterdam |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 10 | 4 | Amsterdam |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 21 | — | Amsterdam |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 11 | 18 | Haarlem |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 88 | 51 | Amsterdam |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Amsterdam in orange, Haarlem in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
AmsterdamHaarlem
32 places
arts & culture12 places
29 places
guilds & trade4 places
26 places
industry & modern era2 places
24 places
faith & churches9 places
23 places
crime & dark history1 place
5 places
fortification & siege4 places
Amsterdam scorecard →
The canal-ring capital
Haarlem scorecard →
The golden-age painters' town