A must for anyone interested in the Dutch Masters, this superb museum is located in the poorhouse where Hals spent his final years. The collection focuses on the 17th-century Haarlem School; its pride and joy are eight group portraits of the Civic Guard that reveal Hals’ exceptional attention to mood and psychological tone. Other greats represented here include Pieter Bruegel the Younger and Jacob van Ruisdael. Tickets include admission to the modern- and contemporary-art Frans Hals Museum – Hal.

　　Among the museum’s other treasures are the works of Hals’ teacher, Flemish artist Karel van Mander: stunning illustrations of the human anatomy, all ceiling-high with biblical and mythological references.