1. An old range of dunes, the second row parallel to the coastline. Next to the high dune there was only peat-bog. In the early history of Haarlem, farmland was scarce, and only the high dune was really safe to live on.
2. A peat-river called the Spaarne. This winding river reaches it's nearest point to the range of dunes exactly in Haarlem. The river runs to the IJ, the vast lake in the North of Haarlem, and is an important traderoute.
3. The old Roman road to the Roman army camp in Velzen, a small village just north of Haarlem. On a modest level, this road has never stopped functioning. It was a second trade-route through the city.
From this viewpoint, Haarlem is situated on a crossroads of trading routes. That is why the city has a long history, which began at it's center: now the Grote Markt (Great Market). This is situated on the highest point in Haarlem, in the middle of the dune, exactly on it's smallest point: where river meets road. Also there used to be a small brook, running from the younger dunes to the Spaarne, along the Grote Markt.
