Villa Welgelegen is a grand neoclassical villa on the edge of Haarlem's historic centre, built for banker Henry Hope and later used by Louis Bonaparte during the Napoleonic period. Its measured facade and formal setting add a different register to Haarlem's more intimate canals and hofjes.
The building now serves government functions, so the exterior and grounds are the main reasons to include it on a walk. It pairs well with the nearby Frans Hals Museum area and gives a glimpse of late-18th-century wealth outside Amsterdam.