Capital of the North Holland Province, Haarlem lies by the river Spaarne, some 20 km west of Amsterdam. It is famous as a flower-growing district exporting tulip bulbs. During the Middle Ages, the town, which was built mostly of wood, suffered repeated fires, and the Plague wiped away half of its population in 1481. In the 16th Century, Haarlem was a leading beer producer with some 50 breweries. In the 1630s, it was the epicentre of the famous Tulip Mania, during which tulip bulbs were contracted at outrageous prices. The heart of Haarlem is the Grote Markt with the Gothic Sint-Bavokerk Church, containing the world’s most famous organ façade. Other attractions include the 14th-Century City Hall (standing in the place of the one-time Counts’ Palace), the Renaissance Vleeshal (Meat Hall), the old city gate (Amsterdamse Poort), the 13th-Century Hoofdwacht, Teyler’s Museum of Natural History, Frans Hals Museum, and the Neo-Classical Villa Welgelegen, seat of the provincial administration.