Alkmaar — Cheese City★★
Waagplein, 1811 JP Alkmaar
Käsemarkt: Fr 10–13 Uhr (April–September). Käsemuseum: Di–Sa 10–16 Uhr.
Käsemarkt kostenlos. Museum: 6 €.
Alkmaar is the cheese city of the Netherlands. Every Friday from April to September (10 am–1 pm), the famous cheese market takes place on the Waagplein — a tradition since 1593. The ceremony is colorful and fascinating:
- Cheese carriers (kaasdragers) in white attire and colored straw hats (the color indicates the guild) carry the cheese wheels on wooden barrows to the scales.
- The weighmaster checks the weight, traders assess the quality (they knock, smell, and probe with a cheese drill).
- About 30,000 kg of cheese are traded per market — mainly Gouda and Edam.
Beyond the cheese market, Alkmaar is a charming historic town with canals, a lively old town, and the Hollands Kaasmuseum (Cheese Museum) in the historic Waag on the Waagplein. The museum showcases the history of Dutch cheese production — and, of course, there's plenty to taste.
Alkmaar is 35 minutes by train from Amsterdam. Perfect as a half-day trip, ideally on Friday for the cheese market.
