A Dutch city known for its 400-year-old cheese market, where traders still weigh Gouda on ancient scales. Its 16th-century canals and narrow streets lead to medieval buildings.
Located 40 minutes north of Amsterdam, Alkmaar's streets come alive every Friday when cheese traders in white uniforms carry massive wheels of Gouda on wooden stretchers through the Waagplein square. You can walk past 399 protected buildings from the 1500s and 1600s, step inside the 75-meter-tall Sint-Laurenskerk church with its painted wooden ceilings, or visit museums focusing on Dutch beer brewing and The Beatles memorabilia. In the countryside around Alkmaar, 15 windmills still turn their sails against the North Holland sky.
Cheese Market Experience
Every Friday from April through September, the Waagplein square transforms into an active cheese trading site. Starting at 10:00 AM, you'll see carriers in white uniforms moving and weighing large wheels of Gouda and Edam cheese. They use wooden stretchers called "berries" to carry the cheese to and from the 16th-century weighing house. Local cheese shops around the square sell aged Gouda, young Edam, and farm-made cheeses from nearby villages.
Walking Through the Medieval Center
Begin at the Waagplein and walk along Langestraat, where the 1520 City Hall stands out with its striped Gothic façade and hexagonal clock tower. Inside Sint-Laurenskerk, look up to see the ribbed vaults and painted wooden ceilings. Along Oudegracht, you'll find 16th-century wooden houses with their distinctive stepped gables and original timber frames.
Museums and Cultural Sites
The Cheese Museum, located on the upper floors of the 1582 Waag building, displays cheese-making equipment and explains the region's trading history. At the Beatles Museum, you can examine 1,500 items including rare vinyl recordings and instruments. The National Beer Museum houses brewing equipment from the 17th century and explains the development of Dutch beer styles through the centuries.
Canal Tours and Walking Routes
From May through September, canal boats leave every hour from De Mient street. The 45-minute tour (€12 adults, €6 children) takes you under stone bridges built in the 1600s. Walk the Oudegracht canal path to reach the Provenhuis van Wildeman, a 17th-century almshouse. Its formal garden opens to visitors from June through August, daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Food and Drinks
't Fnidsen's kitchen serves Dutch seasonal dishes - try the stamppot (mashed potatoes with vegetables) in winter or North Sea fish in summer. At Deli Indonesian Restaurant, you can order a rijsttafel with 12 different dishes for €27.50 per person. Visit the Zeglis and De Moersleutel craft breweries on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM to taste their IPAs and Dutch-style beers.
Transportation and Access
Trains depart Amsterdam Central Station every 15 minutes, taking 37 minutes to reach Alkmaar (€9.60 one-way in 2023). If you're driving, park at De Kwakel garage (€2.50 per hour) or Kanaal Schiereiland (€2.00 per hour). Both parking locations are a 5-minute walk from the Waagplein. You can walk across the historic center in about 15 minutes, as it covers roughly 1 square kilometer.
