Alkmaar is a large city in North Holland that is known for its weekly cheese market. The market takes place every Friday morning starting in the month of April and continues until September. For exact dates and times you can visit their website here.
It gets very crowded though, so you better get there early if you want a good view.
People come from all around to a large square in the center of town to watch men and woman in traditional garb making deals and selling large wheels of yellow cheese.
The buyer and seller clap hands when a deal is struck and the cheese is loaded onto sleds to be carried off by workers to the purchasers wagon or perhaps van, nowadays.
It's actually all an act though. It's a re-creation of the past for tourism purposes - a demonstration of the traditional market and what it used to be like. It's a neat experience despite it not being authentic.
The event is surrounded by a metal fence for obvious reasons. There are so many people there that there would be no way to put on such a demonstration otherwise.
The fence is crowded with people and it's a bit difficult to see what's going on but if you're patient, things will eventually open up to give you a glimpse of the action.
There are a few places where you can see things from an elevated view. You just have to wander a little to find them (*hint: check out the stair window of the cheese museum).
Along with the theatrical demonstration there is also a proper market.
There are stalls selling cheese (obviously) and touristy style gifts and an assortment of snacks.
These Dutch pancakes looked really good and it was fun to watch them being made.
But it was so crowded in the area that I couldn't be bothered to wait in line to try them.
Something even better than the market demonstration are the boats in the canals that look to be shipping cheese around the city.
It's just another act for tourist's but it's still really neat to see.
Multiple boats loaded with cheese paddle their way up and down the canals around the market. The drivers wave to the crowds along the banks and nod to each other as they pass.
It was a simple thing, but it was a highlight of our visit. Thats even knowing that it wasn't actually authentic.
The City
The city itself is very nice as well.
Even if you don't go on a Friday to catch the market the town is worth checking out.
In some ways it may be better to avoid the market. I'm sure it is way less crowded that way.
The city is quite large but the old town at its center is very traditional looking and very charming.
It's loaded with a lot of cool shops and restaurants and bars and cafe's.
You can spend some time wandering the narrow streets and checking out the local wares...
eating lunch on a small boat Cafe...
exploring the many canals either by foot or by renting a small motor boat...
or just gazing up at the flemish style architecture.
There are also several museums in town including ones dedicated to cheese, beer, the city itself, art, and the Beatles. Apparently John Lennon's first guitar was made in Alkmaar.
Two interesting bronze statues to check out include the one of Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer, a woman of Alkmaar who rescued over 10 thousand Jewish children and adults during World War II...
and another of a Dutch Cheese girls poised for a kiss. The latter was extremely busy. It was surrounded by people waiting to kiss the statue. It was pretty hard to get a good photo of it that day.
What more can I say about Alkmaar?
Its a cool city in Holland that is worth checking out and one or our favorites in the country.
