Alkmaar and the famous cheese market

Our next stop was Alkmaar.

Thousands of visitors from around the world come specifically for the cheese market in Alkmaar. Of course, we didn't want to miss out on it either. It is a special spectacle with a square full of cheese and cheese bearers carrying it. In 1365, Alkmaar received the right to weigh and a scale, but by 1612 there were already four of them. The exact date of the first cheese market is a mystery. Old documents have been found that certainly show that the cheese market took place in 1622. However, there are also indications that the guild of cheese bearers was established in 1593, suggesting that there was already a cheese market at that time.

But besides the cheese market, Alkmaar is also very worthwhile to visit. It is worth exploring the historic city in a bit more detail.

The Waagplein with the Waagtoren is the centerpiece in the center of Alkmaar.

The Grote St. Laurens Church in Alkmaar is the largest church in North Holland above the North Sea Canal. Originally, the church was a Catholic building designed by the Keldermans family.

During the Iconoclasm in 1566, many artistic treasures were lost, and during the Spanish siege in 1572, the church silver was melted down to finance the fight of William of Orange. With the reformed service, new pieces of furnishing returned to the church, such as the pulpit, men’s benches, and large copper candle chandeliers.

Since the Reformation in 1573, the church has served as the center of Protestant worship.

Alkmaar is full of beautiful canals. We also admired the city from the water during a canal tour.

The tour took us past many beautiful places and sights in Alkmaar.

The cozy and historic city center is excellent for strolling through the many shops.

This time we stayed at a campsite.

Camping Alkmaar Bergerweg 201

1817 ML Alkmaar

There was a bus stop in front of the campsite, from where it was convenient to travel to the city by public transport.