Cheese Market (Kaasmarkt)

The cheese market in Alkmaar is the best known cheese market in the Netherlands, and it is held on the Waagplein, the square in front of the old weighing house, the Waag. Alkmaar received the right to weigh cheese in 1365, and the trade was organised around this building, which still stands. The market runs on Friday mornings from spring to early autumn, and it is a theatrical event, with a well-defined ritual that has been kept alive by the town for centuries. The tradition is now a tourist attraction, but it is also a working demonstration of how the trade was done.

The event begins with the ringing of a bell, and the square is then filled with rows of round, golden Gouda and Edam cheeses stacked in neat piles. Merchants and buyers inspect the cheese, tasting samples and pulling out plugs to check the quality, and then negotiate prices in a traditional manner, by slapping hands. Once a deal has been struck, the cheese carriers take over. These are the kaasdragers, who belong to guilds and wear white clothes with coloured straw hats, the colour showing which guild they belong to. Working in teams, they load the cheeses onto a wooden barrow called a berrie and carry it at a rapid, shuffling walk to the weighing house, where the cheeses are weighed before being sold.

The cheese carriers are the stars of the show. Each load carries a considerable weight, and the carriers must keep a steady pace, a skill that takes years to learn. A commentary in several languages explains what is happening, and guides known as cheese girls and boys are on hand to answer questions and to give information about the town. Visitors can also taste cheese, buy it from stalls around the square and visit the cheese museum in the Waag. In summer, there are additional evening markets on certain days, so check the schedule.

The market is the main attraction, but Alkmaar has other things to offer. The old centre is compact and attractive, with canals, gabled houses and the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk, the large Gothic church, and the Stadhuis, the town hall. The Drommedaris, a tower at the harbour, De Hoop Mill, and the Oudezijls Haven, a quiet old harbour, are good places for a stroll. The town is also remembered for its siege of 1573, a turning point in the Dutch Revolt, and has the proud saying that with Alkmaar begins the victory.

The market suits families, photographers, cheese lovers and anyone who enjoys a spectacle. Arrive early, since the square fills up fast and the best views are at the front, and wear comfortable shoes. The whole event takes about an hour, and a visit to the museum and the old streets fills a morning.