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Rows of round cheeses laid out on the square at the Alkmaar cheese market
Donarreiskoffer, CC BY-SA

Alkmaar

Alkmaar’s cheese market on the Waagplein: Fridays 10:00 to 13:00 from late March to late September, Tuesday evenings in July and August.

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Cheese carriers at the Alkmaar cheese marketG.Lanting, CC BYCheeseEvery week

Alkmaar Cheese Market

Alkmaar’s cheese market on the Waagplein: cheese carriers and a square full of wheels, Friday mornings from late March to late September.AlkmaarView

Map of Alkmaar

Alkmaar, north of Amsterdam, is known for its cheese market on the Waagplein, the square in front of the Waag, the old weigh house. According to the organiser, the market is held every Friday from the last Friday of March to the last Friday of September, from 10:00 to 13:00, with Tuesday evening markets from 7 pm to 9 pm in July and August.

Practical notes

  • The Waagplein is in the old centre, a walk from Alkmaar station.
  • Trains run from Amsterdam Centraal.

Market morning

During the three hours of the Friday market, the cheese carriers haul the wheels across the square on wooden barrows, and a craft market is held around it.

What to see and eat in Alkmaar

The Waag, the old weigh house on the square, houses a cheese museum. Around it, the old centre is a town of canals, gabled houses and the Grote Kerk, the great church of St. Lawrence. Cheese shops in the centre sell wedges to take home, from young to old cheeses, firmer and saltier as they mature, and spiced cheeses with cumin or cloves.

Where to stay

Alkmaar has hotels in and around the old centre for a night close to the square. Amsterdam is the other base. The North Sea beaches at Bergen and Egmond aan Zee can be reached by bus or bike.