Gouda
Gouda, the cheese town of South Holland: the Thursday cheese market on the Markt from April to August, the Waag, stroopwafels and canals.
At a glance
- Home of the Gouda cheese market, Thursdays 10 am to 12:30 pm, April to August
- City rights since 1272, older than Amsterdam or Rotterdam, says Holland.com
- The oldest Gothic city hall in the Netherlands, on the Markt, says Holland.com
- The Sint-Janskerk, 123 metres long, with its 72 stained-glass windows
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Gouda
Ralf Roletschek, CC BY
Map of Gouda
What to taste in Gouda
Gouda cheese
Traded on the Markt every Thursday in season, and tasted at the Gouda Cheese Experience, Agnietenstraat 21.
Stroopwafels
Caramel syrup waffles. The Kamphuisen Siroopwafelfabriek shows how they are made.
Gouda beer
Around 1470 the town had some 200 breweries, says Holland.com. Today many cafés pour locally crafted beers.
Poffertjes
Small puffy pancakes, baked at the stalls of the cheese market.
Gouda has traded its cheese on the Markt every Thursday for centuries, and gave its name to Gouda cheese. The town, with city rights since 1272 according to Holland.com, lies in the Green Heart of South Holland.
Gouda, a town of water and Gothic stone
Holland.com points to three sights around the old centre.
- City hall: in the middle of the Markt, the oldest Gothic city hall in the Netherlands.
- Sint-Janskerk: 123 metres long, the longest church in the country, famous for its 72 stained-glass windows.
- Canals: the old centre is surrounded and crossed by canals, to explore by boat, canoe or paddleboard.
Beer, syrup waffles and cheese
In the Middle Ages Gouda was considered the premier beer city of the Netherlands: around 1470 it had some 200 breweries producing 15 million litres a year, says Holland.com.
Beside the cheese, the town keeps two other food trades: the stroopwafel, shown at the Kamphuisen Siroopwafelfabriek, and its beer cafés.
The cheese market, then and now
- 1937: 4.5 million kilos of cheese changed hands on the Gouda market, brought in on 15,245 wagons.
- Today: a living display kept going by volunteers since the 1980s. 70% of the 2025 visitors came from abroad.
- At the Waag: visitors can be weighed and receive a certificate with their weight in pounds of Gouda cheese.
Before you go
- Cheese market: Thursdays only, 10 am to 12:30 pm, from the first Thursday of April to the last Thursday of August.
- Arrive early: on fine days many visitors come to the Markt, warns the organiser.
- Canals: boat tours of the canals with Reederij de IJsel or Bootje Kaas, says Holland.com.
- Getting there: Gouda station is on the line between Rotterdam and Utrecht.
Frequently asked questions
What day is the cheese market in Gouda?
Thursday, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, from the first Thursday of April to the last Thursday of August.
Is Gouda older than Amsterdam?
Yes. Gouda has had city rights since 1272, says Holland.com, which makes it older than Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
What is there to do in Gouda?
The Thursday cheese market and the Waag in season, the Gouda Cheese Experience, the Sint-Janskerk, the Gothic city hall and boat tours of the canals.