Cheese Market
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Cheese Market
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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles771 reviews
Excellent
296
Very good
318
Average
118
Poor
24
Terrible
15

Whichway2thebeach40
Finksburg, MD194 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
An unexpected fun experience!
The market is only open two days a week. Make sure you check. I would suggest going earlier than it opens to get into one of the closest parking garages. Parking is free, but about 45 minutes into the market we had to park all the way at the tippy top.
It is loaded with tourists. The market is a unique experience, they reenact what it was like back in the old days of the market.
After the market, they clear the area and set up tables in the Square and there is tons to eat and shop.
Definitely buy cheese from one of the costumed young ladies during the market. The prices are excellent. It doesn’t matter. What kind of cheese you choose they’re all delicious.
If you are brave and don’t mind being embarrassed, they will let you ride on the cheese cart, or be one of the people to carry the cheese.
Written 7 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian R
Horsens, Denmark746 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Friends
The visit to Alkmaar was fabulous. Beautiful town with lots of places to discover and a lot of beautiful old houses. The cheese market, however, was a tourist trap, crammed to the brink and beyond. Go visit when there is no market. You can still taste and buy the very delicious cheeses. There are good parking facilities near the town center, if you go by car.
Written 3 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maureen H
Jay, NY38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
This is a very touristy re-enactment yet so worthwhile! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and absolutely recommend spending half of your Friday at this spectacle. Arrive early if you can (by 9:30) as the square fills up. Lots of craft and food stalls as well.
Easy to get to by train and a short walk, although many come on day tours. We combined the market with a visit to the nearly Cheese Museum.
Written 3 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue F
Stanwick, UK19 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Extremely busy - get there early so you can see. Lovely to see the tradition of the cheese market. A beautiful town to visit.
Written 16 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands3,933 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
Actually the cheese on show during the reenactment in Alkmaar is Gouda cheese from South-Holland. Not that it alters the picture very much. A fun presentation of how the market once was operated.

Of the five cheese markets held in Holland (mostly during summer), the ones in Gouda and Woerden are still more or less authentic. The ones in Edam and Hoorn are reenactments as well. Personally I like the one in Gouda most.
Written 20 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jellybellydancer
Burscough, UK1,477 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
If you are visiting Alkmaar on a Friday over the summer, you will inevitably end up at the cheese market where men in traditional costumes inspect the large wheels of gouda, then carry them on barrows to be weighed.

Yes it's touristy, but it's also great fun and interesting to watch and a marvellous way of keeping traditions alive.

While the men are carrying the cheese, the girls walk up and down the crown selling bags of cheese, 10 euros for a reusable bag, a pencil case and 3 generous chunks of mild, mature and extra mature gouda, significantly cheaper than the nearby cheese van.

Even in September the crowds were 3-4 people deep, but they rotate quickly as people move on.

Around the market are plenty of stalls selling souvenirs and traditional Dutch snacks and don't forget to explore the rest of this pretty town.
Written 11 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sunshine605777
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Highly recommend! We came through Alkmaar on a Thursday and loved the charm of the small town with its canals and history. We went through the cheese museum, had lunch in a lovely cafe by the water and window shopped. We were so intrigued that we came back the next day for the big Cheese Market on Friday. Totally different experience, and totally worth it! We loved all of the vendors in the market, tried lots of new foods, and enjoyed the spectacle of the traditional cheese weighing and auction.

Easy walk from the train station. Make a day of it!
Written 14 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Margaret V
Brooklyn, NY105 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
A fun day trip out to the Alkmaar Cheese market (Friday’s in the summer) - you get a sense of history in this quaint town, while watching tradition in action. It doesn’t take that long and is an easy commute from Amsterdam Central station. Get a sense of how this started, and watch (and taste) how it’s run today. Worth the day trip, if you have ‘done’ all the standard stuff in Amsterdam.
Written 25 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

expat_mbk
USA602 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
This was fantastic - just follow the signs from the train station (google maps will take you to the wrong place)! During the Summer, the market runs every Friday morning. It was supposed to start at 9:30am but it actually started closer to 10am. It went on for quite a while and there were tons of things to see around the town too. It's really charming and you'll be filled to the brim with cheese samples!
Written 3 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

greshnoflibops
Alkmaar, The Netherlands35 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019
This event occurs each friday morning during the summer season [easter to September] One can witness the traditional 'auction' sale of the cheese made in various parts of Holland. The cheeses are laid out for inspection and then loaded onto stretchers carried by the traditionally clothed 'Cheese Bearers' and taken to the 'weighpoint' in its historical building. There is a running commentary [about 20 mins] in Dutch, English, German and French. Entertaining and informative. There is also a market through the ajoining streets which can be quite interesting.
Written 1 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CHEESE MARKET: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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