A neat show. Many hundreds of cheese wheels on display. Large crowd, so watch you wallet. A neat event that should not be missed if you are in the area.
A neat show. Many hundreds of cheese wheels on display. Large crowd, so watch you wallet. A neat event that should not be missed if you are in the area.
If you want to get a feel of some traditional market regarding cheese.. it's a nice event for a day. It's popular, so can be quite crowded. Get some French fries or go shopping in the center of Alkmaar. And lots of cheesy souvenirs of course.
I love every trip I take to Alkmaar. It truly is a beautiful compact city. And the cheese auction is such fun, most entertaining and educational. I have seen it many times, and this last trip lucky to see the ceremony to admit new members in the cheese guild. A small parade with band and dignitaries marched from City Hall to the Waagplein. When you arrive, the cheese, all Gouda, will be already placed in the square. Buyers, traders and samplers all inspect the cheese, bid on individual lots and then the cheese is carried off to be weighed. Auction starts at 10:00 but be there early to get a good viewing spot. It gets extremely crowded. To get to Alkmaar, go to Amsterdam Centraal and buy a ticket to Alkmaar. Trains leave every 30 minutes. Check timetable so you can leave Amsterdam early enough to get there in time. From Alkmaar Centraal to Cheese Auction is a 15-20 minute walk. The webpage gives a good map on how to walk. I like the walk thru the cute city center, by the church and city hall. Email me and I will give you specifics on how to walk. It is very easy and a comfortable interesting walk. The cheese auction must end by 12:30 as the square has dozens of restaurants that put out tables and chairs in the square. Grab a seat quickly and have drinks and lunch. This is a very fun day tour out of Amsterdam.
I spent a day roaming around Alkmaar just to feel like a tourist and it was a lovely experience. Sometimes you don't realise how beautiful your own town is until you take a good look.
Very touristic - nice to see and hear how it was in the past - within half an hour you've seen everything
We were fortunate to be in Alkmaar for last market of 2017. It was a great experience to attend and learn more about the great cheese of Holland. The stalls were good and the cheese and food great. If you are in Alkmaar on a Friday and in the summer it is worth to visit.