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Meet the Cheesy Champs at Alkmaar’s Cheese Market (Friday mornings, April to September)


Table of Contents > North Holland > Alkmaar > Friday's Cheese Market

Did you know that Alkmaar, a picturesque city in The Netherlands, has preserved a “cheesy” tradition dating back centuries? Welcome to Alkmaar’s Cheese Market, a bustling bazaar that has been pulsating with life and the heady aroma of Gouda and Edammer cheese since 1593!


Imagine an open square, the Waagplein, filled with piles of the finest local cheeses, meticulously arranged in long rows. This is the playground of the Kaasdragers (Cheese Carriers), professionals in white hats who loyally uphold a practice passed down through generations.

Ready to really immerse yourself? Consider taking a guided tour through the medieval heart of Alkmaar.

Every Friday morning, from March 31st to September 29th, between 10 am and 1 pm, thousands of cheese lovers from around the world descend on the Waagplein (Address: Kaasmarkt, Waagplein, 1811 JP Alkmaar, The Netherlands).

The must-see Cheese Market itinerary

  • At 7:00 am, trucks loaded with up to 30,000 kilos of Gouda and Edammer cheeses roll onto the Waagplein. Some 2,400 cheeses are methodically arranged by the “zetters”, under the watchful eyes of the market master.
  • By 9:30 am, the cheese carriers arrive at the Waaggebouw (Weighing House). Should they be late, they pay a fine, partly benefitting a school in Alkmaar, Suriname.
  • At 10:00 am sharp, the Kaasbel (Cheese Bell) is rung, symbolising the market’s opening for the public’s pleasure. The honor of ringing the bell often is bestowed upon a local celebrity or town authority.
  • The moment the bell rings, an intricate dance of commerce begins! Cheese inspectors, armed with a cheese-drill, extract and sniff, touch and taste a cheese sample to gauge the fat content and check the distribution of holes in the cheese.
  • Once approved, price negotiations kick off in the form of a time-honored hand-clapping trade agreement. The last hand-clap seals the deal!
  • The sold cheeses are then carried on a berrie (barrow) to the Waag for weighing by the Tasman, a character notable for the money pouch on his belt for storing the collected fees.
  • These cheese-carriers don’t just need strength but also style! They must master the Cheese Carrier’s Shamble, a specific rhythm of walking, to keep the barrow still during their transit.
  • All this ends around 12:30 pm when the market empties out, replaced by inviting terraces where, after all that heady cheese exposure, you may well fancy a cheese sandwich!

Brimming with culture, and quaint canals, the city of Alkmaar is a cheese-lover’s dream. Be it the joyful energy of the Kaasdragers, the knowledge of a local guide, a visit to one of the local museums, or the thrill of learning the centuries-old tradition of ‘handjeklap’, this place is laden with experiences that make it more than just a cheese market. So go on and plan that trip to Alkmaar — for the love of cheese!

Courtesy of Wikimedia

Details:

Every Friday morning, from March 31st to September 29th, between 10 am and 1 pm, thousands of cheese lovers from around the world descend on the Waagplein (Address: Kaasmarkt, Waagplein, 1811 JP Alkmaar, The Netherlands).

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