Alkmaar Cheese Market
Kaasmarkt Alkmaar
The most famous traditional cheese market in the Netherlands, where men in straw hats carry cheeses across the Waag square. A popular half-day trip from Amsterdam.
The Alkmaar Cheese Market takes place on the square in front of the Waag (weigh house) in the old town, and it has a history of several centuries. Members of the cheese porters' guild, dressed in white and wearing straw hats in different colours, jog while carrying rows of yellow round cheeses on wooden stretchers. They weigh the cheeses, clap hands and haggle over prices, creating a lively scene that is one of the most representative traditional folk performances in the Netherlands. The market season runs from early April to late September, usually on Fridays from 10:00 to 12:30. Viewing is free, but it is best to claim a spot around the square half an hour early. The Waag houses a cheese museum. From Amsterdam Centraal, take a train to Alkmaar station (about 35 minutes), then walk about 15 minutes to the square. It can be combined with the Zaanse Schans windmill village for a day trip.
Opening hours
Market season (approx. April–September): Fridays 10:00–12:30
Nearby sights
- Zaanse Schans
- Haarlem
- Canal Ring & Jordaan
- Anne Frank House
- Westerkerk
- A'DAM Lookout
- Amsterdam Centraal
- Royal Palace of Amsterdam