Alkmaar, Netherlands city tour and boat ride
We are visiting the small and historic Dutch city of Alkmaar. It's in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands about 10 km from the coast and 40 km northwest of Amsterdam. You might not spend the night here, but it makes a lovely daytrip destination with its large number of historic buildings, many shops large and small, lots of Dutch food, lovely canals and one important event.
Alkmaar is most famous for its cheese market that happens every week from March until the end of September and we have a complete separate movie about the cheese market that you can see here:
In this vbideowe’re going to show you that there is a lot more to see in town besides the cheese market, so by all means spend a few more hours when you get here and walk around in the charming little pedestrian zone, and take a boat ride through the scenic canals passing a lot of very old brick bridges and buildings.
The historic center of the old city is relatively small, just about a kilometer across with several main shopping streets for pedestrians so you can easily walk around in a couple of hours and maybe take an hour for a meal and spend at least half a day here, or maybe the full day with the cheese market, then shopping, eating, strolling, and just enjoying the pedestrian atmosphere of this historic old city.
It's especially lively on cheese market day with lots of sidewalk stands set up selling crafts and foods, and clothing, all kinds of souvenirs, some big wooden shoes, and of course you'll have a variety of different types of locally produced cheeses.
The sidewalk stands are carrying on a long historical tradition because up until the 19th century, most food and agricultural products were traded on street markets.
We'll see a lot more of the city coming right up including a canal boat ride. But first a little discussion of how to get here.
Most visitors to Alkmaar are staying in Amsterdam and coming up here as a daytrip.
Perhaps the best way to get here is by train directly from Amsterdam Central Station -- just takes about 35 to 40 minutes to get up here and you will have the services of the excellent Dutch rail system with departures four times an hour on trains that are clean and smooth and not expensive.
Recapping our walk starting at the train station. We have gone through the middle of the old city and now have reached the center of the shopping and cultural area.
And here we've got sidestreets as well that are fascinating for strolling along and doing some more shopping.
These blocks in the city center preserve that 17th-century pattern of canals and narrow streets with many historic buildings we have reached the most beautiful part of Alkmaar.
Here are all of the elements of a traditional Dutch city come together what you would hope to find when you visit Holland old brick buildings along the canal Terrace restaurant with a view of the passing parade of people with shops and benches and flowerpots in the street lamps.
You might consider this the center of town with this impressive bridge in front of the Weigh House and leading across the canal to a lovely little shopping district with more of these pedestrian lanes with little boutiques tucked away. You could wander for hours.
This neighborhood in front of the Weigh House is action central for all the boats going through the town. Here you'll find several different choices for joining up with a boat tour. Some of them are just casual friends getting together, others are organized by various companies in town.
Alkmaar - The Netherlands
Alkmaar | The best kept secret city in the world!
Impression of Alkmaar, The Netherlands
Alkmaar, The Netherlands(City Center Tour)with Summer Fair.. walking and cycling.. GoPro
Cheese city Alkmaar - Holland Holiday
dutch girls
Cheese city Alkmaar - Holland Holiday
Cheese City Alkmaar –
Enjoy culture and shopping
Cheese city Alkmaar is a very cozy city, 40 kilometers north of Amsterdam.
The old city centre offers you beautiful canals with historic facades.
Enjoy pleasant shopping streets.
Small picturesque streets lead to cozy restaurants, bars and sunny terraces.
For culture lovers there is also much to enjoy. Alkmaar has about 400 monuments.
Museums, cinema’s and an impressive theatre are waiting for you.
Old windmills adorn the city.
A famous stage mill in the city centre is ‘De Molen van Piet’, which means ‘Piet’s Mill’.
Near Alkmaar are attractive coastal villages such as Bergen aan Zee and Egmond aan Zee. Take a day of rest on one of their wonderful beaches.
Most of all Alkmaar is famous for its historic Cheese Market.
Every Friday in spring, summer and autumn you can enjoy this spectacular event.
Watch our video ‘Alkmaar Cheese market’
Find out more on HollandHolliday.net
Music:
Easy Lemon van Kevin MacLeod is gelicentieerd onder een Creative Commons Attribution-licentie (
Bron:
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Happy Strummin van Audionautix is gelicentieerd onder een Creative Commons Attribution-licentie (
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Alkmaar, The Netherlands(City Center Tour)with Summer Fair.. walking and cycling.. GoPro
Alkmaar
Alkmaar [ˈɑl(ə)kmaːr] is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.
History
Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a.
1398 3,800 —
1514 4,179 +0.08%
1622 12,417 +1.01%
1632 13,200 +0.61%
1660 13,650 +0.12%
1732 12,500 −0.12%
1795 7,514 −0.80%
Source: Lourens & Lucassen 1997, pp. 54–55
The earliest mention of the name Alkmaar is in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted city rights in 1254. The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank that afforded some protection from inundation during medieval times. Even so, it is only a couple of metres above the surrounding region, which consists of some of the oldest polders in existence.
Battle of Alkmaar 1573.
In 1573 the city underwent a siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Don Fadrique, son of the Duke of Alva. The citizens sent urgent messages for help to the Prince of Orange; he responded by promising to open the floodgates of the dykes and flood the region if the need arose, which despite the protestations of the peasantry, fearful for their harvest, he proceeded to do. Some of his dispatches fell into the hands of Don Fadrique, and, with the waters beginning to rise, the Spaniards raised the siege and fled. It was a turning point in the Eighty Years War and gave rise to the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie (Victory begins at Alkmaar). The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on 8 October, the day the siege ended.
In 1799, during the French revolutionary wars, an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum. The French victory was commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as Alkmaer.
The North Holland Canal, opened in 1824, was dug through Alkmaar. In 1865 and 1867 the railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and between Alkmaar and Haarlem were built respectively.
In the second half of the 20th century, Alkmaar expanded quickly with development of new neighbourhoods. On 1 October 1972, the town of Oudorp and the southern portions of Koedijk and Sint Pancras were added to the municipality of Alkmaar.
Main sights
Alkmaar has many medieval buildings that are still intact, most notably the tall tower of the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk, where many people from Alkmaar hold their wedding ceremony. The other main attraction, especially in the summer months, is Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The cheese market traditionally takes place on the first Friday in April and the last market of the season is the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (10:00–12:30) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheese market. After the old-fashioned way of the hand clap, traders and carriers will weigh the cheeses. It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. The traditional fare of this cheese market is those cheeses made in the local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, i.e. Edam cheese and Gouda cheese. It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products. The Waag is also home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. Alkmaar has 399 registered rijksmonuments, of which most are situated along the city's old canals.
Alkmaar has two large theatres and a big cinema (which was originally two cinemas). A red light district is situated at the Achterdam, and Alkmaar has a nightlife scene as well which takes place in the pubs in front of the cheesemarket.
Museums
Beatles Museum – dedicated to The Beatles, as John Lennon's first guitar was made in Alkmaar
Holland Cheese Museum – located in the historic weigh house
National Beer Museum De Boom
Op ArtMuseum
City Museum Alkmaar – for history of the city
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Alkmaar - The Netherlands
Alkmaar Cheese Market in The Netherlands
Alkmaar in the Netherlands has the world’s biggest, most-visited and best cheese market, There is no prettier or more characteristic Dutch sight than this cheese market, with these guys in white running around carrying these big loads of cheese back and forth. What is going on? You are about to find out.
For centuries the cheese market has been important for the city of Alkmaar and in recent years it has developed into one of the leading visitor attractions in the country. It's an easy day trip from Amsterdam, just about 40 minutes away by train or by guided tour on a bus.
Alkmaar is much more than just cheese. It's a typical small Dutch city which means it has many historic, well-preserved buildings and beautiful canals lots of shops, restaurants, cafés and pedestrian lanes to stroll on. We will see more of the town in a different segment but for now we are focusing attention on the wonderful cheese market.
Almost 700 years ago, Alkmaar was already a cheese town. In 1365 the city was granted weighing rights and got their first cheese scale -- in 1612 this number of scales increased to four.
Over time, the cheese market frequently needed more space. Markets were the economic engine in those days, so houses were sometimes demolished to increase market space. Over the course of two centuries, it was enlarged no fewer than eight times before reaching its current dimensions.
Alkmaar's status as the cheese capital has become increasingly famous over the years and the cheese market became ever more popular, and now it’s the biggest in the country.
In the past, most cheese was transported by boat or horse. And this centuries-old tradition has survived in part to this very day. During every market, cheese laden boats sail from the North Holland Canal to the square, just as they did in the past.
The market is on every Friday from the end of March through September and during July and August it also functions on Tuesday evenings.
The cheese workers are members of the cheese guild, like a union, and they’re divided up into teams as shown by their hat colors, blue, yellow, red and green.
The overall manager is called the Cheese Father and he wears an orange hat.
We had a chance to speak with an official of the group who helped describe the situation for us
My position, is I was the Cheese Father of this guild for many years and now I am the tourist guide.
We’ll hear more from Kees Koopman during the program.
Right before 10.00 AM everyone waits for the market to get under way as the lady speaker welcomes visitors in as many languages as possible. She tells the general public about what they’re about to see at the market.
In a few minutes the bell is ringing and the market is starting.
At 10 am the bell rings (bell sound). It’s the sign indicating the start of the cheese market. The ringing of the bell is often done by a visitor to the market, at the invitation of the council of Alkmaar. For example it might be a famous Dutch person from sports or TV, or a foreign ambassador.
As soon as the market opens, the samplers and traders go to work. Inspecting cheese is more than just looking at its exterior. Cheese is knocked on and a special cheese scoop is used to obtain a piece, which is then crumbled between the fingers and smelled. And, naturally, it is tasted to assess the relation between taste, and the percentages of fat and moisture.
Many lucky people in the audience get a free taste and some of them even get to push that coring tool into the cheese, it's something like an apple corer and pull out a sample for themselves
It will come as no surprise that everybody will have a chance to purchase as much cheese as they want from the vendors who are surrounding the cheese market area — you'll see more of that coming right up.
Cheese is transported on the wooden barrow hanging between two cheese carriers, holding about 8 Gouda cheeses, each of them weighing 13,5 kilos. Carrying a heavy barrow, with a total weight of about 130 kilos.
Walking with that heavy barrow or stretcher appears much easier than it seems. But there is a special technique. In order to facilitate the walking rhythm and to prevent the stretcher from hitting their legs, the men walk 'out of step' in the strange looking cheese bearers' trot. This keeps the stretcher movement to a minimum, ensuring the barrow hangs as still as possible.
[Music plays]
We work you see with four groups, you see four different colors. Each group is seven people. There are six carriers and the seventh works on the scale – that is a very important man because in the early days, he counts the money from the buyers, the ones who have trade, for each kilo that we carry.
We've got the two big factories here in the north of the Netherlands and they make millions of kilos of cheese each year, and it goes around the world.
Netherlands: Haarlem, Alkmaar, Leiden, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Gouda, Maastricht
Presenting a tour of the Netherlands
0:00 Introduction ; 03:26 Haarlem; 04:31 Alkmaar; 05:45 Leiden; 06:38 The Hague; 07:48 Delft; 08:54 Rotterdam; 10:11 Utrecht; 11:35 Gouda; 12:22 Maastricht ; 13:43 Conclusion
Starting with a visit to Haarlem, then to Leiden, doing a few day trips out from there. Then to Delft for three more nights and excursions to The Hague, political capital of the nation.
Then to Rotterdam the great modern city of the Netherlands, continuing to Utrecht, a university town with a large historic center and then to Maastricht in the southern part of the country. I'll also be going up to the Alkmaar cheese market which is a lot of fun.
This video is a summary of the trip through the Netherlands. We will be presenting short segments about each city here, but we have 22 movies providing a lot more details about these places so be sure to look for them in our collection.
See the 23 Dutch movies here:
Traveling between cities was so easy because the Netherlands has got perhaps the best train system in Europe. It's phenomenal. The trains are clean, fast, frequent and not expensive. This is a small country, so the cities are relatively close together, you can get from one to the next and 15 or 30 minutes usually. This superb rail service in itself makes a good reason to visit this country, shift for it really does eliminate some of those logistical problems of travel, just getting around. It is so easy with these trains.
Some call it Holland, but the country is The Netherlands. Holland is two provinces in the Netherlands.
Niederlande - Alkmaar kleiner Rundgang - Alkmaar small tour
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Top 15 Things To Do In Alkmaar, Netherlands
Cheapest Hotels To Stay In Alkmaar -
Best Tours To Enjoy Alkmaar -
Cheap Airline Tickets -
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Here are top 15 things to do in Alkmaar, Netherlands
All photos belong to their rightful owners. Credit next to name.
1. Nationaal Biermuseum -
2. The Beatles Museum -
3. Dutch Cheese Museum -
4. Stedelijk Museum -
5. Alkmaar Cheese market -
6. Grote Sint Laurenskerk -
7. Egmond aan Zee -
8. AFAS AZ Stadium -
9. Molen van Groot -
10. Alkmaar City Hall -
11. Cross the N302 to Lelystad -
12. Walking tour of the Alkmaar canals -
13. Oosterhout Park -
14. Accijnstoren van Alkmaar -
15. Sint Laurentiuskerk -
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A Nice Walk Around Alkmaar in Holland, the Netherlands
The Virtual Tourist walks around Alkmaar in Holland, the Netherlands
Alkmaar, A Trip Through Holland's Cheese Town
Alkmaar, One Of Holland's most beautiful towns, famous for it's cheese, canals and great atmosphere. Alkmaar is also called ' small Amsterdam'. A short film, filmed by DirkJan Ranzijn.
CYCLING TOUR IN the NETHERLANDS #1 ALKMAAR
1st stop on our cycling tour in the Netherlands.
We started from Amsterdam Centraal and at the end of the first day we arrived to Alkmaar, a historical city in north of the Netherlands.
We stayed in a nice camping place in Alkmaar.
Enjoy the video #cycling #netherlands
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Alkmaar Red Light District Holland - Achterdam
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For my webpage on Alkmaar red light district-
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The cheese market at Alkmaar - Holland Holiday
Alkmaar Kaasmarkt
When you think of Holland you will probably think of wooden shoes, tulips and old windmills. But also of cheese. It is one of the most important export products of Holland. That is why the Dutch are sometimes nicknamed 'Kaaskoppen', ‘Cheeseheads’.
All over the Netherlands there are cheese markets, but the most famous one you will find in the cozy city of Alkmaar, only about 40 kilometers from Amsterdam.
Alkmaar has an attractive historical center with beautiful canals and old facades.
Every Friday from the end of March till the end of September you can visit the cheese market on the ‘Waagplein’ (check their website on Holland Holiday.net)
Formerly the cheeses were brought in boats.
The market is officially opened by the ringing of a bell.
In this case a special guest, the ambassador of India, had this task.
As soon as the market opens, the samplers and traders inspect the cheeses.
Cheese is knocked on and a special cheese scoop is used to extract a piece, which is then crumbled between the fingers, smelled, and tasted.
The cheeses are loaded onto barrows. 8 Cheeses on a barrow weigh 130 kilos. Carrying such a heavy barrow is not easy.
The carriers walk with a special 'cheese carriers dribble'. Deliberately out of step, ensuring the barrow hangs as still as possible.
First they take the barrow with cheeses to the ‘Waag’ where its is weighed.
Then the cheeses are loaded in a handcart and after that loaded into trucks.
Besides the cheese market Alkmaar is an attractive city to visit.
Watch our video ‘Cheese City Alkmaar’.
Music:
Parisian Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Alkmaar - The Netherlands
Alkmaar - The Netherlands
Alkmaar, The Netherlands
Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Noord Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination.
Filmed during our stay in Alkmaar, june 2013. Edited with Corel Videostudio Ultimate X6 and Virtualdub.
A day trip in Alkmaar, The Netherlands
A day trip in Alkmaar, The Netherlands wiht Wendy & Hans
Cheesemarket in Alkmaar, Holland
My tour of the city of Alkmaar and the cheese market in Holland. Please visit my blog:
My other recommendations are visiting the Beer Museum and downtown shopping.
My name is Matt. I am a Dutch guy who moved to Canada at 21 years old. I enjoy creating travel videos and hope to inspire
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Beautiful Alkmaar | Can't Believe This is the Netherlands!
From Alkmaar we ventured out to the coast and spent the day exploring the amazing beaches and dunes. We were so lucky with the weather, it felt like we had gone on a tropical vacation!
Alkmaar, The Netherlands, a pedestrian wonderland
We are taking a virtual tour of Alkmaar in the Netherlands. Amazing place! I want to visit in person some day for sure.
#virtualtour #alkmaar #netherlands #streetview
Thanks to Google for Street View
music: Sound of Aging by Max McFerren