Say cheese! Alkmaar still breathes the ancient cheese culture at the Friday cheese market. Nowadays it’s more theatre than trade but it’s still interesting to observe the funny walks of the porters on the Waag square.

Dutch cheese, better known abroad as ‘Gouda’ goes a long way and even Roman Emperor Julius Caesar wrote about it. In the ancient days cheese making was a very hard job done by ……. women.

But there is more than cheese that meets the eye in Alkmaar. We’ll get to know local food experts, shopkeepers, and producers that offer you a chance to taste the city’s good, clean, and fair cuisine for yourself, as well as diving into the history and stories that drive the culture of creative gastronomy.

Alkmaar still has its old city center pretty well conserved, including beautiful little alleys, streets and canals.