When it comes to the Netherlands, it is difficult to mention well-known facts. Absolutely everyone knows about the symbols of this country, which have long been tulips, mills and cheese. And for sure, many will name the most famous “cheese” cities of the kingdom, Gouda and Edam. But this list would be incomplete without Alkmaar. Every tourist in the Netherlands should visit this “surrounded by water” city, interesting with canals, cheese and a unique spectacle associated with it.

Entertainment and attractions of Alkmaar

Cheese fairs and cheese porter shows are the most important entertainment for which many people go to Alkmaar. They are held from April to September, on Fridays, from 10 am to 12 pm. Tourists can enjoy the spectacle of carrying cheese heads on wooden yoke-shaped stretchers, unchanged since the Middle Ages. Everything is furnished very carefully, dressed in antique clothes: sellers, porters, controllers and peddlers of souvenirs. On Waagplein Square, the orchestra plays national melodies, and before the start of the auction, a representative of the clergy and the mayor of the city come out.

After the fair, acquaintance with the main local attraction can be continued in Waag, the Weighing Chamber, where the cheese museum is located on the second and third floors. After that, visit the beer museum, which is open from 12.00 on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 10.00 on the days of cheese fairs and from 13.00 on weekends, on Monday the museum and the bar are closed.

It is also worth paying attention to the interesting stove museum and the museum of the history and art of the city. Admire its sculptures, mills and ancient buildings: the burgomaster’s house, the city hall, the Hof von Sony tower, the church of St. Joseph, and the Cathedral of St. Lawrence. Or just stroll through the narrow streets, along the many canals or take a boat trip around the city, Alkmaar means “surrounded by water”.