Cheese Market in Alkmaar

We recently traveled to Germany and The Netherlands. We were so blessed to be there in the spring to see all the beautiful flowers! We also were able to visit a cheese market in the town of Alkmaar, north of Amsterdam.

Thousands of visitors from all over the world visit Alkmaar for its cheese market, a particular spectacle which includes a market filled with cheese and hauling cheese carriers. In 1365 Alkmaar was granted weighing rights and a weighing scale, and in 1612 this number increased to four. Exactly when the first cheese market took place is shrouded in mystery. Old documents have been found that confirm the cheese market definitely took place in 1622, but there is also evidence that the cheese bearer's guild was founded in 1593; we can therefore deduce that there must have been a cheese market at that time as well.

If you are planning a trip to The Netherlands, keep in mind that cheese markets are seasonal. The one in Alkmaar begins the last Friday in March and runs until the last Friday in September.

Enjoy!