ALKMAAR   ( 5 km )

A strong city.

‚In Alkmaar the victory began’.

This exploit refers to one of the best known episode out of the past of Alkmaar: the victory over the Spaniards in the year 1573.

The heir of this glorious past can be admired yet always amply in the cozy inner cities.

The ring ditches and Grachten with its characteristic drawbridges, the numerous Monumente, the stylish yards, the old facades and narrow purchase streets lend the inner cities an entirely special atmosphere.

In that would run the centuries has Alkmaar to that of an attractive, middle-sized city with many possibilities for living, work and for leisure time employments developed itself.

The strong pages lie varied in the pretty residential areas with characteristic character and in that production milieu with concentrations out of the most deceased service directions.

The Alkmaarders are proud of ‚its’ Canada-Plein, the brand-new cultivation place where five large cultivation arrangements provide for a wide offer at displays, theater, art, music, books and new media.

Also for Touristen, Alkmaar places would sew a beloved Zugpflaster there - that naturally because of the cheese market, that dresses annually thousands persons out of the entire world, but also because of the beach and capital.

The large district.

Alkmaar lies in a typically Dutch Polder landscape, in which vicinity of a large nature protectorate would serve with, forest and water everywhere.

Few places in the Netherlands offer a so large variation at landscape beauty.

Also in economic regard, Alkmaar lies favorably, on the one hand as an attraction point for this zone and on the other hand as ‚slide‘ for the Randstad.

Alkmaar is the striking heart of Noord-Holland.

So in Alkmaar, the largest not-academic hospital and the only university in this district is accommodated.

Further Alkmaar lies as a part of the north wing of the Randstad surprisingly closely in Amsterdam and Schiphol.

  The next future. 

Under the motto ‚Alkmaar, a strong city in a large district‘ on that is hard worked to received and to reinforce the strong pages of the city and to improve the weak pages.

The focal points of the community politics are a strong center, living quarters and a modern economy.

In this frame, numerous projects are carried out so that Alkmaar will be worthwhile in the next future yet more.

Although 1622 offiziel counts as a foundation year of the alkmaarischen cheese market, one knows that the city was already in the year 1365 in the possession of a cheese vehicle.

Up to the first world war, the cheese market was became some necessary trade events 1916 average 300t. Cheeses per Martkttage transferred.

At that time the market lasted until 1 o'clock at night. Since 1939 Alkmaar has been the only city in the Netherlands in which the cheese market tradition so long is been preserved.

Nowadays this old custom becomes yet at 22 Fridays on that 'Waagplein' (scales place) vorgefürht.

That was enlarged 1901 'Waagplein' to the last meal.

Before that the place was practical volkommen zugebaut.

The enlargement of the place held same step with the circumference of the cheese trade.

The present turnover is enormously climbed to be sure yet no 10% of the turnover to beginning of this century, the tourist current on the contrary.

Annually approximately 300.000 persons visit the cheesemarket in Alkmaar.

They come out of all Mr. countries.

The Fernsehteams of many countries make together with its well known Film- and Fernsehstarts receptions. In that 17th century became the cheese as of May until Allerheiligen each Friday and Saturday negotiated.

In this period, each corporation (veem) had some characteristic cheese scales.

In the 18th century, the cheese market took place at 4 days per week. 

The cheese carrier guild had no protection patron or a characteristic altar in the church. Entirely in contrast to the other craft guilds as well as that of the shoemaker, coppersmith and tanner.

That like and why the Alkmaarse cheese carrier guild.

The alkmaarder cheese carrier guild provides ventured the cheese for the carrier and for that during the cheese of market on Friday.

The guild counts four of bodies shafts the so-called 'vemen' : each body shaft consists of seven men and has its characteristic color: red, yellow, green and blue.

At the tip of each corporation, the cheese father stands.

The overseer therefore.

As a sign of its office, the overseer carries a black cane with a silverbutton.

The cheese carrier be clothed in its real traditional chasm: a snow knowledge suit and a varnished Strohhut in the color of its corporation.

It has experience, it be named 'vastman'. Before that he is an emergency worker.

That most old cheese carrier of a corporation names itself 'Tasman' (pockets man).

One recognizes it by its black leather pocket, that it carries on its belly.

The pockets man sets ventured the cheese in that the weights on the scales.

Every two years in each corporation a foreman be appointed, the so-called 'waiter man'.

One can recognize it by a little silver sign, that it carries at a volume in the color of its corporation.

The guild board of directors appoints a Profos (director) and a servant.

The Profos is the guild board of directors helpful and be named by the cheese carriers hangman.

It writes the Käsetrager that come to late to the Schandbrett and collects the buses that be connected therewith.

One recognizes the Profos by its silver cheese stretcher, that is secured at a volume in the color of its corporation.

The servant is the jobber of the guild. Before the cheese carrier guild in action the cheese will step unloaded piled up out of the trucks that and in long rows on the place.

The cheesebilder are named type setter. After that loud of the beginning bell at 10 o'clock the typesetters load be carried the stretcher, thereupon it by the cheese carriers to the scales and gewogen.

Weigher swore inspect ventured and make that the entries into the scales forms.

In time between the dealer and observer determine the quality of the zugefürhten cheese and haggle over the price.

The trade terminated between salesman and buyer will seal with a handshake of the respectively right-hand.

After the public sale, the cheese carriers bring ventured the party cheese to the carrier means of the buyer

Alkmaar, not never cheese city.

Naturally kent anybody Alkmaar as a cheese city.

Already 400 years in it gives April to half September a cheese market in the center of the city in environment of vehicle building to each freitagmorgen from half.

There also the Dutch cheese museum situiert is.

Alkmaar offers however more than only cheese.

Alkmaar is developt in the Middle Ages.

One can yet always see that nowadays, a patron of little streets gives gives it where it to more than to 400 Monumenten.

Most importantly the large St Laurenskirche and the vehicle building are.

In the vicinity of the church all cultural facilitäten, on vehicle place it gives are cozy terraces. It is know possible the old city to learn with a description of a walk, to got bij of the tourist information, or with a trip leader.

Alkmaar has also very modern purchase with a historic decor.

The center has many little special businesses of however also ware houses.

At the edge of the center, there is Overstad with several Megastores.

The city lies near the water and with a car you drive over the A9 of Amsterdam in a half hour.

From Amsterdam leafs 4 times per hour a city train.

Back