Visit Alkmaar
You arrived in the City of Cheese. Every Friday from April to September the **Waagplein** turns into a sea of yellow wheels. The **Cheese Market** is a living tradition that dates back to the 1300s. Watch the cheese carriers in their white suits and straw hats sprint across the square. They use wooden sleds to move thousands of kilos of Gouda and Edam. It is a loud colorful spectacle that feels like a theater play from the Middle Ages. Even if you visit on a different day the **Dutch Cheese Museum** inside the weigh house tells the whole story of the dairy trade. Beyond the cheese Alkmaar is a city of narrow canals and hidden gems. The **Grote Sint Laurenskerk** is a massive Gothic church with a world-class organ and a famous vault painting of the Last Judgment. If you want a bit of music history visit the **Beatles Museum**. It is the largest private collection of Fab Four items in the world. Alkmaar has a way of mixing high culture with quirky surprises around every corner. Take a walk through the **Fnidsen** district to find the best local craft shops and cozy cafes tucked away in former warehouses. It is a great place to stretch your legs before hitting the coastal roads again. Driving into the city you likely passed the **Piet Windmill**. It sits on the old city walls and is the last of ten mills that once guarded the town. Alkmaar was the first Dutch city to successfully resist a Spanish siege in 1573. They say "victory begins at Alkmaar" and you can feel that pride in the well-kept streets. After the market crowds fade the canals become quiet and perfect for a boat tour to see the city from the water level. The small bridges and leaning houses look even better when you view them from a silent electric barge.Top sights to visit
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Hotel
Historic City Hotel
Design hotel · City Centre · Free bikes
from€195/night
Hotel
Canal View Suites
Boutique suites · Waterfront · Breakfast included
from€245/night
Museum
Museum
National History Museum
Art & culture · City Centre · Guided tours
from€18/person
Spa
Spa
Wellness & Spa Centre
Thermal baths · Art Deco · City centre
from€35/session
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History of Alkmaar
Alkmaar holds a sacred place in Dutch history as the town that broke the invincible **Spanish army**. In 1573 during the **Eighty Years' War** the city was surrounded by thousands of enemy troops who expected a quick surrender. The local people fought back with everything they had by pouring boiling tar from the walls and eventually opening the sluice gates to flood the surrounding fields. This forced the Spanish to retreat and gave birth to the famous national saying that **"Victory begins at Alkmaar."** Beyond its military fame the city has been the regional capital of dairy for over seven centuries. The **Weigh House** was originally a chapel but was converted in the 1500s to handle the massive amounts of cheese produced in the fertile polders nearby. Farmers from across the province would row their boats through the canals to have their **golden wheels** weighed and sold. This tradition created a unique urban landscape where the city squares were designed specifically to handle the weight of millions of kilos of cheese. The architectural layout of the city reflects its dual history as a **fortress** and a marketplace. You can still trace the star-shaped outline of the old **city defenses** which have now been turned into lush green parks and walking paths. The narrow streets of the old town were built to keep the wind out and the heat in for the local craftsmen and laborers. For the modern road tripper the city is a vibrant symbol of Dutch survival and the long-standing traditions of the northern countryside.Stay in the loop
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