Cheese, Cheese, Cheese Or Too Many Tourists?

Index

Touristy Things

I wanted to see some touristy things in The Netherlands. I have seen some in my youth, but I don't remember much about them. So on a Good Friday I traveled to Alkmaar to see the Cheese Market. I wanted to go early to be ahead of the tourists, but NS put a stop to that, and I stranded in Zaandam. For a moment I thought about doing the Zaansche schans instead of the Cheese Market but did not want to go there unprepared and was still looking forward to cheese.

Cheese Market Alkmaar

Fortunately I ended up in Alkmaar with a three-quarter of an hour delay. The Cheese market is a 20-minute walk from the station right in the center of Alkmaar. Follow the mass of tourists and I will be there 😊. In the meantime there were more tourists on the way to the Cheese Market than I thought, but it wasn't too bad on the big square. Firstly, I was unable to access the weighing system, so I skipped it and moved on to the square, where I got a spot at the front and therefore had a good overview of the square and its action. Walking with the cheeses what a chore! I wouldn’t want to do it. Of course it is now touristy and no longer has a function, but I do get an impression of how the cheese market functioned in history.

The Cheese Museum

Don't forget to walk into the Cheese Museum. Entrance fee includes a block of cheese. I get a picture of how cheese is made by a movie, posters, and interactive screens. On the second floor there is a nice view over the square with the action. Don't forget to just stand there and watch.

Cheese Weighing

Back outside the scale area was practically empty and I could see how people were weighed instead of cheese these days. They shout the weight very loud, and the person weighed get a certificate with their weight. No, I did not feel the need to weigh myself there and get a certificate. So I looked at it and walked on.

What Else In Alkmaar

I can also make a trip on the canals, but that is only possible with cash, pin is not accepted. And the nearest ATM was through the busy crowd to the other side and back. So I skipped it this time and walked smoothly through the streets of Alkmaar with a detour back to the station.