Few cities in the Netherlands are famous for their place in Dutch cheese history. One of these cities is my absolutely favourite town Alkmaar. Located 30 km north of Amsterdam Alkmaar is a very cozy architectural beauty. Alkmaar had a pair of cheese scales as early as 1365. In 1612 this number increased to 4! Only 1593 however is considered and documented as the first year of the cheese market, which has always taken place on the Waagplein. In the 17th century cheese was sold Fridays and Saturdays, in the 18th even four days a week.
Nowadays in the middle of its center, on Waagplein, there is the Cheese Museum. Every Friday in summer (from April till Mid September) the traditional Dutch cheese market from the Medieval time is replayed for all curious locals and tourists...Dutch cheese farmers traditionally brought their cheeses to the market square in town to sell. Teams (vemen) of official guild cheese-porters (kaasdragers), identified by differently coloured straw hats, carried the farmers' cheese on stretchers, which typically weighed about 160 kilograms.
This event is pretty famous, last time I was there there was even a wedding couple posing for pictures. In case the square gets a bit too much for you (it is kind of toursitic thing and it might get crowdy+squashy), then just escape in one of the fantastic cheese shops around...in the Netherlands one may ask to taste each kind of cheese before purchasing it and other funny cheese accessoires like these kinices are waiting to be discovered too...
