Alkmaar guide
The city of Alkmaar is located in the Netherlands, in the North Holland region. It lies about 35 km from Amsterdam and 10 km from the North Sea. The population is about 108,000 inhabitants. Alkmaar is famous mainly for its traditional cheese markets and is a popular tourist destination.
Accommodation
Most accommodation options are located in or near the picturesque center of historic Alkmaar. Cheaper hostels (Kings Inn City Hostel) as well as 3 and 4 * hotels (Kings Inn City Hotel Alkmaar, Grand Hotel Alkmaar, Wolf Hotel Kitchen & Bar) are represented here.
History
The first mention of the name Alkmaar is found in a document from the 10th century. Gradually, the village expanded into a city and in the middle of the 13th century it was granted city rights. In the second half of the 16th century, the city was besieged by Spanish - citizens asking for the help of the Prince of Orange, who promised to open the dikes and flood the region. The Spaniards fled after the water began to rise, a turning point in the Eighty Years' War (the Dutch War of Independence against the Spanish King Philip II).
The city gradually grew, becoming an important trading venue for all production from the surrounding destinations and the largest city in the north of the Netherlands. The trade was further supported by the construction of the North Holland Canal, which was opened in 1824, as well as the construction of railways between Alkmaar, Den Helderen and Haarlem in the second half of the 19th century.
Monuments and interesting places
In Alkmaar you will find many medieval buildings that have been preserved intact to this day - especially the tall tower of the Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk, which is popular especially for weddings. There are also many interesting museums in the city - starting with the Alkmaar City Museum, where you will learn all about the city's history, through the National Beer Museum, which is housed in a 16th-century building, and learn a lot about beer production and its history since medieval, to the Beatles Museum, as John Lennon's first guitar was made in Alkmaar. The main attractions and the reason why the city is so popular with tourists are the cheese markets. The markets take place every year from the first Friday in April to the beginning of September and their tradition dates back to 1593. It all starts with the ringing of bells on the square, to which the important personalities of the Netherlands or important business partners of the city ring. Then the first cheese carriers, who are dressed in white and worn in traditional clogs, run out in the square and have stretchers hung around their necks to distribute the weight as best they can, with a load of up to 130 kg. This is followed by traders who go through the entire range of cheeses, inspect them carefully, knock expertly, sniff and cut out samples. Part of the "performance" is then negotiating the price, which takes place by applauding and shouting the price. If you want to learn more about the history and production of cheese, be sure to visit the local cheese museum. The dominant feature of the square where these markets take place is the Waaggebow City Building, built in 1390, which was originally built as a prayer house and poorhouse. Every hour, visitors can listen to the famous carillon from the tower building. At present, the building houses tourist information and the already mentioned cheese museum.
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