Gouda Kaasstad

South Holland


This staged cheese market on the Markt draws plenty of local and international day trippers, as do the stalls selling other dairy goods and souvenirs. A few locals dress up in costume and pose for photos. It's all – dare we say it – terribly cheesy.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby South Holland attractions

1. Town Hall

0.02 MILES

Commanding attention in the middle of the Markt is this mid-15th-century town hall. Constructed from sandstone, this regal Gothic structure is a testament…

2. Goudse Waag

0.04 MILES

This former cheese-weighing house was built in 1668. Check out the reliefs carved into the side showing the cheese being weighed. Today it houses a…

3. Kaaswaag

0.04 MILES

This museum on the upper floor of the Markt's waag details the history of the cheese trade in the Netherlands, with a focus on Gouda. The downstairs shop…

4. Sint Janskerk

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Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…

5. Museum Gouda

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Housed in a medieval hospital building, the town's major museum has a collection of artefacts and artworks related to Gouda and surrounding areas. There's…

6. Heksenwaag

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Stepping on to the 'witch-weighing' scales is the main attraction of Oudewater's little Heksenwaag (Witches’ Weighing House), though it's also worth…

7. Kinderdijk

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8. Kralingse Bos & Plas

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This bucolic park sits just outside the city centre and offers a delightfully laidback mixture of shaded forest, sparkling waters and manicured grass. It…