Gouda is a charming city and municipality in the south of Holland, and a surprising treasure trove of historical, architectural and artistic wonders to boot. You’ll find picturesque 15th century buildings and churches in the city centre straight out of a fairytale. The canals twist and turn through the city creating beautiful walkways. Gouda is a popular destination for short breaks and day trips and a great starting point for discovering the rest of Holland.
But Gouda is less well-known worldwide than its famous and delicious Gouda yellow cheese. The tasty Frico cheeses originate in this quiet and emblematic city.
Gouda is just 47 minutes by train from Amsterdam, and as soon as you arrive, you’ll find lots of wonderful things waiting for you.
What to see in Gouda
Gouda cheese and a lot of art. Naturally enough, the Gouda cheese market is not to be missed. The Gouda Market or market square has been selling cheese since 1395. Traditionally, the wheels of cheese are brought to the square in wheelbarrows by the farmers, stacked on the ground and later sold in front of the old Town Hall that dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest town hall in Holland. Buyers and sellers clap each other’s hands and shout prices when agreeing on a sale, creating something of a spectacle for visitors. This historical exhibition can be admired every Thursday from 10am to 1pm from April to August except for local holidays, which makes for a real journey back in time!
In the beautiful “Goudse Wagg” (weigh house) you can visit the cheese and crafts museum and see how the delicious Gouda cheese is made and weighed. If you go out of season, you can go into any of the small shops nearby to taste thousands of kinds of cheese.
Gouda offers its visitors a range of activities with cheese featuring prominently. You can go for a ride on the Kaasexpress mini train, witness the traditional weighing of the cheese at the weigh house in Gouda and taste cheese during a “High Cheese” in the garden of the museum.
When in Gouda, another ‘must’ is a visit to Stadhuis, or the “City Hall”, which is considered one of the most beautiful areas to visit in the city. It’s a beautiful Gothic architecture building that also houses the Gouda museum. And if you go in December, make sure to check out Gouda by Candlelight, when all the lights in the city are turned off, and the city is lit up by thousands of candles. In the Town Hall alone some 2500 candles are lit.
Eating in Gouda
To discover first-hand the city’s culinary culture, you can visit a series of restaurants that offer a variety of dishes to suit all tastes and budgets. Scheeps is one of them, an excellent Dutch restaurant that serves typical national dishes made from local fresh products. Bijons is another great spot that’s popular with the locals, which is always a good sign of high quality.
There is also the Etoile restaurant. It’s a bit pricey, but if you’re after authentic, delicious Dutch dishes, this is the place.
We recommend a stroll through the narrow streets and along the small canals to soak up the architecture and history, then find a seat in one of the many terraces to enjoy a koffie werkeerd with Stroopwaffel; the delicious caramel biscuits were first made in the city of Gouda.
