Gouda Cheese Market

For centuries, farmers from surrounding villages have brought their homemade cheeses to ‘Ter Gouwe’ to sell.

For centuries Gouda cheese has been traded at the Markt in Gouda on Thursday. This year, from 2 April to 27 August, the traditional cheese market will take place every Thursday from 10 to 12.30 hrs. (except on Ascension Day 21 May). And just like in the olden days, farmers and cheese traders agree on a price by the clapping of hands. Besides the world famous cheese, you can also enjoy stalls where syrup waffles and ‘poffertjes’ (Dutch mini pancakes) are made and where craftspeople demonstrate ancient skills.

Flourishing Trade

The cheese trade was a flourishing business: in 1937, 4.5 million kilos of cheese was traded at the Gouda cheese market. All this cheese was transported into town on 15.245 wagons. Nowadays, the real trade mostly takes place elsewhere and is done in different ways. However, since the 1980s the cheese market has been kept alive by a great many volunteers to show how the buying and selling of cheese traditionally took place.

Cheese Valley

Cheese Valley, a unique area in the middle of the Groene Hart region. It is made up of four municipalities with special stories and experiences and, above all, it’s the heart and origin of real cheese, Holland’s yellow gold. Listen to the story below.

Check out below what else there is to do in the area.