If there's one place that really knows its cheese and the cheese trade, it's Gouda.
From centuries-old traditions to modern culinary experiences, you can taste, see, and feel the yellow gold everywhere in the city. The aroma of fresh cheese in the cheese shops, the cheerful haggling of vendors at the Gouda Cheese Market, and the taste of creamy farmhouse cheese in the countryside surrounding the city: experience Gouda at its best!
Gouda Cheese Market
Handshakes between cheese farmers from the polders, cheerful cheese girls and cheese boys, cheese carts, Friesian horses, and cheese, lots of cheese. Between April and September, the Gouda Cheese Market treats visitors to a historic cheese spectacle every Thursday. Be sure to be there from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Afterwards, there are city walks through the medieval streets with the Gouda Guides Guild, canal tours with Reederij de IJsel and Bootje Kaas Gouda, and you can bake syrup waffles at Berg's Bakery. There are also guided tours of the interactive city model at Museum Gouda, and Fiets Taxi Gouda will be happy to take you on a ride through the city.
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Gouda Cheese Experience
Wander through a golden yellow universe of cheese at the Gouda Cheese Experience. With discovery walls, a 360-degree film, and virtual milking, you will learn everything about the history, cheese making, the cheese trade, and cows. Of course, this includes cheese tasting with real Gouda cheese in the cozy restaurant.
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Eating cheese in Gouda
Watching the Gouda Cheese Market and cheese trade is fun, but eating cheese is even better! At Museumcafé Gouda, you can enjoy a High Cheese full of savory snacks and local cheeses. Restaurant Gouds Glas offers dishes with a Gouda twist on the menu, such as a Club Gouda. And at Kaasbar Gouda—with a view of the old town hall—it's all about local farm cheese served with a good glass of wine. Of course, cheese is also delicious melted in Gouda: for the best cheese fondue, head to Kaasbar Gouda, The Barn Gouda, restaurant Belvedère, and Gouds Glas.
Cheese shops in Gouda
Do you prefer young, aged, or spicy cheese? In Gouda, you will find cheese in all flavors. Stop by the cheese shops, get personal advice from cheese experts, and take home a piece of Gouda cheese. 't Kaaswinkeltje on Lange Tiendeweg is a classic, and Gouds Kaashuis is the place to go for the best creamy farmhouse cheese. But you can also check out Say Cheese on the Markt, Kaaswinkel Gouda, and the Goudse Waag for the best pieces on the shelf.
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Van Gouda Cheese Waffles
Fancy a Gouda snack? Head to Stoofsteeg for a Gouda Cheese Waffle at Van Gouda Cheese Waffles. And sink your teeth into a crispy waffle filled with real Gouda cheese. You can also take the waffles home with you, along with delicious cheeses with dips and other delicacies.
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Cheese history at Museum de Goudse Waag
The monumental Goudse Waag stands on the Market Square, opposite the town hall. For centuries, cheese was weighed and traded in this 17th-century building. Today, you can learn about the history of the city and its famous cheese. And of course, you can taste cheese and take a delicious piece home with you.
Cheese farms around Gouda
Made from fresh cow's milk, straight from the land to the cheese vat. In and around Gouda, you will find various traditional cheese farms where craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation. See how cheese is made, catch a glimpse of farm life, and buy a good piece of cheese.
The KoeKaas cycling route
The KoeKaas cycling route takes you on a 50-kilometer journey through the typical polder landscape of the Krimpenerwaard, a peat meadow area between Rotterdam and Gouda. You will cycle past farms, green meadows full of cows, and traditional producers who will give you a glimpse into their work and regional products.
Gouda Cheese Awards
Who makes the tastiest cheese in the Netherlands? Every year in May, cheese makers compete for the title of 'Tastiest Cheese in the Netherlands' at the Gouda Cheese Awards. Beforehand, consumer panels from the Center for Taste Research taste the submitted cheeses. In the grand finale on the Market Square near Gouda City Hall, during the Gouda Cheese Market, the cheeses compete for the prestigious title.
