Alkmaar is famous among tourists for its cheese market – a re-enactment of how cheese used to be assessed and sold – which is staged every summer season for foreign visitors.
But it would be wrong to dismiss Alkmaar because of that. The city has a charming old centre, is close to the dunes and the seaside, and has plenty as a base to keep a weekend or mid-week visitor happy.
The earliest written mention of Alkmaar dates back to the 10th century when it was a colony of farmers. The town was awarded city rights in 1254 and by 1514 it was surrounded by sturdy defensive walls and had a population of 3,500.
In 1573, the city was besieged by Spanish forces during the Eighty Years’ War. The citizens sent urgent messages for help to the Prince of Orange, who responded by opening the floodgates of the dykes. With the waters beginning to rise, the Spaniards fled. This turning point in the war gave rise to the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie (“Victory begins at Alkmaar”), an event which is still celebrated every year on October 8.
The city centre is compact enough to wander round easily, stop off at a café or two, and do some shopping. Many of the 400 listed buildings in Alkmaar are found alongside the old city walls.
Five things to do in Alkmaar
Say cheese
The old weigh house, which dates from 1390 was originally a guest house for poor travellers and has since been converted into a cheese museum and the tourist office. The cheese market itself is held every Friday from 10am from March to September. Bear in mind you are not watching reality.
Enjoy art, sweets, or a beer, or all three
Alkmaar’s beer museum is housed in a former 17th-century brewery and has a bar in the basement where you can do some tasting. It is open Thursday to Saturday and also offers a guided Alkmaar beer walk.
The municipal museum hosts a collection of historical paintings and artefacts as well as more modern works from the Bergen School.
Sweets & Antiques offers old-fashioned Dutch sweets, cakes and high teas.
Visit a vegetable auction
We stumbled across the Museum BroekerVeiling by chance and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in local history, horticulture or boats. It is also great fun for children with a treasure hunt and people in local costume.
The museum, just out of town, is based around a wooden auction house on the water, where growers would arrive by boat and sell their fruit and vegetables. The gardens are charming and your visit includes a boat trip to see what is left of the 15,000 small islands where the farmers used to produce cabbages and other vegetables. The museum also has a good café for lunch.
Watch a football match
Alkmaar’s club AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek) plays in a 17,000-capacity stadium on the south side of the city. AZ play in the Dutch top-tier league, the Eredivisie, finishing seventh in the 2025-26 season. They also won the KNVB Cup, which gives them entry to the new season’s Europa League.
Head to the dunes
A 12-kilometre cycle or car ride away from Alkmaar lie the dunes of Schoorl, located between Bergen and Camperduin. There are five signposted walking trails as well as cycling and mountain bike routes through the dunes, which are the highest in the country – some rising to 55 metres above sea level.
You can also access the sea for a swim and a sundowner at Hargen aan Zee or Schoorl aan Zee.
Where to eat
The centre has plenty of choice, from traditional bistro-style cafes to several Indian eateries, of which Deurali is highly recommended. De Buren (the neighbours) is a jolly café and restaurant for lunch or a drink with a terrace on a bridge over the water, which is round the corner in the old fish market. De Hielander claims to be the Netherlands’ only Scottish restaurant, offering Scottish meat and fish, whisky tastings and haggis.
Where to stay
Hotel Wolf is right in the heart of the city and has a variety of rooms – be warned, some have a bath in the bedroom – plus two apartments and a restaurant. The Grapelli boutique hotel, just round the corner from the cheese market, is charming, has 12 rooms and is located in a former dance studio. Hotel Fnidsen is located in a city centre side street, its rooms have a Nordic feel and its restaurant is included in the 2026 Gault & Millau guide. All three offer rooms for under €150 a night.
How to get there
Alkmaar, a 45-minute drive north of Amsterdam, is well served by trains and the station is a 10-minute walk from the old centre. The A9 motorway serves Alkmaar but can be a nightmare at rush hour. There are several car parks on the edge of the city centre.
Anything else?
Alkmaar is a good base for exploring more of Noord-Holland and in the spring, the region offers tulip displays to rival the more popular area around Lisse.
