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Alkmaar Cheese Market
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When:
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7 Apr - 8 Sep 2008; Fri only (annual)
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Where:
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Waagplein
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| Opening Hours: |
9.45am
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Alkmaar is to cheese what Dublin is to Guinness. The Alkmaar Cheese Market is held every Friday between early-April and mid-September at the Waagplein, where the vendors wear the traditional costumes of their guild.
The market dates back to 1622 and today attracts around 300,000 visitors every year. The cheeses are sold by dealers using a curious system of hand claps, and then the 400 year-old porters' guild launches into action, carrying the cheese off on barrows after the lot has been weighed at the Waag (the official scales).
A visit to the nearby cheese museum explains in detail the history of Dutch cheese and exactly what is going on around you.
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