Tourist Places to Visit in Alkmaar, Netherlands, Europe

Tourist Places to Visit in Alkmaar, Netherlands, Europe

Alkmaar is a city belonging to the province of Noord Holland in the Netherlands, located about 40 km north of the national capital, Amsterdam. Alkmaar is specially noted for its traditional cheese market.

Geography of Alkmaar:

Alkmaar coordinates with 52°38′ N latitude and 4°45′ E longitude, covering a total area of 31.22 sq. km.

History of Alkmaar:

The recorded history of Alkmaar dates back to 10^th century. Alkmaar achieved city status in the year 1254. There was railway link built between Alkmaar and Den Helder in 1865 and between Alkmaar and Haarlem in 1867. The municipality of Alkmaar was expanded On October 1, 1972 by adding the towns of Oudorp and the southern parts of Sint Pancras and Koedijk to it.

How to reach Alkmaar?

Alkmaar is served by the Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, located around 45 km away from the centre of Alkmaar. This airport operates flights to Chicago, London, Paris, Madrid, Delhi, Beijing and many other important cities in the world.

Alkmaar is connected by direct trains to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Arnhem, Nijmegen, Eindhoven, Maastricht, Haarlem, Leiden and other major cities of the country. It takes around 35-40 minutes from Amsterdam to Alkmaar by train.

A9 is the motorway connecting Alkmaar to Amsterdam. Public buses, rental cars, bikes and bicycles are commonly used for local travel in Alkmaar.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Alkmaar:

Alkmaar is rich in culture and tradition housing numerous city’s culture and history showcasing museums such as the City Museum Alkmaar, Holland Cheese Museum and Beatles Museum. Alkmaar is also the home town of many famous composers and painters including Allaert van Everdingen and Willem de Fesch.

Alkmaar houses dozens of renowned shopping options and the major food corners in Alkmaar include:

Restaurant Australian Dining & Wining
Grand Café ‘t Gulden Vlies
Sonneveld Eten & Drinken
Schots Restaurant Hielander

What to do in Alkmaar?

Boat riding
Bicycle riding
Shopping

What to see in Alkmaar?

Alkmaar’s cheese market:

The cheese market of Alkmaar is the main attraction of the city and is the first preference of tourists visiting Alkmaar in the summer months. It takes place at Waagplein between April and September every Friday.

Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar:

Located in Canada Square of Alkmaar, the Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar is a city museum showcasing the cultural history of Alkmaar with paintings and artifacts. It was originally founded in 1873.

Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk:

The Grote of Sint-Laurenskerk is a Protestant church situated on the Koorstraat of Alkmaar and is also the site of weddings, concerts and many other cultural activities. Anthonius Keldermans was the founder of this magnificent historical church. The interior of the church is amazing.

Other places of interest in and around Alkmaar include:

Dutch Cheese Museum
Op Art Museum
National Beer Museum “De Boom”
Beatles Museum
Weighing house
Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar
Moriaanshoofd
Huize Egmont
Hof van Sonoy
Hofje van Splinter
Oude Gracht
Wildemanshofje
The Kapelkerk
De Vigilantie
Het huis met de kogel
Excise Tower

When to visit Alkmaar?

From April to September is the ideal time to visit Alkmaar while the popular cheese market takes place.

Where to stay in Alkmaar?

Alkmaar hosts many standard accommodation centres of which most are situated on the coast of the region. It also houses budget travelers’ favorite options like hostels and camping. Here are the some renowned hotels in Alkmaar: