Alkmaar - North-Kennemerland
Alkmaar is a city famous for its cheese market and soccer team. It is in the Noord Holland region in the north of the Netherlands. It attracts many travelers with its cultural events, intriguing museums and postcard-pretty canals. The city is home to one of the most successful Dutch soccer teams, AZ Alkmaar.
The region enjoys warm summers and cold winters with flurries of snow. In the summer, many residents and travelers head to one of the beaches along the country’s west coast, such as Zandvoort Beach, near Haarlem.
Find De Waag in the center of the city. It is a fascinating building with a pyramidal façade and elegant features of renaissance design. Learn about the production of various types of cheese at the Cheese Museum inside the structure. Find out about the history behind the dairy products, part of a proud tradition in the Netherlands. Haggle with local vendors for cheese at one of the markets around the site.
Take a tour through one of the oldest museums in the country, the Stedelijk Museum, which is housed in a modern structure. Browse galleries of artworks and historical exhibitions. Learn about the city’s past and its culture. Enjoy a snack at the Culture Café in the museum or peruse the museum shop.
Visit the St. Lawrence Church, which dates back to the 15th century. Explore the majestic interior and see its impressive organs, one of which is said to be the oldest in the Netherlands.
Make your way to the Boom National Beer Museum, which is hosted in a former brewery. Find out how beer is brewed and the importance of malt and yeast. See antique machinery and vehicles. Chuckle at antique beer posters and advertisements as you note the change in tone of the slogans over time. After the tour enjoy some of the final products in the De Boom Tasting Cellar beneath the museum.
Look inside the Beatles Museum, which proudly states that John Lennon’s first guitar was manufactured in Alkmaar. See an original record contract that the “Fab Four” signed in 1967. The museum features a fascinating exhibition on the death hoax of Paul McCartney.