Gouda Historic Center

Gouda, Netherlands

Contributed by Project for Public Spaces

A charming beyond-belief pedestrian district of squares, canals, bridges, guild houses, and small shops.

Why It Works

Made famous by its cheese, this quintessential Dutch town has a large market square with a beautiful 15th-century town hall sitting in the center, and lovely narrow streets. Like most Dutch cities, Gouda has a system of canals and bridges running through it, and is a wonderful place to explore on bicycle.

The city is generally free of tourists except for each Thursday morning between June and August when busloads of tourists pour in for Gouda's famous cheese market. You can watch the cheese being weighed in the Waag (the Weigh-house) and being sold at the market square. For centuries, farmers from the surrounding towns have brought their produce to the market in Gouda.

Contact Info:

Gouda Tourist Office: info@vvvgouda.nl

Related Links:

• 60 of the World's Great Places - The Gouda Historic Center was named one of the 60 greatest places in the world
• City of Gouda - the city's homepage
• Travoholic.com - images of the Netherlands and other destinations across Europe and Australia

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