First Cheese Market of 2025 in Alkmaar – March 28th

The First Cheese Market of 2025

The first cheese market of 2025 will take place on Friday, March 28th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Waagplein in Alkmaar.

Visitors from around the world come to witness this spectacular event. The traditional cheese carriers will transport you back in time, and the square will be covered with cheese. Thousands of kilograms of cheese are weighed and traded per minute at the Waagplein.

Did you know this spectacle has been taking place since 1622?

Tour to the Cheese Market

Join our tour to the famous cheese market from Amsterdam. We arrive at the market by 9:30 AM to secure a prime spot near the weighing area. At 10:00 AM, the iconic cheese bell rings to officially open the market for visitors. It is common for famous Dutch personalities to be invited to ring the bell, and the identity of this year’s bell ringer is still a secret—could it be the King?

When the weighing begins, inspectors examine the cheese by cutting, tasting, and feeling it. Using a cheese auger, a piece of cheese is taken to measure its fat content. This leads to negotiations between sellers and buyers, a traditional Dutch trading ritual known as "handjesklap" (handclapping). It’s a fascinating, live demonstration of an authentic Dutch way of doing business. Once the cheese is sold, the cheese carriers transport it to trucks, where handlers load the cheese onto the vehicles.

During the first cheese market of the season, the square is often filled with colorful tulips, making for a truly picturesque Dutch spectacle.

When is the Cheese Market in Alkmaar?

The Alkmaar cheese market is held every Friday morning. The first cheese market of 2025 will take place on Friday, March 28th, and the final one will be on September 26th. The market runs from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.