Alkmaar - City and country full of cheese
Alkmaar, Oudorp, Zuidschermer
Does the best Gouda cheese in the world come from Alkmaar? Yes, because ‘Gouda’ is just a recipe. In the polders east of Alkmaar, it is applied to the creamy milk of strong, black-and-white cows that graze on what was once the bottom of a salty, marshy lake. Dairy farmers with a great love for their profession make it into a wonderfully flavoursome cheese, recognisable by its red seal. Now available in countless variations from young to old, each with new and surprising additions. Until the 16th century, Alkmaar was located in a lake district. Shipping and the associated trade brought great prosperity to the fortified town. This is still reflected in the opulent architecture from that period. The prosperity attracted new residents, and in order to feed this growing population, there was a need for more farmland throughout North Holland. This was created by building dykes around the lakes, digging ditches and canals and then reclaiming the land with the help of more than fifty windmills. First they removed the water from the small streams. Then from the large ones. The Schermeer, right on the east side of the city, was the last to be reclaimed. The Schermer polder was completed in 1635. However, the soil was less fertile than elsewhere in the area. The former marshland did prove to be well suited for grassland, and thus for livestock farming and cheese making. It was the start of the oldest cheese market in the Netherlands, on Waagplein in Alkmaar. To this day, the cheese market with all its traditions and folklore is held there every Friday from March to October. Waagplein is a famous stopping point on this Cycle route. On Fridays if you want to visit the famous market. On most other weekdays to visit the Cheese Museum, located in the beautiful Waag building. The playful, well-organised museum is an experience in itself. You will learn all about the countless facets of cheese making. At the same time, you are treated to paintings, drawings, sculptures, stained glass and ornamental ironwork. Then you continue on your way through the new residential and commercial area of Overstad, past thatched windmills to the quiet Oudorp, Grootschermer and Graft and further on to the silence and vastness of the Schermer polder. You will see one beautiful traditional Dutch farmhouse after another, cross the North Holland Canal on a ferry and can stop by at the organic dairy farm Het Vertrouwen in Akersloot. And if you still want more cheese, you can end the day at various restaurants in Alkmaar or the surrounding countryside. With real Alkmaar cheese soup. Note! You will come across a bicycle ferry along the way. On the first Tuesday of the month, the Akersloot ferry does not operate between 09:30 and 12:30. There is no alternative route, so check the Pitstop to plan your crossing. This premium cycle route was compiled by our editor Wilmie Geurtjens.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Verdronkenoord 143, 1811 BD Alkmaar | 41.4 KM | |
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From
74
to
1
|
347 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Kraanbuurt | 206 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schapenbrug | 23 M | ||
| Turn left onto Voordam | 118 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
50
|
391 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Kanaalkade | 141 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 61 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 189 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
|
From
50
to
72
|
760 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northeast on Frieseweg | 760 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
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From
72
to
51
|
1336 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Molenkade | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M | ||
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From
51
to
3
|
1047 M | 1 KM | |
| Head south on Herenweg | 758 M | ||
| Turn left onto 't Wuiver | 289 M | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
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From
3
to
2
|
746 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head south on Saturnusstraat | 637 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 109 M | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
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From
2
to
78
|
2374 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west | 5 M | ||
| Turn left | 31 M | ||
| Turn left | 13 M | ||
| Turn left | 330 M | ||
| Continue onto Korte Schermerdijk | 112 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schermerdijk | 265 M | ||
| Continue left onto Omvaltunnel | 385 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordervaart | 35 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Noordervaart | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Noordervaart | 61 M | ||
| You are now at section 78 | 0 M | ||
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From
78
to
77
|
1794 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head south on Zuidervaart | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 77 | 0 M | ||
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From
77
to
81
|
3047 M | 3 KM | |
| Head east on Laanweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn left | 74 M | ||
| Continue onto Kleine Dijk | 771 M | ||
| You are now at section 81 | 0 M | ||
|
From
81
to
82
|
2257 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head east on Korendijk | 2.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
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From
82
to
27
|
3311 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head east on Kopdammerdijk | 169 M | ||
| Turn left onto 't Kieftennest | 708 M | ||
| Turn left onto Noordeinde | 37 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molendijk | 2.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 27 | 0 M | ||
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From
27
to
28
|
1572 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head east on Molendijk | 39 M | ||
| Continue straight | 25 M | ||
| Turn right onto Provincialeweg | 28 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zwartedijk | 211 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westeinde | 711 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Oosteinde | 558 M | ||
| You are now at section 28 | 0 M | ||
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From
28
to
29
|
1323 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Westdijk | 287 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Westdijk | 22 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 21 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westdijk | 7 M | ||
| Continue onto Westdijk | 986 M | ||
| You are now at section 29 | 0 M | ||
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From
29
to
61
|
4187 M | 4.2 KM | |
| Head south on Westdijk | 4 KM | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Westdijk | 28 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Westdijk | 10 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westdijk | 118 M | ||
| You are now at section 61 | 0 M | ||
|
From
61
to
62
|
1893 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Oosteinde | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Westeinde | 832 M | ||
| You are now at section 62 | 0 M | ||
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From
62
to
58
|
2501 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head west on Groeneweg | 104 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Groeneweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zuiddijk | 249 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
|
From
58
to
57
|
990 M | 1 KM | |
| Head west on Zuiddijk | 878 M | ||
| Keep right onto Zuiddijk | 112 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
56
|
3055 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head west on Zuiddijk | 2.8 KM | ||
| Continue onto Westdijk | 282 M | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
|
From
56
to
55
|
630 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Westdijk | 28 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Westdijk | 40 M | ||
| Take the ferry Pont Akersloot-Zuidschermer | 68 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Geesterweg | 5 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Geesterweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Geesterweg | 7 M | ||
| Continue straight | 15 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 18 M | ||
| Continue onto Pontweg-Noord | 134 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hoornselaan | 307 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
|
From
55
to
98
|
2341 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Hoogegeest | 451 M | ||
| Turn left | 605 M | ||
| Turn right | 349 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kanaalweg | 936 M | ||
| You are now at section 98 | 0 M | ||
|
From
98
to
74
|
5498 M | 5.5 KM | |
| Head north on Kanaalweg | 5 M | ||
| Continue straight | 6 M | ||
| Turn left | 20 M | ||
| Turn right onto Boekelermeerweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 85 M | ||
| Continue straight | 44 M | ||
| Continue straight | 392 M | ||
| Continue onto Loodpolderbrug | 14 M | ||
| Continue straight | 69 M | ||
| Continue onto Loodpolderweg | 211 M | ||
| Continue straight | 16 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Heilooërdijk | 200 M | ||
| Continue straight | 132 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Lorreinenlaan | 7 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hadewijchstraat | 228 M | ||
| Turn left onto Koelmalaan | 300 M | ||
| Turn right onto Camphuysenkade | 212 M | ||
| Continue onto Cuwaertpad | 292 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oosterhoutlaan | 202 M | ||
| Make a U-turn and continue on Vondelstraat | 580 M | ||
| Turn left onto Verdronkenoord | 322 M | ||
| Continue onto Verdronkenoord | 88 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M |