All over Europe countries fight for title of the cheesiest nation, and by that I mean that they have the best cheese! Rosie Khdir puts forward Holland as the land of cheese…

Every land has its cheeses; the British have Stilton, the Italians Mozzarella and the French have Camembert and all these nations are famously associated with the food as a result.

But one coutry that is often overlooked is Holland, the birth place of such dairy delights as Edam and Gouda!

If you are a fan of the big yellow wheel, then you would do well to head over to the Netherlands before the month of August ends, to enjoy the famous Alkmaar Cheese market.

Alkmaar is a city in northern Holland that is well known for its cheese market. The famous cheese carriers, in their crisp white ensembles and coloured hats, have the job of carrying thousands of kilos of cheese into Waagplein square every Friday between 10am and 12pm during the summer.

Cheese has been weighed in Alkmaar since 1635 and you can combine your visit to the market with a tour of the monuments and museums of Alkmaar, such as the Holland Cheese Museum.

There are also cheese markets in Edam and Gouda, no prizes for guessing which cheeses are made in these cities! The cheese market in Edam is open on a Wednesday from 9:30am to 12:30pm throughout the rest of August.

In Gouda there is much more to see, with the Cheese Weighing House where visitors can have their weight measured in cheese, test their knowledge of cheese and even sample some cheese! The markets in Gouda are open until the end of August and take place every Thursday from 9.30am to 12:30pm.

P&O Ferries can help on your way to your cheesy dream, with the Hull to Rotterdam overnight ferry service starting from £149 each way.

Image credit: manuel | MC

Tags: History, Lifestyle, Netherlands, P&O Ferries // Add Comment »