The old market town of Gouda lies in a fertile polder area between Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague, at the point where the Gouwe flows into the Hollandse IJssel. It is a very typical Dutch town with its picturesque canals and many historic buildings in the old part of the town.
After receiving its municipal charter from
Count Floris V of Holland in 1272 Gouda rapidly developed into an important trading town. The town was taken in 1572 by the Sea Beggars and thereafter played a prominent part in the States of Holland. In the 17th century, however, it declined. Later, after the traditional cloth-making industry had given place to the manufacture of pipes and the production of cheese, and particularly after the beginnings of industrialization, Gouda again developed into an important economic center. Gouda was the birthplace of Cornelis Houtman (1565-99), one of the first seamen to sail to the East Indies, who was murdered on Sumatra during his second voyage.
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