Alkmaar Attractions

Alkmaar lies on the North Holland Canal, 8km/5mi from the coast of the North Sea. The charming old town center, with many fine architectural monuments and old guild-houses and burghers' houses of the 16th to 18th centuries, has been preserved unspoiled. With its famous cheese market, it is one of the best-known tourist attractions in the Netherlands.

Alkmaar is the main center of an extensive rural area, with schools and shops which are patronized by many inhabitants of the province. Its economy depends principally on the varied range of industry established to the northeast of the town, attracted by its excellent transport facilities.