This morning at 10 AM, the Gouda Cheese Market 2025 was opened. Mayor Pieter Verhoeve addressed hundreds of curious spectators and officially declared the cheese season open by ringing the traditional bell. The cheese market will be held every Thursday until August 28th, with the exception of May 29th.
The famous Gouda cheese market was for several centuries an important marketplace in front of the Waag (Weighing House) in Gouda where the renowned Gouda cheese was traded. Farmers from the surrounding region would bring their cheeses to the market on horse-drawn carts, where the cheeses were weighed, inspected and sold.
4.5 million kilograms of cheese
In 1937, an impressive 4.5 million kilograms of cheese were traded at the Gouda cheese market. This cheese was delivered that year by 15,245 wagons. The flat-round, wheel-shaped Gouda cheese weighs at least 15 kg per piece.
With the transition to factory-made cheese in the second half of the twentieth century, the official Gouda cheese market eventually came to an end. Historical sources mention different timelines for the market’s conclusion.
According to Henkjan Sprokholt, the cheese market ended in the 1950s, while Gouda’s city history indicates the cheese market disappeared around the same time as the cattle market in the 1970s.
Worldwide fame
Today, visitors can still experience the charm and tradition of this historic practice through Gouda’s traditional cheese market demonstrations, which showcase the rich cultural heritage of Dutch cheesemaking that has made Gouda cheese famous worldwide.
Come experience this authentic Dutch tradition that has made Gouda cheese famous worldwide! The market offers visitors a unique glimpse into the centuries-old cheese trading practices that have shaped this historic city.