Gouda

Introduction

Cheese city Gouda

© All Rights Reserved Utrecht

Named a city in 1272, Gouda has changed in its role many times in history. Known best for its association with cheese it has also been the producer and exporter of carpets, pottery, beer, smoking pipes, candles and stroopwafels. With a population of more than 70,000 people and an average of 1,000,000 tourists a year this can be a very popular place to visit.

Sights and Activities

Most of the attractions of Gouda are in the centre (centrum) of the city.

• The City Hall (Het Stadhuis)
• Sint Jans Kerk
• The weighing building (De Waag)
• The market (De Markt)

Events and Festivals

Koningsdag (King's Day)

In 2013, the Dutch throne was passed on to King Willem-Alexander and what used to be Koninginnedag (Queen's Day) will from 2014 become Koningsdag (King's Day). The date will be changed to the 27th of April, which is the king's birthday. In 2014 however it will be on the 26th of April because the 27th falls on a Sunday. On this day the streets of almost every sizable town in the country come alive with activity.

• Candle Night (Kaarsjes avond)

Getting There

By Plane

Gouda doesn't have it's own airport though Rotterdam Airport 30.2 kilometres, Amsterdam airport (Schiphol) 64.9 kms, and Eindhoven airport 114 kilometres, are the closest.

By Train

The Dutch National Rail service or NS Nederlandse Spoorwegen has 2 stations. Gouda, and an outer suburb, Gouda-Gowerwelle. There are direct services to Gouda from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague (Den Haag).

By Car

Close to the junction of the A12 & A20 motorways, the city centre is a short drive from the motorway exit.

By Bus

Connexxion buslines can take you to or from Gouda connecting you with all the local villages as well as Rotterdam, Utrecht, and The Hague (Den Haag)

By Boat

You can bring you own boat into the city via the system of locks and canals.

Getting Around

By Car

You can drive around the outer part of the city, but the centre is pedestrians only so its best to park your car and look around on foot.

By Public Transport

The train station is a short walk from the city centre. You can take a No.3 bus but it is only a short walk.

By Foot

The best way to see the city.

By Bike

Where better to ride a bike than a country that has a love affair with them. You wont need one to get around though.

Drink

There is a wide range of bars in the centre of the city. During the summer it is common to sit outside and enjoy a beer in the sun on the terras.

• De Zalm - A great bar in an even better location right in the centre close to De Kaas Waag
• De Beurs Klok - This is a great place to have a drink as well as serving some fantastic food.
• De Gouwe Geit - This not your regular bar but it does have alot of character and alot of fun locals

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The rate for sending a postcard or letter up to 20 grams within the Netherlands is €0.46 (2010). Since 2010 there are stamps available for domestic post which no longer include the value in €. Instead, there are stamps available with either a '1' or a '2' as a substitute for value. The '1' can be used for letters and postcards up to 20 grams, while 20-50 grams require you to use the '2'-valued stamps (or two '1'-valued stamps of course).

Sending items to other EU countries will cost €0.67, while the rest of the world sets you back €0.89 per piece. Stamps are sold at post offices and supermarkets; often the place where you buy your postcards can also supply you with stamps.

Sending parcels abroad is more costly. A standard-sized parcel between 500-2,000 grams will cost you €9.10 for destinations within the EU, and €17.50 to the rest of the world. Parcel service is available from major post offices only; standard-size boxes are on sale there as well.

If you need to receive mail while moving around, you can have it sent poste restante (to be called for) to a post office of your choice, where it will be kept for a month. If you come to claim it, bring a valid ID, and make sure to have told the sender that the name on the envelope must be an exact match with that in your passport. For addresses of post offices, as well as more information, consult the TNT website.