Alkmaar: Mills, Museums and Polder Landscapes

At the Waaggebouw, the Dutch Cheese Museum overlooks Waagplein, where the cheese market takes place every Friday from April to October. Dates may change; check the current calendar before your trip. The museum’s historical artefacts and paintings tell you more about cheese-making and Dutch rural life. An augmented-reality viewer also brings the cheese market to life in the museum all year round.

Mills, Polder History and De Rijp

Near Schermerhorn, the Museummolen is the middle of three mills. It is open to visitors from 1 April to 1 November; as seasonal opening hours may change, check them before your visit. Inside the mill, you can see how a drainage mill works and how the Schermerpolder was created 400 years ago by draining the Schermeer. The visitor centre and mill grounds are wheelchair accessible, but the mill itself is not. Confirm accessibility details again before your trip.

De Rijp offers a different focus: Museum In ’t Houten Huis is housed in an 18th-century wooden building. Its themes range from herring and whaling to shipping; nautical charts, ship’s logs and prints complement the exhibition. The history of whaling on Schermereiland and its seafarers is also covered. De Rijp’s town hall, designed by Jan Adriaenszn Leeghwater, illustrates the village’s importance in the 17th century. On the ground floor, the VVV De Rijp/Land van Leeghwater at Kleine Dam 1 provides information about De Rijp, Land van Leeghwater, routes, sights and visitor tips.

History is also present in the landscape: the town centre, De Rijp and Westerhoutkwartier are protected townscapes. In the Oudorperpolder, the Nieuwburg site is designated a national archaeological monument. These places offer different historical points of reference for a visit, without requiring a single museum to shape the whole picture of the region.

Art and Stories in Alkmaar

Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar combines old and modern art with major temporary exhibitions. In the permanent exhibition on the Bergen School, you will encounter works by Else Berg, Mommie Schwarz, Leo Gestel, Dirk Filarski, Gerrit Willem van Blaaderen, Arnout Colnot, and Piet and Matthieu Wiegman. Grote Kerk Alkmaar offers different insights: its notable works include two historic, playable organs, the ceiling painting “The Last Judgment” and Fiona Tan’s artwork “Het Grote Raam.” An app provides information about the 1,755 gravestones in the church floor; on the free, interactive VerhalenVangers tour, visitors use a tablet to solve tasks and discover stories about the building and its treasures.

If you would rather explore the city on foot, choose a route to suit your schedule: the Stadswandeling Alkmaar is 3.5 kilometres long and leads through the old town centre, while the 4.5-kilometre Monumentenwandeling passes important monuments. “Vrouwen van Alkmaar” is a 3.2-kilometre route featuring stories about women who shaped the city. “Kunst op Straat” links artworks, poems and other creative expressions in public spaces over six kilometres. The different lengths and themes offer a practical way to choose the focus of your city visit.

Between the City and the Eilandspolder

East of Alkmaar lies Land van Leeghwater, which you can explore on foot, by bike, by boat or on a SUP board. The Eilandspolder is a protected Natura 2000 area covering 1,950 hectares, a quarter of which is water. It lies between the historic villages of Graft, De Rijp, Noordeinde, Grootschermer, Schermerhorn and Driehuizen.

The walking routes also vary considerably in length: “Door de Eilandspolder” is seven kilometres long, starts in De Rijp and follows easily accessible paths through the nature area. “Haring en Hennep” covers 14 kilometres, passing through the Eilandspolder and by Grootschermer, Noordeinde and De Rijp. The 20-kilometre Alkmaar–Noordeinde walk leads from Alkmaar via a ferry crossing to De Schermer and into the Eilandspolder; check the ferry timetable when planning. The maximum speed on the Eilandspolder waterways is six kilometres per hour. Check the current municipal boating regulations before setting out. For SUP, SupSchermer offers lessons and tours through De Schermer and the Eilandspolder; check the provider’s current information.

For a hotel stay, you can choose between city culture, mill history and trails through the watery landscape. The events calendar also adds seasonal highlights: Alkmaars Ontzet is celebrated every year on 8 October and is one of the city’s oldest traditions; the programme varies from year to year. The Leeghwaterdagen take place on the first Sunday of each month from April to September. Check the dates for your travel year before planning your days around them.

Discover more destinations: Koedijk, Alkmaar, Oudorp, Schermerhorn, Stompetoren, Driehuizen, Waterland, Haarlemmerliede En Spaarnwoude.

Back to the main travel overview: North Holland.