Things to do in Gouda

Welcome to Gouda

Best known for its bright orange rounds of cheese and the glorious stained-glass windows in its Gothic church, Gouda is only an hour away from Amsterdam in South Holland. It’s a typically Dutch town with an enormous central square called Markt, dominated by a turreted, gabled and pinnacled Stadhuis (town hall) dating back to 1449. Around Markt is the centuries-old cheese market that attracts thousands of tourists from June to September on Thursday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Just across Markt you’ll find the Waag, once used for weighing all the dairy produce at the market. Built in 1669, its purpose is proudly announced on the white marble panel on the front façade depicting merchants weighing cheese. Inside, there’s a miniscule interactive exhibition detailing the importance of Gouda as a center for dairy production.

St Janskerk Church is a step away from the main square, easily identified by its spire peeking above the roofs. This ornate 15th-century building houses some of Europe’s loveliest stained-glass windows, considered so beautiful that they were even spared destruction in the Protestant Alteration of 1578. They were donated to the church by a series of wealthy patrons and number 64 in total, depicting both biblical and contemporary scenes.

Adjacent to St Janskerk, the Museum Gouda is found in the Catharina Gasthuis, a former almshouse dating from 1665. It showcases a charming mix of Hague School landscape painting, silver guild relics, altarpieces that survived the Alteration and original sketches for the church’s stained-glass windows.

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Top 2 attractions in Gouda

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Museum Gouda

Gouda is famous for more than just its delicious cheeses. At Museum Gouda, learn all about the Dutch Masters who created fine Dutch pottery and paintings from the 16th to the 20th Century. Wander the streets where Erasmus grew up and see another side to this quaint city.

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St. John's Church (Sint Janskerk)

St. John's Church was built in Gouda in the 15th Century to honor the city’s patron saint, St. John the Baptist. Commanding respect from all directions thanks to its tall spires and Gothic architecture, the church is an important Dutch monument. The main reason visitors make the trip here is to see the church’s stained glass windows.

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