Things to do in the city of Gouda in Netherlands, Holland, including stained glass, cheese, Stroopwafeland Rembrandt tours . A round trip travel guide from Amsterdam.
We took a trip over the long Easter break to the Netherlands, including bike through the tulip fields around the Keukenhof, which is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful trips we’ve ever taken in Europe. And one of the places we visited was Gouda, the city of the famous cheese.
Keukenhof 2024 in Netherlands – Complete travel guide of the famous tulip park
The fact that it is small and has its tourist attractions very close makes Gouda a perfect day trip from Amsterdam. The distance by train from the central station is only 50 minutes or 1 hour if you are driving. And if this is your case, it’s important to plan well and arrive early, it was not easy to find parking in the city. We parked in Westhaven, on the street right on the edge of one of the canals, by sheer luck. And note that parking is paid, you need to get a receipt at the nearby totems. We pay €3 an hour.
The city has several attractions such as museums, churches and the cheese market that takes place on Thursdays in the central square. Another important attraction, of course, is to buy and try gouda cheese and several packets of the most famous Stroopwafel in Holland.
Also read about our trip to the city of Amsterdam and its main sights.
What to visit in Gouda (or as the Dutch say Rrrauda)
The city of Gouda is very small and it is possible to visit all the main sights in a 1 day trip.
To help, we have listed these points to include in your itinerary:
- Het Oude Stadhuys – There is no way not to find the town hall of Gouda. It looks like a monolith on Marktplatz with its red and white windows. Dating back to 1450, the town hall houses one of the oldest Gothic halls in the Netherlands.
- De Goudse Waag – Behind the town hall, still on the Markt square, is the Goudse Waag, the building where the cheeses were weighed. Today there is a small shop selling cheese and souvenirs, catering to tourists and a museum that tells the history of the cheese trade.
- Sint-Janskerk – The Church of St. John, like every European church, has a lot of history to tell. Entrance is paid, which I think is absurd and as I don’t have the patience for this type of visit, I just took a look… which was already a good size. The only thing I liked is that the church is divided between Catholics and Protestants. they could also include other beliefs, as in Vietnam, right? Husband, on the other hand, likes to walk around and get to know the details of church architecture. He took an audioguide and listened to an explanation of all the beautiful stained glass windows, including how they survived World War II.
- I ended up leaving the church and went to enjoy what was really worth it. I took the little one for a walk among the houses that surround the church. Every cuteness… I enjoyed every second admiring the surroundings until the family reunited.
- Molen’t Slot – Holland without a mill is not Holland. In Gouda we visit the two most famous mills. Molen’t Slot is located in Houtmansplantsoen, a well-wooded park perfect for a leisurely day out.
- Molen De Roode Leeuw – The Roode Leeuw is the oldest mill in Gouda, built in 1727 and is located in a residential area of the city. It must be very curious for you to open the window of your house and come face to face with a secular windmill. For families who have been visiting the exit, next to the mill there is a playground to entertain the little ones.
- Kamphuisen Siroopwafelfabriek – This tour was a bore and it was not. I’m gonna explain. Roberta from @holandesando, told us to try the best Stroopwafel from Holland. And yes, he is divine! Thanks for the tip Roberta! But Viski’s husband has a habit of wanting to go on tours, even the more expensive ones by the way, and I always know in my heart that it’s going to be bad.
- The tour consisted of visiting the Stroopwafel factory, but before the good part there was a 20 minutes movie in Dutch and we, the only non-Dutch people, had to use a simultaneous translation App that didn’t work well . The summary of the opera, I don’t know what the movie is about or the story of Kamphuisen. After that, we went to the production area and it was a little nicer, especially for the little one who loved seeing the cookie being freshly made in front of her. After the demonstration, everyone got a warm and delicious Stroopwafel to slather on. And of course, we left with a bag full to have the party at home.
- EXTRA: Rembrandt Festival! We were lucky enough that on the day of our trip there was a festival taking place in the Markt square near the town hall in honor of the artist Rembrandt. Easels were distributed for the little ones in a part of the square and they were able to put their artistic skills into practice. And there were residents distributing free different types of bread, juices and coffee. A very pleasant climate of fraternization. By the way, for those visiting the Netherlands in 2019, keep an eye out for the many special exhibitions around the country celebrating Rembrandt.
In addition to these listed spots, we would include the Museum of Gouda, but unfortunately it was closed on the day of our trip.
Be sure to read our publication with the planejamento complete trip to Keukenhof, the most famous tulip park in the world.
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