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Alkmaar Oudegracht V&D Terrace View WNW – By Txllxt TxllxT –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Alkmaar

Alkmaar is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. Alkmaar is located in the North Holland province. That is along the North Holland Canal, 10 km (6 miles) east of the North Sea.

The city of Alkmaar is known for its traditional cheese market and the AZ Alkmaar team. However, these are only but part of the numerous amounts of things that define the city.

Alkmaar is extremely beautiful, with many historic monuments, revered museums, cafes and restaurants, and museums among many other attractions and perks. As of 2021, Alkmaar has a population of 109,896 people.

The following is a list of very interesting facts about the city of Alkmaar.

1. Alkmaar History Traces Back to the 10th Century

 The earliest record of Alkmaar is found in a 10th-century document. At this point, it was only a village. Alkmaar was granted city rights in 1254 as it grew from a village to a famous town.

The oldest portion of Alkmaar is situated on a historic sand bank a few meters above the surrounding area. This provided some protection from flooding throughout the Middle Ages.

Some of the oldest polders still in use can be found in its immediate vicinity. A more traditional spelling of Alkmaar is Alckmar.

2. A Famous Expression, “Victory begins at Alkmaar”, is From the City’s History

City center – By A. Bakker –

Alkmaar city was under siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Don Fadrique. The citizens sent urgent messages to the Prince of Orange, requesting immediate assistance.

In response, the prince promised to flood the town by opening the floodgates if it was overrun by the Spaniards. Despite protests from the locals, he proceeded to do so. This tactic proved effective as the Spaniards raised the siege and fled.

This was a turning point in the Eighty Years War. The Eighty Years War is the revolt by the 17 provinces, today called Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands, against Philip II of Spain.

This is where the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie started. It directly translates to Victory begins at Alkmaar. On 8th October every year, there are celebrations in Alkmaar to celebrate the day the siege of the town ended.

3. The City of Alkmaar Has a Turbulent and Interesting History

Anglo-Russian invasion forces occupied the city in 1799 during the French Revolutionary Wars. However, they were finally defeated at the Battle of Castricum.

Following the fight, on October 18, 1799, the two opposing factions convened at the Convention of Alkmaar to decide what would happen to the Anglo-Russian force that had been routed. The French triumph was honored with the name “Alkmaer” on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Alkmaar served as the passageway for the 1824 opening of the North Holland Canal. The railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and Alkmaar and Haarlem were built in 1865 and 1867, respectively.

4. The City Expanded Significantly In the 20th Century

The development of new neighborhoods accompanied by rapid urbanization saw Alkmaar expand quickly in the 20th Century.

The southern parts of Koedijk and Sint Pancras, together with the town of Oudorp, were joined to the municipality of Alkmaar on October 1, 1972.

5. Alkmaar Consists of Several Towns, Villages, Districts, and Municipalities

The City is made up of several entities that have different classifications. Some are villages, districts, towns, municipalities, neighborhoods, and even cities.

They include; Overdie, Koedijk, Oudorp, Huiswaard, Omval, HetRak, De Nollen, De Horn, De Hoef, Daalmeer, Bergermeer, and Alkmaar. In 2015, 2 municipalities, Graft-De Rijp and Schermer were merged into Alkmaar.

The suburban expansion of buildings that emerged between the late 1970s and early 1990s has connected these formerly independent settlements.

6. The City is Home to The AZ Alkmaar Football Team

AFAS Stadion – By Olandia94 –

AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek), the professional football team has its home ground in the city. Their home stadium is the AFAS Stadion, which was previously called the DSB Stadion.

AZ Alkmaar won the Eredivisie (highest professional football league in the Netherlands) in the 2008/2009 season. This was only their second league title since the 1980/81 season and they have not found much success in the league since.

The team has had some high-profile coaches over the years. Such as Ronald Koeman, former Barcelona coach, and Louis van Gaal, the current Netherlands National football team coach.

7. The City Has Many Tourists Attraction Cites

Sint Laurentiuskerk – By Regional Archief Alkmaa –

Alkmaar is a hub for both local and international tourists. It hosts one of the most popular tourist attractions in the cheese market at the Waagplein. Traditionally, this market is active between the first Friday in April and the first Friday in September.

Secondly, the city has several medieval buildings and structures that are intact to date. An example of such a structure is the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk used to host weddings and other events.

The city also has several museums each portraying different things. Examples of such museums include; City Museum Alkmaar, the Op Art Museum, the Holland Cheese Museum, and the Beatles Museum.

8. Modes of Transport into And Within the City Include Water Transport

Just like any other town or city, there are roads. The major road in and out of Alkmaar is the A9 motorway. It runs from Amsterdam to Alkmaar and then to Den Helder.

There are two railway stations in the city. The Alkmaar and the Alkmaar Noord stations. There are direct trains connecting Alkmaar to Amsterdam, Utrecht, Hoorn, Helder, Eindhoven, and other cities, towns, or villages.

In 1824, the Noordhollandsch Kanaal waterway was opened. It runs through the city to and from various parts of the country. This waterway can be used to shorten the path around town and to even get into town.

Within three hours, you can get wherever you might want to go. You can get just about any place you want to go via rail, bus, bicycle, or water (boats). Holland is a true cycling nation with many amazing cycling routes, with over 32,000 kilometers of bicycle trails.

9. Alkmaar Is Home to the ‘Great Church’

St. Laurenskerk, also known as the ‘Great Church’, is a medieval building and church in the city’s town Centre. This church has been a long-standing architectural marvel in Alkmaar for a while now.

It is constructed in the Brabant Gothic style. The church is extremely famous for its two organs. They are known as the Van Covelens organ and the Van Hagerbeer/Schnitger organ.

10. A Renowned Cheese Market is Hosted in Alkmaar

Model of the Waag and the cheese market in Alkmaar, North Holland at Madurodam – By Willem Nabuurs –

People swarm to the city to take in both this magnificent event and the local traditions. Cheese trading began in 1835 and it has continued to be a widely traded and manufactured food in the area.

You may view a ton of the yellow substance during the cheese market and watch the Kaaszetters load the circular cheese onto the central market area.

The market is steeped in tradition, and some stringent regulations and procedures must be observed.