The Cheese Inspector samples one of the cheeses at the traditional Cheese Market on Waagplein, Alkmaar, Holland, The Netherlands
Thousands of visitors from all over the world visit Alkmaar for its cheese market, a particular spectacle which includes a market filled with cheese and hauling cheese carriers. In 1365 Alkmaar was granted weighing rights and a weighing scale, and in 1612 this number increased to four. Exactly when the first cheese market took place is shrouded in mystery. Old documents have been found that confirm the cheese market definitely took place in 1622, but there is also evidence that the cheese bearer's guild was founded in 1593; we can therefore deduce that there must have been a cheese market at that time as well.
Size: 5368px × 4912px
Location: Alkmaar, Holland, The Netherlands
Photo credit: © Wendy Johnson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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