Gouda

Gouda

For as long as I’ve been in the Netherlands, I have wanted to go to Gouda (pronounced How-da). Known to Americans for no better reason than the cheese that is traded in town every Thursday at the cheese market, Gouda is better known by the mispronunciation “goo-da” (then again, that’s easier than the Dutch guttural noise created by the h-for-g sound). These days, Gouda is home to approximately 70,000 residents. In addition to the world famous cheese, Gouda has also been renowned for brewing and the production of smoking pipes.

Market Square

Like so many Dutch towns, Gouda is old. Heck, by American standards, it is ancient. In roughly 1139 the Bishop of Utrecht, probably in reference to the area nearest the creek called Gouwe, used the name Gouda. In 1225 the Gouwe was connected to the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine River) by means of a canal allowing the area to develop, and Gouda was granted city rights in 1272. It looks it. Poor Gouda. Repeatedly stricken with misery, Gouda has known the effects of the plague, arson, economic demise, and war. By the 1600’s Gouda was one of the poorest cities in Holland. The words Goudaner and beggar became synonyms.

City Hall

Gouda is home to one of the oldest Gothic city halls in the Netherlands. Built between 1448 and 1450, city hall stands amidst the market square, which features a huge daily collection of vendors offering everything from cheese to Muslim apparel (hey, those folks have to shop, too) to souvenirs. In fact, the square is not unlike those in most tourist destinations; restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops surround the square.

No mention of Gouda should be without a few words describing the magnificent Sint-Janskerk (Saint John’s Church), the longest church (123 meters) in the Netherlands. It features 70 glorious stained glass windows some of which are over 400 years old.

Sint-Janskerk

All things considered, Gouda was worth the wait.