Alkmaar Museum
Akmaar Municipal Museum, in the historic Cheesemarket town.
Alkmaar, Stedelijk Museum, in front the Pierre Gole cabinet. Next to it a very rare cabinet box.
The Stedelijk Museum Alkmaar was founded by the 8 October association, and opened in 1875. That date refers to the victory in 1573 over the Spanish troops (they had met plenty of resistance and many inundations, and with winter coming they decided to go home).
The local Museum of Alkmaar is rich in fine art, applied art and historical presentations. It also owns the largest Saenredam painting in the world, showing a church interior. Join me for a visit!
The museum also has a small but unique (then) ultra-modern mannerist painting by Cornelis Cornelisz. Buijs.
The museum is situated just off the massive late mediaeval Great Church of St. Lawrence (Laurentius) which may or may not be open to the public. One of the highlights of this Alkmaar trip is the strange story about how the 1566 religious iconoclasm in Alkmaar unfolded.
The former ramparts have been turned into a English Park Landscaped type landscape with underneath an ice storage cellar and on top a huge windmill.
Alkmaar is a well preserved city north of Amsterdam and great for a long walk. Visiting on Friday morning (in spring and summer) allows you to also see the Cheese Market, the open air show for free. The massive gothic St Laurens church is also open on Fridays and Saturdays for visits.
In the Alkmaar Museum we find the riveting story about the succesful Dutch uprising against the Spanish troops. Alkmaar was the first to start this revolution and had to pay the price in blood, but the uprising succeeded and spread to other Dutch regions.
Entrance door, glass facade.
In the Museum we also find a nice collection of 16th and 17th c paintings, including fine manly Civic Guard group portraits.
Alkmaars claim to popular fame is the open air Cheese market. A colourful show with strong men taking heavy cheese at great speed. Friday mornings in spring and summer.
Next door is an outstanding, huge church from the late Gothic era. Open most Fridays and Saturdays.
In good weather, a boat trip may be part of the tour. It is an open flat bottom boat which goes under VERY low bridges, so watch out for sudden decapitation!
Alkmaar. The house on the left is an original wooden building, 15th century.
Business card. The logo refers to Vermeer.
Tour by Drs Kees Kaldenbach, a professional Art History scholar with excellent teaching skills. Specialist in Fine art and Design, Architecture and History. VIP entry. Entry best at from 11AM.
Drs Kees Kaldenbach: „…he is wildly overqualified to be a guide . That is his secret… Trust me on this.” Gabe. Statement made February, 2017.