Gouda, Netherlands
Sightchaser travel map: Gouda, Netherlands
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Markt & Stadhuis
Gouda's main square is one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. The 1450 Gothic Stadhuis stands alone in the centre of a vast cobblestone plaza u2014 completely photogenic from every angle. Pro tip: Thursday morning in summer: the cheese market fills the square with orange wheels and porters in traditional dress. One of the great Dutch spectacles.
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Sint-Janskerk
One of the longest Gothic churches in the Netherlands, with 70 extraordinary stained glass windows. The light inside on a clear morning is genuinely otherworldly. Pro tip: Entry is a few euros. The Last Supper windows at the back of the nave are the most detailed. Give yourself an hour inside.
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Goudse Grachten at Dawn
Gouda's canals in the morning mist are completely silent and utterly Dutch u2014 houseboats, brick bridges, and reflections that look like a 17th century painting. Pro tip: Walk from the Markt toward the Turfsingel or Raam canals before 8am. No cyclists, no noise, just water and light.
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Potterspoort
One of Gouda's surviving medieval city gates, reflected in the canal below. One of the most photogenic historic structures on the city's edge. Pro tip: Shoot from the canal bank at golden hour u2014 the brick turns warm and the gate frames perfectly against the sky.

Reeuwijk Lakes
A network of polder lakes just north of Gouda created by centuries of peat extraction. Flat cycling paths, birdlife, and the wide Dutch sky in every direction. Pro tip: Rent a bike in Gouda (10 minutes from the Markt) and ride the full lake loop u2014 about 18km, completely flat, and almost no one else around.
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City Ramparts Walk
A quiet path along Gouda's old defensive earthworks, now a green ring threading between the canals and the inner city. The most peaceful way to see the historic core. Pro tip: Start at the Wijdstraat bridge and follow the water west. The ramparts park runs for about 1km and comes out near the train station.
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Cheese Market u2014 Gouda Kaasmarkt
The Thursday morning summer market (Juneu2013August) is the real deal. Local farms bring genuine Goudse kaas to the Markt in a ceremony that's been running for centuries. Pro tip: Market runs 10amu201312:30pm. Arrive early for the weighing ceremony and to taste before buying. The aged (belegen) wheels are the best by far.
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Stroopwafel Bakery u2014 De Moriaan
The stroopwafel was invented in Gouda in the early 1800s. Eating one fresh off the iron here u2014 still warm, caramel oozing u2014 is one of the great small food experiences in the Netherlands. Pro tip: Ask for one fresh from the press, not the packaged ones. It costs almost nothing and tastes completely different from anything you've had before.
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Cafu00e9 Mallemolen
A classic Dutch brown cafu00e9 (bruine kroeg) in a 17th century building near the Markt. Dark wood, Grolsch on tap, local cheese plates, and zero tourist energy. Pro tip: Order a jenever (Dutch gin) alongside your beer u2014 it's how locals drink here. Sit by the window.
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Gouda Historic Centre
The entire historic core is walkable in about two hours u2014 medieval lanes, canal bridges, gabled merchants' houses, and a church at every corner. Almost no crowds outside summer. Pro tip: The streets between Sint-Janskerk and the eastern canals (Spieringstraat, Achter de Kerk) are the most intact medieval area and mostly skipped by day-trippers.
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Stolwijkse Sluis
A working lock and polder landscape 3km southwest of Gouda. Endless flat green fields, drainage ditches, and a windmill on the horizon u2014 quintessentially Dutch countryside. Pro tip: Cycle out from the centre (15 minutes). If you're only seeing one piece of Dutch countryside near Gouda, make it this.
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