Waag (Gouda), Gouda, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Waag, or Weighhouse, is a 17th-century public building on the Markt in Gouda, built in 1668 so that the town's cheese could be weighed officially before it was sold. It is one of the best reminders of why the name Gouda is known around the world as a cheese.

The story behind it

Gouda grew rich on the cheese trade, and trade needs a fair referee. Farmers from the surrounding countryside brought their wheels to town, and the weight set the price. A public scale, run by the town rather than by buyer or seller, kept both sides honest. The Waag was built in 1668 to house that job, in the sober, symmetrical Dutch classical style of the period, and it is generally credited to the architect Pieter Post.

Inside, wheels were lifted onto large balance scales and weighed one by one, with no machinery, only muscle and a trusted set of weights. For centuries the building was the working heart of the cheese market, and the square outside filled with farmers and merchants. Today the building looks back on that history, and you can still get a feel for how the weighing worked.

What to look for

• The stone relief on the front of the building shows cheese being weighed, so the facade tells you what the building was for before you step inside.
• The symmetrical classical front, with its steps and tall windows, stands out against the older Gothic town hall on the same square.
• The wide open space of the Markt in front of the Waag is where the cheese was once traded, and it is easy to picture the stalls and carts.
• Look for the weighing scales and cheese-related displays if you go in, which show how a wheel was handled from farm to sale.

Tips for your visit

• You can admire the exterior for free at any time from the square, so a quick look takes about ten minutes. Allow more if you plan to go inside.
• The building houses a museum about cheese and traditional crafts, so check current opening hours and entry details before you go.
• In the summer season, Gouda holds a traditional cheese market on the Markt in front of the Waag. Check the current schedule, as days and times can change.
• The Waag stands right beside the town hall, and the canals and narrow streets of the old centre are a short walk away, so it fits easily into a wider stroll.

See it on a quest

The Great Cheese Rolling Race of Gouda brings you to the Waag on foot as one stop on a longer route through the old centre. As you arrive, the app tells you about the place, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the facade properly instead of just snapping a photo. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.