Alkmaar () is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, located in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

North Holland North Holland (, ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht (province), Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevola ...

. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The municipality has a population of 111,766 as of 2023.

History

The earliest mention of the name Alkmaar is in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1254. The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank a couple of meters (yards) above the surrounding region; it afforded some protection from

inundation A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...

during

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times. Its vicinage consists of some of the oldest

polders A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains ...

in existence. Older spellings include Alckmar. On 24 June 1572, after the

Geuzen ''Geuzen'' (; ; ) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called ''Watergeuzen'' (; ; ). In the Eigh ...

captured the town, five

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

from Alkmaar were taken to

Enkhuizen Enkhuizen () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. History Enkhuizen, like Hoorn and Amsterdam, was one of the harbour-towns of the VOC, from where overseas trade ...

and hanged, becoming the

martyrs of Alkmaar The Martyrs of Alkmaar () were a group of 5 Dutch people, Dutch Catholic clerics, secular and religious from Alkmaar, who were hanged on 24 June 1572 in the town of Enkhuizen by militant Dutch Calvinists during the European wars of religion, 16t ...

Siege of Alkmaar

In 1573 the city underwent a

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

by Spanish forces under the leadership of Don Fadrique, son of the Duke of Alva. The citizens sent urgent messages for help to the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by the stadtholders of, and then the heirs apparent of ...

; he responded by promising to open the floodgates of the dykes and flood the region if the need arose, which despite the protestations of the peasantry, fearful for their harvest, he proceeded to do. Some of his dispatches fell into the hands of Don Fadrique, and, with the waters beginning to rise, the Spaniards raised the siege and fled. It was a turning point in the

Eighty Years War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exce ...

and gave rise to the expression ''Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie'' ("Victory begins at Alkmaar"). The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on 8 October, the day the siege ended.

Since the French Revolutionary Wars

In 1799, during the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

, an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum. After that battle, on 18 October 1799, the two opposing sides held the Convention of Alkmaar which met to determine the fate of the defeated Anglo-Russian force. The French victory was commemorated on the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

as "Alkmaer". The North Holland Canal, opened in 1824, was dug through Alkmaar. In 1865 and 1867 the railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and between Alkmaar and Haarlem were built respectively. In the second half of the 20th century, Alkmaar expanded quickly with development of new neighbourhoods. On 1 October 1972, the town of Oudorp and the southern portions of Koedijk and Sint Pancras were added to the municipality of Alkmaar.

Administrative divisions

The municipality of Alkmaar historically consists of the following cities, towns, villages and districts: Alkmaar, Bergermeer, Daalmeer, De Hoef, De Horn, De Nollen, Het Rak, Huiswaard, Koedijk (southeastern part), Overdie, Oudorp and Omval. On 1 January 2015 the municipalities of Graft-De Rijp and

Schermer Schermer () is a former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The name comes from "''skir mere''", which means "bright lake". Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Alkmaar. The municipality of Schermer ...

were merged into Alkmaar. The historical village of De Rijp is thus since a part of Alkmaar. These once separate villages are now all linked together by the suburban sprawl of buildings that arose between the late 1970s and early 1990s. During this time, the population of Alkmaar almost doubled.

Local government

The municipal council of Alkmaar consists of 39 seats, which are divided as follows after the 2022 elections: * D66 – 5 seats * OPA – 5 seats *

GroenLinks (, ; GL) is a Green politics, green List of political parties in the Netherlands, political party in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four Left-wing politics, left-wing parties: the Communist Party of the Neth ...

– 5 seats * BAS – 4 seats * VVD – 4 seats * PvdA – 3 seats * CDA – 3 seats * Leefbaar Alkmaar – 3 seats * Partij voor de Dieren – 2 seats * Senior's Party of Alkmaar (Senioren Partij Alkmaar) – 2 seats * FvD – 1 seat * SP – 1 seat * ChristenUnie - 1 seat

Transport

North gable of the Beer Museum in Alkmaar

The A9 motorway runs from

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

to Alkmaar, then continues on to

Den Helder Den Helder () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base. From here the Royal TESO fe ...

as the N9. There are direct trains to

Hoorn Hoorn () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. It is the largest town an ...

Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad and received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan ...

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

, Ede,

Arnhem Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...

Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

and

Haarlem Haarlem (; predecessor of ''Harlem'' in English language, English) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the Provinces of the Nether ...

. For exact details see Alkmaar railway station. Alkmaar has two railway stations: *

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known fo ...

* Alkmaar Noord The waterway Noordhollandsch Kanaal, which opened in 1824, runs through Alkmaar. . it can be crossed (among other ways) using two of the five operating vlotbruggen, Koedijkervlotbrug and Rekervlotbrug. Air travel is served by the nearest Schiphol Airport which is approximately 22 km south of Alkmaar. NS operates direct train services between Alkmaar and Schiphol.

Main sights

Alkmaar has many medieval buildings that are still intact, most notably the tall tower of the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk, where many people from Alkmaar hold wedding ceremonies. The other main attraction, especially in the summer months, is Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The cheese market traditionally takes place from the first Friday in April through the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (10:00–12:30) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheese market. After the old-fashioned way of the hand clap, traders and carriers will weigh the cheeses. It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. The traditional fare of this cheese market is those cheeses made in the local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, including the Edam and Gouda cheeses. It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products. The

Waag WAAG ( FM 94.9 MHz), known as FM 95, is a radio station licensed for Galesburg, Illinois, United States. The station is owned by Galesburg Broadcasting Company. The station has a country music Country (also called country and western ...

is also home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. Alkmaar has 399 registered rijksmonuments, of which most are situated along the city's old canals. Alkmaar has two large theatres and a big cinema (which was originally two cinemas). A

red light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are partic ...

is situated at the Achterdam, and Alkmaar has a nightlife scene as well which takes place in the pubs in front of the cheesemarket. Every year, at the end of May Alkmaar hosts the four-day event Alkmaar Pride, which has a canal pride parade on Saturday.

Museums

* Beatles Museum – dedicated to

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, as

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

's first guitar was made in Alkmaar * Holland Cheese Museum – located in the historic weigh house * National Beer Museum "De Boom" * Op ArtMuseum - closed since 2014 * City Museum Alkmaar – for history of the city

Sports

Alkmaar is home to the professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek). In 2006, the club moved to a new 17,000 capacity stadium, the DSB Stadion, now named the

AFAS Stadion AFAS Stadion is a stadium in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It is used for association football, football matches and is the home stadium of AZ Alkmaar. AZ Alkmaar (women), AZ's women's team also plays select matches in the stadium. The stadium is able to ...

. In 2008–2009, AZ won the

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...

, the Dutch football league. It was the second league title for the club after the Eredivisie in 1980/81 with only one league defeat. Notable coaches include former

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

coach

Ronald Koeman Ronald Koeman (; born 21 March 1963) is a Dutch professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who is the manager of the Netherlands national football team, Netherlands national team. Koeman scor ...

, and

Netherlands national football team The Netherlands national football team ( or simply ''Het Nederlands elftal'') has represented the Netherlands in international men's football matches since 1905. The men's national team is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNV ...

coach

Louis van Gaal Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (; born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch former association football, football player and former manager who currently serves as an advisor for AFC Ajax, Ajax. At club level, he served as manager of AFC Ajax, Aj ...

. The city also has a

velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

where the Dutch national

track cycling Track cycling is a Cycle sport, bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles. History Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its i ...

championships are held every year. The city hosted the 2019 European Road Championships.

Notable residents

Public thinking & public service

* Isaac Dorislaus (1595–1649) a Dutch Calvinist historian and lawyer * Jan Janse de Weltevree (1595 in De Rijp – ??) a Dutch sailor, the first Dutchman to visit

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

* Cornelis van der Lijn (1608–1679)

Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies (, ) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945, followed by the ...

1646-1650 and elected Mayor of Alkmaar in 1668 * Bernard Nieuwentyt (1654 in West-Graftdijk – 1718) a Dutch philosopher, mathematician, physician and magistrate * Anna Smitshuizen (1751–1775) the victim of a

cause célèbre A ( , ; pl. ''causes célèbres'', pronounced like the singular) is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning, and heated public debate. The term is sometimes used positively for celebrated legal cases for th ...

murder *

Kees Boeke Cornelis "Kees" Boeke (25 September 1884 3 July 1966) was a Dutch reformist educator, Quaker missionary and pacifist. He is best known for his popular essay/book '' Cosmic View'' (1957) which presents a seminal view of the universe, from the g ...

(1884–1966) a Dutch reformist educator, Quaker missionary and pacifist * Nicolette Bruining (1886–1963) a Dutch theologian, teacher and humanitarian in WWII * Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer (1896–1978) a resistance fighter, saved Jewish children * Cornelis Berkhouwer (1919–1992) politician,

President of the European Parliament The president of the European Parliament presides over the debates and activities of the European Parliament. They also represent the Parliament within the European Union (EU) and internationally. The president's signature is required for Euro ...

1973-1975 * Rudi Vis (1941–2010) British Labour politician, MP 1997 to 2010 * Jaap Pop (born 1941) a former Dutch politician, Mayor of Alkmaar 1988-1995 * Sybilla Dekker (born 1942) a retired Dutch politician and businesswoman *

Ronald Bandell Ronald Johan Gottlieb Bandell (24 August 1946 – 16 November 2015) was a Dutch civil servant and politician of the Political Party of Radicals (PPR) and later the Labour Party (PvdA). Bandell was born in Gouda. He was mayor of Moordrecht (19 ...

(1946–2015) a Dutch civil servant, politician and Mayor of Alkmaar 1995–2000 * Jos Punt (born 1946) bishop in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

* Patrick Cammaert (born 1950) a retired Dutch general and commander of UN peacekeeping missions

The arts

Bosboom-Toussaint August Falise Kennemerstraatweg Alkmaar

* Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher (1594–1649),

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and engraver * Pieter van Schaeyenborgh (1600–1657), painter known for pictures of fish; worked in Alkmaar from 1635 * brothers Caesar van Everdingen (1616/7-1678) &

Allaert van Everdingen Allaert van Everdingen (; bapt. 18 June 16218 November 1675 (buried)), was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker in etching and mezzotint. Biography Van Everdingen was born at Alkmaar, the son of a government clerk. He and his older broth ...

(1621–1675)

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

painters * Emanuel de Witte (1617–1692) a Dutch perspective painter of genre paintings *

Willem de Fesch Willem de Fesch (; 1687 in Alkmaar – 3 January 1761) was a virtuoso Dutch violinist and composer. The pupil of Karel Rosier, who was a Vice-Kapellmeister at Bonn, de Fesch later married his daughter, Maria Anna Rosier. De Fesch was acti ...

(1687–1761) a virtuoso Dutch

violone The term violone (; literally 'large viol', being the augmentative suffix) can refer to several distinct large, bowed musical instruments which belong to either the viol or violin family. The violone is sometimes a fretted instrument, and may ...

player and composer * Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint (1812–1886) a Dutch novelist * Cécile de Jong van Beek en Donk (1866–1944) a Dutch feminist writer * Dirk Smorenberg (1883–1960) a Dutch

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

painter * Jan Wils (1891–1972) a Dutch architect and founding member of the

De Stijl De Stijl (, ; 'The Style') was a Dutch art movement founded in 1917 by a group of artists and architects based in Leiden (Theo van Doesburg, Jacobus Oud, J.J.P. Oud), Voorburg (Vilmos Huszár, Jan Wils) and Laren, North Holland, Laren (Piet Mo ...

movement * Jan Gerrit van Gelder (1903–1980) a Dutch art historian * Ans Wortel (1929–1996) a Dutch painter, poet and writer *

Rudi Carrell Rudi Carrell (born Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar; 19 December 1934 – 7 July 2006) was a Dutch entertainer. Along with famous entertainers such as Johannes Heesters and Linda de Mol, he was one of the most successful Dutch personalities active ...

(1934–2006) entertainer, hosted his own TV show * Dan van der Vat (1939–2019) a journalist, writer and military historian * Angela Groothuizen (born 1959) a Dutch singer, artist and TV personality * Karin Bloemen (born 1960) is a Dutch actress and singer * Lorena Kloosterboer (born 1962) a Dutch-Argentine artist who paints using

trompe-l'œil ; ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional surface. , which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into perceiving p ...

* Joost Zwagerman (1963–2015) a Dutch writer, poet and essayist *

Marco Borsato Marco Roberto Borsato (, ; born 21 December 1966) is a Dutch people, Dutch singer. Born in Alkmaar, North Holland, he started performing in Italian language, Italian before switching to Dutch language, Dutch in 1994. He has consistently been one o ...

(born 1966) a Dutch singer * Edwin Brienen (born 1971) a Dutch film director, actor, producer and journalist * Hellen van Meene (born 1972) a Dutch photographer known for her portraits *

Tom Six Tom Six (born 29 August 1973) is a Dutch filmmaker, writer, and actor. He is best known for his trilogy of body horror films; ''The Human Centipede (First Sequence)'', ''The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)'', and ''The Human Centipede 3 (Fi ...

(born 1973) a Dutch horror filmmaker, writer and actor * Roderick Teerink (born 1976) a Dutch-Argentine actor and music producer IMDb Database
retrieved 13 April 2021 * Sabine Marcelis (born 1985) a Dutch-New Zealander artist and designer * Melissa Venema (born 1995) a Dutch trumpet player

Science & business

* Petrus Forestus (1521–1597) a prominent

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

of the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

* Adriaan Anthonisz (1527–1607) a mathematician, surveyor, cartographer, military engineer and

burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, ) is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or executive of a city or town. The name in English was derived from the Dutch . In so ...

of Alkmaar *

Willem Blaeu Willem Janszoon Blaeu (; 157121 October 1638), also abbreviated to Willem Jansz. Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer, atlas maker, and publisher. Along with his son Johannes Blaeu, Willem is considered one of the notable figures of the Netherlan ...

(1571–1638) a Dutch cartographer, atlas maker and publisher *

Adriaan Metius Adriaan Adriaanszoon, called Metius, (9 December 1571 – 6 September 1635), was a Dutch geometer and astronomer born in Alkmaar. The name "Metius" comes from the Dutch word ''meten'' ("measuring"), and therefore means something like "measurer" ...

(1571–1635) a Dutch geometer and

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...

Cornelis Drebbel Cornelis Jacobszoon Drebbel (; 1572 – 7 November 1633) was a Dutch engineer and inventor. He was the builder of the first operational submarine in 1620 and an innovator who contributed to the development of measurement and control systems, opti ...

(1572–1633) a Dutch engineer, in 1620 built the first navigable submarine * Jan Leeghwater (1575 in De Rijp – 1650) a Dutch architect, mill builder and hydraulic engineer *

Joan Blaeu Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673), also called Johannes Blaeu, was a Dutch cartographer and the official cartographer of the Dutch East India Company. Blaeu is most notable for his map published in 1648, which was the fir ...

(1598–1673) a Dutch cartographer * Adriaan Reland (1676 in De Rijp – 1718) a Dutch Orientalist scholar and cartographer * Hendrik Willem Bakhuis Roozeboom (1854–1907) a Dutch chemist who studied phase behaviour in

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

Alfred Peet Alfred H. Peet (March 10, 1920 – August 29, 2007) was a Dutch-American entrepreneur and the founder of Peet's Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, California, in 1966. Peet is widely credited with starting the specialty coffee revolution in the US. Am ...

(1920–2007) founder of American coffee retailer Peet's Coffee & Tea * Jacob Gelt Dekker (1948 in Oterleek– 2019) a Dutch businessman, philanthropist and writer

Sport

* Harm Ottenbros (born 1943) a former Dutch road bicycle racer, 1969 world champion *

Dick Quax Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax (1 January 1948 – 28 May 2018) was a Dutch-born New Zealand runner, one-time world record holder in the 5000 metres, and local-body politician. Quax stood for Parliament for the ACT Party in 199 ...

(1948–2018) a Dutch-born New Zealand long-distance runner * Hans Nijman (1959–2014) a Dutch former mixed martial artist and professional wrestler * Richard Goulooze (born 1967) a Dutch former professional footballer with 351 club caps * Michel Vonk (born 1968) a Dutch former professional footballer with 342 club caps * Jakko Jan Leeuwangh (born 1972) a former speed skater * Macha van der Vaart (born 1972) a Dutch field hockey player, team bronze and silver medallist at the

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

Steven de Jongh Steven de Jongh (born 25 November 1973) is a Dutch former road bicycle racer. Biography de Jongh made his professional debut in 1995 at TVM (cycling team), TVM team where he stayed until 1999. From 2000 to 2005 he was part of , while he made th ...

(born 1973) a Dutch former road bicycle racer * brothers Yuri Cornelisse (born 1975) & Tim Cornelisse (born 1978) Dutch retired footballers with 371 and 445 club caps * Jochem Verberne (born 1978) rower, team silver medallist in the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

* Maarten van der Weijden (born 1981) a Dutch long distance and marathon swimmer;

Dutch Sportsman of the year The Dutch Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year are chosen annually by Dutch athletes from a shortlist compiled by sports journalists. The elections are organized by the Dutch Olympic Committee. All the winners receive a Jaap Eden Award to re ...

2008 *

Theo Bos Theo Bos (born 22 August 1983) is a Dutch former professional road and track cyclist. An Olympic silver medalist and five-time world champion, he is the brother of Olympic medalist in speed skating Jan Bos. On 29 November 2021, he announced ...

(born 1983) a Dutch road and track cyclist * Wesley Harms (born 1984) a Dutch professional darts player * Gago Drago (born 1985) an Armenian-Dutch welterweight kickboxer * Dewi Claire Schreefel (born 1985) a Dutch female professional golfer on the

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

* Tom Büdgen (born 1985) a Dutch professional wrestler who previously worked in

WWE World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestling promotion. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. A global integrated media and entertainment company, ...

, currently signed to

All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. It is owned and operated by Shahid Khan, Shahid and Tony Khan, with the latter serving as President (corporate title), president an ...

under the ring name Malakai Black * Yvonne Hak (born 1986) a Dutch middle-distance runner, won gold at the 2010 European Athletics Championships * Nycke Groot (born 1988) a Dutch handball player, 141 caps with the women's national team * Joyce Sombroek (born 1990) a Dutch field hockey goalkeeper, team gold and silver medallist at the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

* Indy Dontje (born 1992) a Dutch racing driver

Twin towns—sister cities

Alkmaar is twinned with:

Gallery

File:Rechtestraat, De Rijp, Netherlands - panoramio (23).jpg, De Rijp File:Alkmaar, toren van het stadhuis RM7282 foto5 2014-12-26 11.41.jpg, Townhall tower File:Kennemerstraatweg 118-126, Alkmaar.jpg, ''Kennemerstraatweg'' File:Alkmaar, de Mient bij het Biermuseum RM7221 foto3 2014-12-26 11.24.jpg, ''De Mient'' near the Biermuseum File:De Rijp Panorama 2.JPG, ''Grote Dam'' File:Alkmaar, straatzicht De Laat met de voormalige Domuskerk foto7 2014-12-26 11.52.jpg, View to a street: ''De Laat'' with its former church File:Cheesemuseum in the Alkmaar Waagbuilding 1582 - panoramio.jpg, Weighing house (''Waag'') and cheese museum

References

Literature

External links

* * * * – City of Alkmaar {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland