Gouda | The magical winter agenda   

The festival of lights Gouda by Candlelight, winter walks, steaming cheese fondues, sustainable shopping and skating fun around the town hall. Beautiful views and intimate cityscapes by great masters Museum Gouda.

Below is a collection of highlights from Gouda's winter agenda.

Looking at art with treasures from the Rijks

For a dose of art and culture, Museum Gouda presents 'High Skies – Treasures from the Rijks' from 10 December. Beautiful views and intimate cityscapes by great masters selected from the depots of the Rijksmuseum and the museum itself.

Among other things, the exhibition gives a look at the Hague School with painters such as Jacob Maris, George Breitner and Jan Weissenbruch, interspersed with special video portraits of the artist duo Martin & Inge Riebeek. 

Gouda by Candlelight: a festival of lights full of tradition

The fairytale City Hall in which 1500 candles burn and a Norwegian Christmas tree form the decor of Gouda by Candlelight. The oldest festival of lights The Netherlands celebrates the 16th edition on Friday 67 December with the theme 'Together again'.

The historic city center is in the Christmas spirit and the scene of tableaus vivant, music performances and lots of fun. Grand finale is the lighting of the lights in the tree. The festival of lights is also the start of the Winterfair in the St. John's Church on December 16 and 17. The time to buy Christmas presents at 123 meters of stalls, on the food square and to support charities with the purchases.

Anton Pieck feeling with winter hiking and ice skating

There is skating fun in Gouda from December 21 to January 15 on the atmospheric ice rink around the Town Hall. After a round of 200 meters, the accompanying Koek & Zopie awaits. Perfect to warm up and then take a winter walk around the Sint-Janskerk.

Once again this year, the church's famous stained glass windows will be lit up at night for three weeks, the only time of the year when you can see the Gouda Glasses can be admired outside. You can also admire the church from the inside, whether or not during the Black Gospel Night concerts on December 21 and 22. 

Atmospheric shopping in the Gouda Streets

De Zeugstraat, Sewing Street and the Stew alley. Small medieval streets around the Markt in Gouda are full of boutiques, concept stores and local shops with original Sinterklaas and Christmas gifts.

For a vintage or brocante tree gift you can find Antiques & Curiosa Always and Déja Vu, part of Antiques and Brocante Struinen Gouda, among others. Surprise someone with a fair trade gift? Then it is Groenendaal Quarter a bull's eye, the first Fairtradestraat in the Netherlands has eleven shops and catering establishments that sell fair trade products or work with them.

Also read: German Christmas Markets 2022 | Route planners for German cities

Warm Gouda sleeping addresses

A wintry weekend Gouda requires a special sleeping address. The city has a good range of heritage accommodation, trendy B&Bs, apartments and comfortable hotels.

The always-good hotel Best Western Plus City Hotel Gouda, with a cheese and stroopwafel suite. B&B Betty Blue combines luxury with small scale and at town house Baartje Sanders Erf do you have your own house & (city) garden. Bee Relais & Châteaux Orphanage Gouda (photo) you will be pampered super-de-luxe. 

• Prices and availability for Best Western City Hotel Gouda do you think here .
• Prices and availability for B&B Betty Blue do you think here .
• Prices and availability for town house Baartje Sanders Erf do you think here .
• Prices and availability for Relais & Châteaux Orphanage Gouda do you think here .
  

Cheese fondue with dark beer

Cheese and beer. Exactly what you need in the cold winter months and Gouda has in stock. The city on the Gouwe was once the most important beer city The Netherlands. Medieval history that you can taste in the beers of The New Brewery, Brewery 1923 en Bunnik's Beer Brewery which are served in beer pubs such as The Gouda Duck, Pub en Barber op The market. Cheese fondue fans line up at the restaurants keck., Belvedere of Cows and Cheese where they melt the best cheeses.

Also read: Winter tip | Christmas in Alsace