Gouda’s Market Square serves as the hub of the city’s activity and is dominated by the Gothic town hall (Stadhuis), built between 1448 and 1450. Just behind the town hall is the Waag (Dutch for ‘scale house’), which dates back to 1667 and was formerly used for weighing goods (especially Gouda’s famous cheese) to levy taxes. The Waag now houses a museum chronicling the history of the cheese trade. Gouda’s main shopping street passes through the northwestern side of the square, and the market is still held there on weekdays.
