Gouda Local Customs

On the side of the town hall you will find this on its exterior wall.

Note the clock, the bells below it (rung electrically) and the scene below, figures on either side of a red/white door.

Something nice goes on just a 2 minutes after each whole hour...
(see next tip)

Count Floris V.
The scene depicts the fact that he gave Gouda city rights in 1272 allowing it to make its own judicial system.

The picture may be of insufficient quality to show the actual Count Floris V figure in the door. If you enlarge it you may see it better. If you can't see it at all, please let me know so I can improve the image.

If you're walking along the Markt square and see a group of people, children included, concentratingly lookin up at the town hall wall, then stop too and wait.... until two minutes past the whole hour....
(see next tip)

For the most part of each hour the figures (a knight, some citizens, on either side of the door stand still. The door is closed......
but when the bells start ringing the figures move and turn towards the door which opens...
(see next tip)

A side Gouda museum, over a cute bridge that leads into a garden you’ll find the shield (coat of arms) of Gouda. Do not confuse it with the Archers shield, they only look the same but if you look closely you’ll notice the lions face different direction. The same shield can be seen on top of the weigh house (De Waag)
Not always it looked like it is now, some parts were added and some don’t exist anymore. First there were only two stars they became six only in 15th century. The silver sward in the middle of the shield resembles Jan Van der Goude’s weapon. The thorns were added later. Two climbing lions at some point had a motto written under them: Per Aspera at Astra which means through the thorn to the stars. There are stars above the thorns, but no motto is seen anywhere, which makes us wonder if it was ever added.

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One of the oldest stroopwafel recipes was found in Gouda in 1840, but the story of stroopwafle started long before, at the end of 18th century, when Gauda’s baker named Gerard took all the leftover crumbs he had, made a cookie, and dipped it in syrup. The popular, cheap cookie for the poor was born. Nowadays the real Goudse stroopwafel is not that cheap in compare to all the others, but it tastes better and therefore worth the money. When I arrived to Gouda I picked up a brochure from the local tourist information center. Besides the useful information the brochure contained a coupon for 2 Goudse wafels at the bakery across the street. The trick works, once you try the waffles you’ll buy more, trust me.

I think this is a new take on sashimi for me. Eating raw herring is not my idea of fun, but the Dutch and Belgiums seem to really enjoy it. I caught this gentleman on camera. The way the do it is to hold their heads backwards and then slowly putting the little fish in their mouths and biting off what they can chew.

This and following tips are about the traditional Dutch cookie called stroopwafel.

Tearoom Van den Berg
Lange Groenendaal 32
GOUDA
2801 LT
Nederland

Tel: +31 182-529975