Shopping in the streets of Gouda

This winter, Gouda is the kind of city where you "just pop in for a look" and then find yourself wandering around three hours later with a full bag and a full stomach.

Amidst the festive lights and winter evenings, there it lies: a city center that is over 750 years old, divided into six quarters, each with its own character. Not an open-air museum, but a city where you can still stroll, wander, and be surprised.

You start at the station area and walk straight into the Kleiwegkwartier: the large shopping street with well-known chains, interspersed with Gouda boutiques where you can find that jacket or bag that not everyone else has.

In the Nieuwe Marktkwartier, the Nieuwe Marktpassage and the square next to it form the beating heart: handy if you want to stay dry, handy if you want to "accidentally" drag your companions past a few more shops.

The Market Square is Gouda's terrace and dining area. In the middle stands the old town hall, an unmissable photo opportunity, surrounded by medieval streets and courtyards that you can easily get lost in if you're "just taking a quick stroll."

In the Tiendekwartier, you feel like you're in a treasure trove: more than a hundred shops, with lots of antiques and curiosities. It's the perfect place to find something you didn't know you were looking for.

The Cultural-Historical Quarter is the oldest part of the city. Here stands St. John's Church—the longest church in the Netherlands—as a silent protagonist among canals, art galleries, narrow bridges, and facades that will make any architecture lover's heart beat faster.

In the Groenendaalkwartier, getting lost is almost a mission. Small shops, vintage finds, Fairtrade addresses... it feels more like rummaging through a carefully curated wardrobe than "just shopping."

And that's not even all six areas. There are now more than 500 shops and restaurants tucked away in the city center. The chances of going home empty-handed and hungry are pretty slim.

In short: if you're going to be wandering around, shopping, and enjoying hearty winter meals somewhere this winter, this is a very interesting opportunity to go not just "somewhere," but to a city that has been perfecting its atmosphere for centuries.

This information is provided by Stichting Samenwerkende Binnenstadondernemers Gouda (SBG).