Audioguide tour of Gouda: Colonies, canals, and of course, cheese
Audioguide tour of Gouda: Colonies, canals, and of course, cheese
Are you planning to visit Gouda, and need a guide?
Try our audioguide tour Canals, colonies, and, of course, cheese: A Gouda walking tour.
In partnership with VoiceMap, this walk is voice-recorded by Annette so you can listen to it on your mobile phone as you wander through the heart of old Gouda. You can therefore focus on the stories rather than trying to read and navigate.
Click on the button below or scan the QR code to purchase the tour from VoiceMap
VoiceMap works by using GPS to trigger audio exactly when you need it as you travel, both for perfectly timed commentary about what you are seeing and for helpful walking directions. So, you can concentrate on the interesting things in Gouda whilst the audio plays and you can be sure you won’t miss any turns.
You can take the tour at a time that suits you and at your own pace. You can also stop it at any point if you want to spend more time at a particular location or stop for coffee, then resume the tour when you’re ready. The adventure is yours!
This audio tour is brimful with history and culture stories, to enhance your Gouda experience and help you discover more about this wonderful heritage city.
At the end of this webpage are VoiceMap Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
What is there to see in Gouda?
If you can only name five cities in the Netherlands, Gouda is bound to be one of them.
This is no doubt the result of that delicious cheese packed tightly in its own yellow wax jacket, now available across the globe. This tour starts at De Goudse Waag on the market square. We will of course pop into the Cheese Farmers Co-op (Kaaswinkel Gouda), but you’ll be treated to so much more than cheese during your journey.
As you explore the heart of the old city, walking past picturesque canals and houses that really do belong in 17th century paintings, you’ll hear how Gouda has been both one of the wealthiest, and the poorest of Dutch cities over the centuries.
I’ll tell you how entrepreneurs have been at the heart of many a Gouda story, with some setting sail in search of trade in new lands, and others making the most of opportunities back home. But there are also dark sides to some of these stories, where exploitation, slavery, and religious persecution took place. The era described by many as the “Golden Age” was definitely not so for everyone.
User reviews
I loved this! I really feel like I learned so much about the history and culture! - from Amber
Outstanding tour. Very interesting and useful information and great navigation instructions. Thank you - from Hugh
This was great fun. Thanks for doing these! - from Sally
Key details
Along the way, you’ll have the chance to:
Discover the location of a clandestine church from a time when it was forbidden to worship publicly as a Catholic
Spot the remains of the mediaeval Gouda Castle, locally known as Kasteel van Gouda, and visit Museum Gouda with its charming courtyard
Treat yourself to some of South Holland’s finest chocolate at Chocoladeatelier PUUR, which sources from ethical farms where workers are treated with respect and rewarded fairly
Hear about the tragic fate of some of Gouda’s Jewish families during the Holocaust, for whom markers (or, ‘stumbling stones’) have been installed on the pavements in front of their former homes
Learn about the Houtman brothers, who were probably the first Dutchmen to capture slaves
Stop at Slijterij en Bierwinkel Den Gouwen Aar (today, a liquor store) and find out how the city once hosted over 200 breweries and quite a few monasteries inside its walls
Find out why Gouda has been fighting rising sea levels since forever, and how Stadhuis van Gouda (the City Hall) was built in the middle of a field to prevent it from catching fire
Take the quintessential Dutch photo of ‘t Slot windmill and tulips in springtime
There are also plenty of places to stop on the way to pull up a chair, order a coffee or a beer, and watch the world walk, or cycle, past.
By the end of this walk around Gouda, you’ll have a sense of the city’s complex past and what makes it unique today.
How to purchase this tour
Currently available from VoiceMap for US$ 9.99
Product dimensions
This is a 3km walking tour
It takes an average of 90 mins to complete
The starting point is De Goudsche Waag, Markt 35, Gouda, The Netherlands
VoiceMap User FAQ
How do VoiceMap tours work?
VoiceMap’s audio tour app for iOS and Android uses your device’s GPS to play audio automatically, at the right time and place. Just install the app and download your tour, then go to the starting point and begin your walk.
Do I need to follow a route, or can I start the tour anywhere I like?
Tours have a fixed starting point and follow a route to a fixed end location. This allows us to provide turn-by-turn-directions and improves the accuracy of automatic playback. It also helps tour publishers tell a better story, greater than the sum of its parts. But the VoiceMap app does have a Resume option, and this allows you to pick up a tour from the closest location and carry on with it whenever you like.
Can I use tours more than once?
You can listen to your tours as often as you like using both the VoiceMap app and the VoiceMap website. Your access to tours doesn’t expire.
Can I listen to tours at home?
Yes! You don’t need to travel to a tour’s starting point to listen to it. In the VoiceMap app, just select Virtual mode on the screen that displays after you download the tour. You can also listen to the whole tour at voicemap.me.
Do I need mobile data to do a VoiceMap tour?
No, VoiceMap works entirely offline if there’s no data connection, so you don’t have to pay roaming fees. Just download the tour over WiFi before you get started.
Related partner
Copyright
Annette Welkamp
VoiceMap
