Gouda, South Holland
| Gouda | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| City and Municipality | |||
Market square with gothic city hall
|
|||
|
|||
| Motto: Per aspera ad astra | |||
.svg) Location in South Holland |
|||
| Coordinates: 52°1′N 4°43′E / 52.017°N 4.717°ECoordinates: 52°1′N 4°43′E / 52.017°N 4.717°E | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | South Holland | ||
| Government | |||
| • Body | Municipal council | ||
| • Mayor | Milo Schoenmaker (VVD) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 18.11 km2 (6.99 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 16.86 km2 (6.51 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 1.25 km2 (0.48 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | ||
| Population (May 2014) | |||
| • Total | 70,939 | ||
| • Density | 4,208/km2 (10,900/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Gouwenaar | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postcode | 2800–2809 | ||
| Area code | 0182 | ||
| Website | www |
||
Gouda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣʌu̯daː]) is a municipality and city in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. The city is famous for its Gouda cheese, stroopwafels, many grachten, smoking pipes, and its 15th-century city hall. Gouda's array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination.
In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. City rights were granted in 1272.
Around the year 1100, the area where Gouda now is located was swampy and covered with a peat forest, crossed by small creeks such as the Gouwe. Along the shores of this stream near the current market and city hall, peat harvesting began in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1139, the name Gouda is first mentioned in a statement from the Bishop of Utrecht.
In the 13th century, the Gouwe was connected to the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) by means of a canal and its mouth at the Hollandse IJssel was developed into a harbour. Castle Gouda was built to protect this harbour. This shipping route was used for trade between Flanders and France with Holland and the Baltic Sea. In 1272, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted city rights to Gouda, which by then had become an important location. City-canals or grachten were dug and served as transport ways through the town.
...
Wikipedia