Alkmaar, my birthplace, was first mentioned in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted city rights in 1254. The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank that afforded some protection from the sea during medieval times. Even so, it is only a couple of metres above the surrounding region, which consists of some of the oldest polders in existence.
In 1573 the city successfully withstood a siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba. It was a turning point in the Eighty Years War and gave rise to the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie ("Victory begins at Alkmaar"). The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on October 8, the day the siege ended.
In 1799, during the French revolutionary wars, an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum. The French victory was commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as Alkmaer.
1. The drawbridge over the "Luttik Oudorp" canal
2. One of the small and narrow houses along one of Alkmaar's many canals
3. The beer museum, seen from the roof of the parking garage
4. View over the rooftops of the old town towards the "weighing tower" of the cheese market
5. Many of the canals are flanked by terraces and icecream parlours or restaurants with international cuisine
Originally posted by kerrowdown 
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