The Vrouwen van Alkmaar city walk takes visitors past places in the city centre that are connected to remarkable women from the history of Alkmaar. The route starts and ends at the Waagplein and highlights tough, brave, smart and influential women who have shaped the city.
A different story about the city
History books are often dominated by stories about influential men, but Alkmaar also has a rich history of women who made the city what it is today. The walk begins at the Waagplein, at the Waaggebouw which was built around 1390 as the Heilig Geest Gasthuis, where women held sway at the time and took in poor travellers and the sick.
Commemorative stones and statues
Along the way, you will pass two stumbling stones for the sisters Alida and Jeanette Prins, beloved Alkmaar residents of Jewish descent who managed a pharmacy on the Magdalenenstraat. At the city hall from 1520, you will pause to reflect on Marie van Rossen and Anja Schouten, the first two female mayors of Alkmaar. In the Grote Kerk lies Oopjen Coppit, known from the famous Rembrandt painting that has been on display alternately at the Rijksmuseum and the Louvre since 2015.
From writer to 'mother of a thousand children'
The route continues past the Hofje van Splinter, founded by the wealthy Margaretha, and past the bust of writer Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint. The statue of Maria Tesselschade Roemer Visser, one of the wealthiest women in Alkmaar, and the former studio of the Vlaanderen sisters are also featured. A special highlight is the statue of Truus Wijsmuller-Meijer, also known as the mother of 1001 children, near her birthplace. The walk ends back at the Waaggebouw, where the Stedemaagd van Alkmaar looks out over the city from the facade.
