Provate a immaginare cosa accade quando tutte le luci vengono spente e la città rimane illuminata a lume di candela. E’ quello che accade a Gouda, in Olanda.
Gouda by candlelight, “Gouda bij Kaarslicht” in Dutch, is a well-known Christmas event held every year in the historic Dutch town, not far from Rotterdam.
The city by candlelight
The tradition wants all the lights to be turned off and the evening of Gouda is illuminated only by the countless candles placed on the windowsills of the houses overlooking the square and its surroundings, all accompanied by the most typical Christmas songs.
The mayor gives a speech and lights the Christmas tree, also illuminated by thousands of lights, creating a truly magical atmosphere.
Every year the Christmas tree is donated by the Norwegian city of Konigsberg, with which Gouda is twinned. On this occasion all the churches and museums in the area remain open for visits. Every year thousands of visitors attend this event, including important national and international guests.
The 2018 edition is held on December 14. The most important hours of the day are from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Gouda bij Kaarslicht: a consolidated tradition
The highly anticipated event dates back many decades when Gouda became famous for the production of quality candles, around the mid-19th century.
The candles of Gouda are made of natural wax, capable of burning steadily for hours and are still available throughout the city as souvenirs. Today the city is better known for the cheese that takes its name from this town.
Gouda: historic city of the Netherlands
The town of Gouda does not enjoy an enchanted atmosphere only during the Gouda by candlelight event. Delightful canals, historic churches, and typical Dutch architecture make it a magnificent city, also known for its breweries, smoking pipes, and “stroopwafels” (syrup waffles) cookies.
It is famous for gouda, a typical Dutch cheese, and stroopwafel, a type of cookie.
