Gouda (population 71,000) is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. 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. Gouda’s array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination. read more…