Markt
You start on the Markt, Gouda's central square, built around the town hall that stands free in the middle. Look at its shape: roughly triangular, with the north side bending in a curve rather than running straight. In the 14th century each side had its own name. The curved edge was the Regenboog, the rainbow, probably because of that shape; the west side was the Koestraat, where the cow market was held; the southeast side was the Botermarkt. People kept using these names well into the 20th century, though officially the whole square is simply the Markt.
The town bought this marshy ground from the lords Van der Goude to build a new town hall, but work only began in 1448. Ever since, the square has been a trading floor for cows, horses, meat, butter and cheese. The great annual fair was the Sint-Jacobsmarkt at the end of July, the origin of today's funfair, and the Thursday and Saturday markets are what remains of the old weekly markets. In season the cheese market fills the square on Thursday mornings; if your dates fit, time your start for it.
Before you move on, find two buildings. Next to the Waag stands De Zalm, an inn rebuilt in 1670. The city ruled that its cornice had to sit at least six ells lower than the Waag's, and the gable stone under the carved salmon still says so: Niet te hooch niet te laech van passe, not too high, not too low, just right. Then look for Arti Legi, built in 1855 to a design by Willem Cornelis van Goor. Its name records its first two tenants, the city drawing school (Arti) and the cantonal court (Legi). Today it is used for exhibitions and other events.
From here it is 280 m, about 4 minutes, to the Agnietenkapel on the Nieuwe Markt.
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