News of: Tuesday, August 29 2006,
The cattle market in Purmerend (a town just north of Amsterdam) will be closed down in 2007.
This has been decided by the town authorities of Purmerend. The market will stop at July 1, 2007.
The Earl of Egmond gave market rights to Purmerend on March 21 1484. Since then, all kinds of cattle have been traded on here, not only cows and sheep, but also horses and goats. For more than 500 years the heart of the town has been the setting for the cattle market. This is still held every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at the crack of dawn.
Since 2001 the market is not an open air market any more, after an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Visitors can only see the market when hygenic measures are obeyed.
Due to these developments, the market was not as attractive any more, also not for tourists. This is the reason of the closure in the centre of the town.
The market may move to a new location, outside Purmerend, but this is not yet certain.
