A number of cities in the Netherlands block off large sections of downtown from vehicle traffic during market days. While on a home exchange in the Netherlands (great way to visit a country and avoid lodging costs BTW), we visited the city Alkmaar on a Saturday. Roughly a square mile is blocked off from traffic. This is a video taken at ground level at one of main intersections in town. Lots of bike tires, people, and feet — completely void of the hazards, exhaust, and noise of cars. A magical place from an unusual perspective.
The following map shows the extent of the car-free zone.
Key:
A. Car-free zone on market day
B. Permanent car-free zone
PlaceMatters Pin: location of video
