CHURCHWesterkerk
The church under Amsterdam's tallest tower, where Rembrandt was buried in a grave nobody can find. Anne Frank could hear its bells from her hiding place a few doors away.
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Churches in Amsterdam
Amsterdam grew up around its churches, and most of them are still standing: the Oude Kerk, the oldest building in the city, in the middle of the Red Light District; the Nieuwe Kerk on Dam Square; and the Westerkerk, whose tower you see from half the canal ring. Some charge entry and hold exhibitions, others you can simply walk into.
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CHURCH
HIDDEN COURTYARDBegijnhof
A walled medieval courtyard in the middle of the old centre, home to single women for more than 600 years. Step through the gate on the Begijnensteeg and the city noise drops away.
MUSEUMOude Kerk
The city's oldest building, a 13th-century church in the middle of the Red Light District, now showing contemporary art.
MUSEUMNieuwe Kerk
The church on Dam Square where Dutch monarchs are crowned, now home to big exhibitions.
MUSEUMOur Lord in the Attic
A complete Catholic church hidden in the attic of a 17th-century canal house.
CHURCHSint-Nicolaasbasiliek
The big domed basilica opposite Centraal Station, free to walk into.
CHURCHZuiderkerk
The first Protestant church of Amsterdam, painted by Monet; the skull gate to its graveyard is around the corner.
CHURCHDe Krijtberg
A neo-Gothic church on the Singel, richly painted inside and squeezed into a canal street.
ODD FINDSint Olofskapel
A 15th-century chapel swallowed by a hotel, with a skull-and-bones gable stone over the old door.
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Which church to see
The oldest building in town
Oude Kerk
Begun in the 13th century, with a wooden vault overhead and Rembrandt’s wife Saskia buried in the floor.
A church in the attic
Our Lord in the Attic
A complete Catholic church hidden in the top floors of a canal house, from the years Catholics could not worship openly.
Climb the tower
Westerkerk
The tallest church tower in Amsterdam, next to the Anne Frank House. Rembrandt is buried here.
On Dam Square
Nieuwe Kerk
Where Dutch kings and queens are inaugurated. No longer used for services; today it holds big exhibitions.
Free to walk in
Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek
The domed basilica opposite Centraal Station, the first church many visitors see.
Colour everywhere
De Krijtberg
A neo-Gothic church squeezed into a canal street, painted from floor to vault.
A courtyard of quiet
Begijnhof
Behind an ordinary door off the Spui: a courtyard with the English Church and a hidden Catholic chapel.
Painted by Monet
Zuiderkerk
The first church built for Protestants in Amsterdam, with a tower Monet put on canvas.
Good to know
Free or ticket
The Oude Kerk, the Nieuwe Kerk and Our Lord in the Attic work like museums and charge entry. The working churches are free to walk into when they are open, but close for services and weddings.
Museumkaart
The Oude Kerk, the Nieuwe Kerk and Our Lord in the Attic usually accept the Dutch museum pass. Check before you go.
Climbing a tower
The towers of the Westerkerk and the Zuiderkerk can be climbed with a guide in small groups, mostly in the warmer months. Places are limited, so book ahead.
Listen for the bells
The Westertoren, the Zuidertoren and the Munttoren have carillons that play over the canals. On some days a carillonneur plays them live.
Churches in hiding
After the city turned Protestant in 1578, Catholics could no longer worship in public. They kept going in hidden churches behind ordinary house fronts, tolerated as long as nobody could see them from the street. Our Lord in the Attic is the one that survives complete. The chapel in the Begijnhof started the same way, and De Krijtberg stands where one of those hidden churches used to be.
Concerts under the vaults
Many of these churches double as concert halls, with organ recitals, choirs and chamber music, especially at weekends and around Christmas. The Oude Kerk and the Westerkerk have some of the finest organs in the country. Look at the church’s own programme for the week you are here.
Questions people ask
What is the oldest church in Amsterdam?
The Oude Kerk, begun in the 13th century. It is also the oldest building in the city.
Which churches in Amsterdam are free to visit?
The Sint-Nicolaasbasiliek, De Krijtberg and the Westerkerk are usually free to walk into when they are open, and so is the Begijnhof with its chapel. The Oude Kerk, the Nieuwe Kerk and Our Lord in the Attic charge entry.
Can you climb a church tower in Amsterdam?
Yes: the Westertoren and the Zuidertoren, with a guide and in small groups. Book ahead in summer.
Where is Rembrandt buried?
In the Westerkerk, in a grave whose exact place is no longer known. His wife Saskia lies in the Oude Kerk.
Is the Nieuwe Kerk a church or a museum?
Both, in a way. It no longer holds regular services and is used for large exhibitions, but Dutch kings and queens are still inaugurated there.